A ways back (in October I believe) I review a thruRoof on Sentient Recognition Archive that really surprised me. Well who woulda thunk it but here they are again, this time in 3" format on Stunned. Loved that first throuRoof I heard, love Stunned, and love the 3" format, so this is a sure bet. Plus the weird as hell title is too enticing, especially placed among those containers on the cover.
Whereas Whale Bones was a real concept work however, this one is far purer in its musical conception. Opening with a billowing moan and a bassy drone, the piece takes off from the get-go, which is ideal considering the short format the unit is working in. Really dense barrage of blown out drone here, ultra ceremonial in nature and totally captivating. There's a certain clarity of vision here that is tough to deny, as well as a palpable sense of the endless that this unit really has a knack for. Their willingness to present an idea and stick with it, banking on the monolith of sound itself rather than the "psychedelic" aspects really strengthens their stuff and ultimately makes it far more zoned out than most people dabbling in locales this crispy.
Which isn't to say that it's totally fried. The opening section is actually quite lush and rich, exhibiting a beautiful and lovingly cared for quality that really deserves some attention. Every tone that enters is kept close track of and treated as a part of the whole, making sure that it all culminates in something far greater than the number of sounds present might entail. Working with such seemingly limited material and getting such a powerful sound from it is an exciting prospect in itself, and these guys handle it without getting heavy handed in the least. Just beautiful power before slinking back into gentler, more cavernous realms. And man, when the guitar comes in... whoa... Really takes it to the next level, simmering it in a long and steamy cauldron that burns softly against the blackness of night. The drum accompaniment that soon joins readjusts the work toward a green landscape rather than a dark navy one, as wheat grass and birds are seen as distant memories of a forgotten warmth. It's gorgeous, and really moves to so many wonderful zones it's tough to sum up. Another one that's sadly gone from the label (limited to only 80) but still out there somewhere. Wonderful and emotive little piece.
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