By: Mark Ambrose
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 07/11/ 2017
Label: Encapsulated Records
With “Hallowed Gate Style”, Path of Might adds some melody and grace
to the punishing might of their debut, but more importantly cements the trio as
an act who, in time, could equal or even eclipse their diverse influences.
“Hallowed
Gate Style” CD//DD track
listing
1. Hallowed Gate Style
2. Locust Fugue
3. Infernal Orchards
4. House of Rain
5. Mega Magicka
6. Tea and Oranges
7. Locust Storm
8. Chapels to the West
The Review:
Path of Might’s 2015 self-titled debut drew a lot of
comparisons to other sludge masters: Mastodon, Neurosis, and Baroness, to name a few.
Like these modern legends, Path of Might infuses
sludge with prog flourish, and adds some Appalachian folk for good
measure. If that tidy half hour of power
was just a taste, “Hallowed Gate Style”
is a veritable smorgasbord of sludge.
Over the course of eight tracks, guitarist Spencer Medley, bassist Derek
Rife, and drummer Adam Lucz pay homage to their forebears in metal and prog
alike, while crafting a cinematic journey through time and space that invokes
images of Kurosawa and Leone, by way of Timothy Leary and Aldous Huxley.
First and foremost, Path of Might
are a highly skilled power trio, who lock into steady grooves without feeling
stiff or mechanical. There’s
considerable production, with some distinct separation between guitar tracks
for a nice, well rounded listen overall, but the organic tempo shifts and
ineffable chemistry shines on the loose, jammy “Infernal Orchards”, or the swaggering, retro “Tea and Oranges”. Spencer’s
vocals push past the guttural barks of their self-titled album to move into
melodies that are sometimes reminiscent of Pink Floyd, or, conversely, a younger Matt Pike. While the lyrics are often subsumed by the
heavy reverb or “chants field recorded in caves” qualities, it still works
considering the hallucinogenic dynamics of Path of Might’s overall
aesthetic.
The prog sludge infusions really cement the
record as a serious step forward. Even
the interludes of “Locust Fugue” and
“Locust Storm” incorporate American
folk and vaguely “far eastern” qualities, even if they’re just cinematic
flourishes. The acoustic bridge of the
title track, in particular, qualifies as its own little mystical journey. For each of the progressive elements, there
are lots of passages where the men of Path of Might reveal
their classic rock hearts: “Infernal
Orchards” feels like Nazareth, if they went
full stoner metal, while the finale of “Mega
Magicka” has a definite Thin Lizzy vibe. The utterly savage “House of Rain” is the most indebted to Mastodon,
with its rapid hammer-on, pull-off guitar riffing… but damn, Spencer manages to
rip it up just as effectively as Brent Hinds & co.
For all the references to other artists,
however, Path of Might is more than pastiche. With their first album, they showed
considerable instrumental prowess and fierce delivery. In slightly more than two years, they’ve
incorporated diverse elements without losing a bit of aggression, and battle
hardened their sludge alchemy. With “Hallowed Gate Style”, Path of Might adds some melody and grace to the punishing
might of their debut, but more importantly cements the trio as an act who, in
time, could equal or even eclipse their diverse influences.
