THE COAST EXPLODES

In this recent album by this new band called Mammatus we see them experimenting more with their sound. They seem to have taken some influences from Acid Mothers Temple while they were on tour with them. It also looks like they've been listening to more prog since this album sounds more complex and less straightforward than their unrelentingly heavy self-titled debut last year. The other good thing is that they sound less like their peers in this album and more like an entity as compared to their debut which sounded like a normal "been-there-done-that" stoner rock album (although a pretty good one at that).

The album starts off where their debut left us. "Dragon Of The Deep pt. 3" Is the continuation of their now 40+ minute epic although like in the first 2 parts of the epic they share little to no resemblance to one another nor they sound like one single piece. This song shows their AMT influences specially in the synth sound that is widely recognizable from the AMT discography. From the start of the album you'll also notice that they left some of the Stoner Rock of their first album behind. You can also note their prog influences here in their changing themes and their complex melodies. The rest of the album shows more variety than their debut as well leaving more space in their sound. The contrast of heavy and "soft" parts is excellent and it's good to see their "softer" and trippy sound for a change like in the start of "The Changing Wind". This album is also more lyrical and it has vocals on all 4 songs.

A good thing about this band is that they don't take themselves seriously and they like to play and fool around. Such is the case with "The Changing Wind" which is a fun song to listen to even though its the shortest. I don't know what the singer is saying, but in this song he sounds like a little Japanese girl. It all ends up with seals sounds to give it even more novelty.

In the end this is a nice departure from their debut. It shows a lot of improvement and change. Their Stoner Rock sound isn't as similar from other bands and there's a good variety of themes and moods. Fans of the genre will find something interesting here to listen to and although there's still chance for improvement, this album is worth the listen.

3.7 or almost 4 stars

Even from California it's a surprise to hear a band that still makes music like this. Defying time and any sense of fashion, the Santa Cruz foursome churn out the heavy cannabis-rock with distant space voyages in the shadows. Perfect riffs are built upon with roomy bridges, grinding trance, Aaron Emmert's flailing drums and the lock-in-step bass of Chris Freels creating a huge progressive sea, supple and unwieldy but never quite out of control. Though Sabbatic on the surface, Mammatus shares as much with early Floyd, Hawkwind and many of the European spacerockers but tightened with a direct, more American sensibility and prog complexity. All these elements are heard on the 12-minute 'Dragon of the Deep Part Three', showing great harmonic interplay between the guitars of Mike Donofrio and Nicholas Emmert as they make mountains out of molehills, and the album is almost worth it for this track alone. A touch of jazz opens 'Pierce the Darkness' but it soon grows dark with Nick Emmert's witching wail and dives deep into the plasma pool, reaching stoner heaven about halfway through. Haunted folk tale 'The Changing Wind' is strange and entrancing with tortured souls, majik circles, spirit dances and incantations, and the title cut has them back to their anchor-heavy earth rock. Absolutely hits the spot if you're in the mood for it, and no one is doing this kind of vintage stuff better at the moment.