PELICAN

Post metal? Most metal has an element of parody and over a lengthy time now has become seriously farcical, lazy, irrelevant. but if Pelican take their base catalyst from metal then they do by stripping away the visual bollocks, they remove the embarrassing repetitive one dimensional lyrical themes while banishing the all too trivial guitar solo, and along with that they also rid us of the face ache expressions of the lead guitarist in mid solo. What they do is layer tunes that are saturated with massive riffs and a powerhouse energy and hardened aggressive attitude to build wide open soundscapes that never need guitar wank or pitiful vocals to be read or understood. But while the band continue to thrash out large supercharged riffs, there is enough separation, mood and variation in the music. The tunes are forceful, sometimes melancholic but always massive. As a taster for the band this ep simply, and cleverly, entitled Untitled is certainly a good one, the band deal in a stoner rock vibe but without the bullshit. Pelican offer nothing new but they do it in a minimalistic method that is so very refreshing and worthwhile. Though the metal purist may never fully grasp it, it's progressive and big and just may harm your speakers while others merely threaten to do the same.