High Priest of Saturn - “Son of Earth and Sky” (Album Review)

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 26/02/2016

Label: Svart Records

Much like Tarot's “The Warrior's Spell” from last year the record is a kind of mixture of stoner/prog/doom/rock/psych. It is not necessarily riff led, or structured in the conventional sense, but this adds to its charm. It makes for a dynamic and melancholic listen as the music washes over you.  High Priest of Saturn have written and recorded a superior meeting of styles in this sophomore release. I highly recommend that you sit back, relax and just listen.

“Son of Earth and Sky” CD//LP track listing:

1). Aeolian Dunes

2). Ages Move the Earth

3). Son of Earth and Sky

4). The Warming Moon

5). The Flood of Waters

The Review:

Norwegian stoner/doom/psychedelia. High Priest of Saturn are now on their second album, and it is a corker. Female vocals and Hammond organ swirl together over suitably dreamy riffage and retro sounding drums. If that sounds like quite a few other outfits around these days, I can confirm that this is not a case of the Emperor's New Clothes; the band have an original sound and a superior quality to the material showcased here. “Aeolian Dunes” has all the aforementioned and an ethereal mellower section through its mid point before crashing waves of sound finish the track off.

“Ages Move the Earth” starts in a mellow and trippy style- warmer in sound that one might expect from a band from Trondheim- with dynamics used to slowly build the track up. Much like Tarot's “The Warrior's Spell” from last year the record is a kind of mixture of stoner/prog/doom/rock/psych. It is not necessarily riff led, or structured in the conventional sense, but this adds to its charm. It makes for a dynamic and melancholic listen as the music washes over you. The song lengths certainly add to this feel of a kind of musical journey, rather than individual tracks; three are around the nine or ten minute mark, with vocals used sparingly. The shorter two tracks make up the latter half of the album with a more direct approach- more vocals, more straightforward in their sounds. By the time “The Flood of Waters” slowly reveals itself, the listening experience is a truly immersive one.

If you are looking for a melding of genres, with enough heavy to keep you happy then look no further. High Priest of Saturn have written and recorded a superior meeting of styles in this sophomore release. I highly recommend that you sit back, relax and just listen.

Son of Earth and Sky is available here

FFO: Om, Electric Wizard, Acid King, Sleep

Band info: bandcamp | facebook