ALBUM REVIEW: Retrofuture Caveman – Methadone Skies
METHADONE SKIES are a band who have made a series of well received albums that revel in the glory of huge riffs, psychedelic vibes and gigantic sprawling soundscapes that take you on a gargantuan trip with their music. Following on from previous albums like Colosseus and Different Layers Of Fear, the band’s latest album, Retrofuture Caveman, continues in the same vein as its predecessors but with added life affirming feelings throughout. The album is a masterclass in epic songs taking in all manner of sounds and letting them run wild, exploring different experimental styles throughout its duration.
Retrofuture Caveman’s opening salvo is the title track of the album and it is a an almost eighteen minute long journey through all that encapsulates what METHADONE SKIES are all about. It is one that takes in heady ambience and that seems to fly by with a mixture of a dreamlike state and a heady grounding before heading straight into the heart of darkness as the track nears its conclusion with some some evil sounding bass and pounding riffs leading the charge into the abyss. It is a stark contrast with how the track started and evolved but it is a fitting conclusion to how epic this track is.
Following such a grandiose start may seem like a bit of a thankless task but METHADONE SKIES let their music do the talking and go in another direction with Infected By Friendship which follows with a more low key electronic start that soon morphs into a hazy riff infested jam that builds and builds again before reaching a satisfying conclusion. The Enabler is a more straight ahead stoner groove with a head nodding rhythm at the heart of it and some instantly memorable riffs and guitar work soaring throughout the song.
Western Luv ‘67 is another massively epic track that starts off being very chilled out but soon picks up the pace with an anthemic groove that highlights the post rock and psychedelic influences of METHADONE SKIES perfectly and the track signs off with some guttural and satisfying heavy riffs.
The album concludes with the urgent When The Sleeper Awakens which is the most progressive piece of music on the album and demonstrates that side of the band’s music extremely well, as well as being packed full of brilliant riffs too. The track finishes with cascading riffs, ethereal vibes and a feeling of satisfaction to what you have just listened to as it fades out.
With Retrofuture Caveman, METHADONE SKIES have made their best album so far and it is a majestic and triumphant listen that revels in its epic nature and sounds all the better for it. This is a band who build on each record they bring out in terms of vision and execution and Retrofuture Caveman is the pinnacle so far in terms of its scope and execution, in terms of its sound, and most importantly, in terms of how the band make you feel with this album. That is where the power of their music lies.
Rating: 9/10
Retrofuture Caveman is out now via self-release.
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