New Keepers of The Water Towers - "Infernal Machine" (Album Review)

By: Dominic Walsh

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 04/03/2016

Label: Listenable Records

Whilst the tracks are lengthy, the album as a whole does not feel too long. Not once will you find yourself wanting to hit skip. New Keepers of the Water Towers are a hidden gem of a band, mixing the influences of heroes such as Pink Floyd and King Crimson along with modern day prog masters such as Opeth and Steven Wilson is not an easy trick, but New Keepers …pull it off excellently.

“Infernal Machine” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). The Forever War

2). Tracks Over Carcosa

3). Tachyon Deep

4). Misantropin Kallar

5). Escape Aleph Minor

6). Jorden

7).  This Infernal Machine

The Review:

Sweden’s New Keepers of the Water Towers’ fourth album is another amazingly psychedelic trip through the cosmos. Mixing the influences of heroes such as Pink Floyd and King Crimson along with modern day prog masters such as Opeth and Steven Wilson is not an easy trick, but New Keepers …pull it off excellently.

With seven tracks making up the other worldly opus, “Infernal Machine” has a clutch of epic compositions that twist and turn through an array of landscapes.

Opener, “The Forever War”, is a ten minute plus track that moves from crushing guitars to delicate ambient sections whilst retaining an intensely sinister edge throughout. With the band playing slowing in pace and becoming hypnotic and mesmerising, the layers of orchestration on the track make for a rich song that will play with your emotions. The sparse solos that breaks out towards the end of the track is uneasy and spine tingling and leads to a Steven Wilson-esque instrumental outro.

With such a mammoth opening, you have to strap yourself back in. “Tracks Over Carcosa” sees the band return to a more rigid formation in their delivery. The space rock style baseline that adorns the opening pulsates throughout the instrumental track with more electronic motifs employed, along with a musical aura that could play out over a Ridley Scott sci-fi epic! “Escape Aleph Minor” repeats many of these styles, but the solo work feels a lot warmer and you can hear a David Gilmour influence in the playing before a return to the colder style used in “The Forever War”. The grim sounding piano in “Escape Aleph Minor” also shows the talent amongst the ranks of New Keepers of the Water Towers.

“Tachyon Deep” ramps up the Pink Floyd influence with a nod to their 1969 collection; “A Saucerful of Secrets”. An undulating drum rhythm, that like its predecessors bass line, repeats ad infinitum throughout the track. Again, the extra layers to the music are captivating. Some post-rock guitar work takes the track to its close. The guitar styles change again on the penultimate track, “Jorden”. The guitar work is particularly heavy; the heaviest on the album. The tempo is doom ridden. The slow crashes of drums and guitar are devastating. Masterfully though, the band still pull out their sound to a place of beauty. The title track closes the album. Again, another monumental track that is instrumental. When the music speaks to you so much, you don’t need lyrics to tell the story. The multi-layered approach of the band is a joy to behold.

To get the full sonic experience of the album, you need to afford “Infernal Machine time”. Preferably with headphones on, and no distractions. Whilst the tracks are lengthy, the album as a whole does not feel too long. Not once will you find yourself wanting to hit skip. New Keepers of the Water Towers are a hidden gem of a band. Hopefully they will find time to stop off in England and treat us to their genre mashing collection of psychedelia.

“Infernal Machine” is available here

Band info: facebook