Album
Type: Album
Date
Released: March 24th 2014 (EU) / April 15th 2014 (USA)
Label:
Listenable
Records
Electric
Mountain Majesty - track listing:
01
Beyond the Whip
02
Nothing Left But Night
03
Enter the Fire
04
Spectres
05
Neon Nightmare
06
Breaker
07
Early Mourning
08
Electric Mountain Majesty
09
Black Magic Mirror
10
Heavy Ritual
Bio:
Mos
Generator formed during the winter of 2000 in Port Orchard,
Washington from the ashes of a ten year off & on collaboration
between it's three members, all of which are long time veterans of
road & studio. The need to strip down to the basics of hard rock
was apparent from the start and continues to be the foundation for
all the bands recent material. Mos Generator have released 5 studio
albums, a retrospective album, and a live album on such labels as
Roadburn, Small Stone, Ripple, Nasoni, and Lay Bare. Touring has been
just as important to the profile of the band as making records has.
Over the years Mos Generator has shared the stage with many great
heavy rock bands and in March of 2013 they did a 26 date European
tour with Saint Vitus, opening up a whole new fan base to the Mos
Generator sound. On stage the band defines the word "chemistry".
Revolving their sound around swagger and groove while improvising
just enough to keep the songs feeling fresh from night to
night...sometimes with interesting results.
Currently
Mos Generator are working on a new record to be released in the
spring of 2014 on Listenable Records with a European tour to follow
in May. So far the new material is stretching the core sound of the
band into some new and interesting directions. "We always try
and push the heavy rock sound into other areas. Sometimes it's forced
and sometimes we are letting natural and honest influences enter the
equation. On the new material we are letting ourselves be open to
whatever comes along."
The
Band Members
TONY
REED / guitar, vocals, keyboards (stone axe, treepeople, goodbye
harry, twelve thirty dreamtime.
SHAWN
JOHNSON / drums (x-mindfunk, twelve thirty dreamtime)
SCOOTER
HASLIP / bass (artimus maximus, voodoo gearshift, saltine, twelve
thirty dreamtime)
Review:
We
all know who Mos Generator is. They are the Hard Rock/Doom/Stoner
Metal Trio who has released a string of critically acclaimed albums
during their career. Their last album 2012 – Nomads – struck a
chord with fans and critics alike with it’s take on Sabbath
Influenced Doom Metal, Hard Rock and Stoner Metal.
It
opened these guys to a new generation of fans and a well received
tour with Doom Metal Legends – Saint Vitus.
Well
18 months later, Mos Generator are back with their new album –
Electric Mountain Majesty. Their first album for new record label –
Listenable Records. A storming 42-minute blast of hard-rocking riffs
that you will be coming back to time and time again. It is great to
see that Mos Generator have not changed much of their signature sound
that made Nomads such a classic album.
First
track – Beyond the Whip – shows Mos Generator are ready to raise
some heck as the riffs come thick and fast. Tony is charismatic as
ever shouting his vocals like a grizzled veteran of the hard rock
scene. The guys instantly draw you in with a tune that is classic Mos
Generator Territory. It is a combination of grit, attitude and a
tough mentality that makes this such a classic Mos Generator track.
All the hallmarks are there. Just enjoy the ride as this album is
going to show you why Mos Generator are one of the best bands out
there.
Second
track – Nothing Left But Night – starts with a with superb guitar
solo before Tony starts singing a dark tale that shares a similar
tone with Lonely Won Kenobi from Nomads. However, the band play out
some of the heaviest riffs of their careers so far. This is where the
album enters into creepier Doom Metal territory, which the band
thrive on. A sublime mixture of fast paced and slow-paced riffs that
combine perfectly for one of the albums standout tracks.
Third
Track – Enter The Fire – is a dark cautionary tale mixing
Americana, Hard Rock and elements of Doom Metal for one of the albums
unsettling tracks that sees Mos Generator venture further more into
the darkness. You cannot help rocking out with the band as they
unleash some more classic Mos Generator style riffage to pound your
soul to.
Mos
Generator are master storytellers and they prove it on the next two
tracks – Spectres and Neon Nightmare – which will take you on a
thrilling adventure with the bands music as your spiritual and
musical guide. It will venture into some dark places you would not
expect from the guys but I applaud them for doing something different
on this album. Though you cannot deny the powerful music that awaits
you if you are feeling brave enough.
You
can tell by now that Electric Mountain Majesty is a very dark album
indeed. It is possibly the darkest album of the bands career so far.
The band do inject some good old-fashioned rock and roll hi-jinks on
Breaker. A tale of an outlaw running from the law, which plays out
like a classic Hollywood caper movie.
The
album goes into overdrive on the last 20 minutes or so with the final
4 tracks as this contains some of the albums finest tracks especially
Early Mourning, Electric Mountain Majesty and the awesome closing
track – Heavy Ritual. It contains the albums most powerful and
loudest riffs, which will leave you no doubt, in what a fantastic
album this really is.
Mos
Generator should be proud of this album as it is another outstanding
album from these legendary rockers. I consider this album their
finest work to date. This album is one of the must have Hard
Rock/Stoner Rock albums of 2014.
Simply
Unmissable.
Thanks
to Listenable Records and Carl at Action PR for sending a promo to review. Electric
Mountain Majesty will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl from
Listenable Records from March 24th 2014 (EU) / April 15th 2014 (USA)
Check
The Band From Links Below
Written
by Steve Howe
