ALBUM REVIEW: Cosmic Mountain – Lucid Grave
Manifesting from the depths of Copenhagen comes an ominous and eerie debut offering from LUCID GRAVE. Finding inspiration in all things dark, filthy and cellar dwelling by paying homage to occult cinema of the 1980s, this band’s sound is a bubbling and frothing witches brew of dark psychedelic doom and stoner rock mixed with the punky discordance that transcended the 1980s pun scene. Ghostly, disembodied lyrics howl from the black corners of sinister graveyards and grim charnel houses, whipping spirits new and old into a frenzy with a sinisterly gothic splendour. As these souls bound in purgatory venture to a devilishly monolithic Cosmic Mountain, LUCID GRAVE provide the vivid and spine-chilling soundtrack.
The eclectic inspirations of LUCID GRAVE come crashing together throughout Cosmic Mountain. Housed in gothic splendour, the band’s sound utilises the dusty aesthetic of desert blues, the epic nature of heavy doom and the far out atmospheres of space rock. Tinged with a raw punk edge, it all comes together with gothic sensibilities; intense and brooding, you half expect a woman dressed in black to be lurking behind you whispering in your ear.
Lyrically exploring the spiritual struggles you face trying to find yourself amidst waves of inner and outer demons, the effects of drugs and being surrounded by a world that doesn’t seem to value you, Cosmic Mountain plunges the depths of emotional despair whilst being pursued by the vile servants of the demonic mind. The intense, unearthly operatic vocals provided by Malene truly capture the various aspects of horror, sorrow and despair that themes of this nature represent with brutally hard emotion. Melodies ascending and descending, seemingly swirling around your head like a hazy cloud of deep purple smoke. Coupled with the punk grit forcing its way to the forefront, Cosmic Mountain certainly is a swift, spiralling journey into a fuzzing and fizzing void.
Whilst this is the main path that the band have travelled down there are emphatic movements of musical euphoria throughout Cosmic Mountain. The penchant for thundering chord passages and riffs is evident, yet LUCID GRAVE demonstrate a real subtlety and delicacy in the slower, more atmospheric sections of the album. Even in the beefier epic doom sections, which sound gigantic throughout, there is a real awareness of melody and how it impacts the message that they are trying to convey. Through the diverse ebbing and flowing of style and tempo, the guitars and vocals elegantly dance together, bringing an impressive dynamism that transcends Cosmic Mountain. Underpinned by a powerful rhythm section that feels heavier than gravity, lyrically and musically LUCID GRAVE aren’t afraid of making you feel the weight of this album.
The album opens up with the 11-minute monolith and title track, which follows the band’s style of longest song first as previously seen on their debut EP Goddess Of Misery. The song itself is a haunting, spine chilling moment that brings back memories of Black Sabbath by BLACK SABBATH. An otherworldly song that is indescribably haunting, it evidently sets the tone for the rest of the album in the most devilish way. Old Spirit sees the band’s punk influences shine, as it breaks the trance Cosmic Mountain establishes and launches you into the album for real. Fast-paced riffs come flying from the top of the mountain like vampiric bats thirsting for blood.
I’m Still High brings a sombre despair to the album, as the effects of a substance adds a dose of dazed fear to proceedings; this song demonstrates how the band’s brilliantly crafted melodies shine through throughout the album. In comparison I Feel The Fire focuses on the dark and grimy aspects of doom that send chills down your neck, focusing on devilish intervals and ominous melodic passages. Album closer Curse The Crow follows the same vein as Cosmic Mountain, in a slow, plaintive manner where the heartbreaking operatic nature of Malene’s vocals demonstrate a real longing for something unknown. This song also goes slightly off beat with its grooves, gradually building a skull shattering crescendo where everything seems to shriek and bellow.
LUCID GRAVE have delivered an album that is luxuriously gothic and incredibly cathartic, as elements of light and dark blend together in a grey haze this album takes you on a journey quite unlike anything else in this category. Evoking vividly evocative and splendidly gothic imagery, Cosmic Mountain is not for the faint of heart.
Rating: 8/10
Cosmic Mountain is set for release on July 15th via Electric Valley Records.
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