ALBUM REVIEW: The Revenge Of Heads On Fire – White Hills
Born out of the vivid imagery that was induced by a fever dream, with a title inspired by the myth of Viking warriors setting their helmets on fire to astonish and intimidate their enemies, The Revenge Of Heads On Fire is an intensely passionate and fiery album. The latest chapter in the psychedelic adventures of New York’s psychedelic alchemists WHITE HILLS, the band ramp up the amps again and thrust head long into the hazy, fuzzy and dizzy world of big riffs and swirling kaleidoscopic smoke. Engulfing the listener in what can be classified as a luxurious cacophony of creative madness, WHITE HILLS take you on a hallucinogenic induced thrill ride.
Exploring the themes of mortality, transformation and rebirth, WHITE HILLS balance the visceral energy of ferocious and unrestrained heavy rock with eerily blissful dark ambiences and swirling soundscapes. This scintillating creative explosion has enabled the band to bask in an unparalleled spiritual depth, entering realms of sonic magic previously unseen in their earlier works. There is also an element of rediscovery with The Revenge Of Heads On Fire; the album brings together six rediscovered songs to accompany remixed versions of the original material that made up what is considered as the prototype album 2007’s Heads On Fire.
Amalgamating these once lost elements and placing them upon the same arching pyre that was first lit 15 years ago reignites the energy and volatility of the band’s earlier years. As the music vibrates and courses through you, your head feels like it has been strapped to a jet engine and subjected to a mighty sonic boom. It is safe to say that in many ways, The Revenge Of Heads On Fire is initially a pretty daunting and intimidating album, with a 21-minute magnum opus situated at its centre. Ominous and eerie in equal measure through the use of baleful synthesisers and processing, WHITE HILLS‘ unorthodox, mysterious journey through the dark corners of psychedelia gets the hairs on the back of your neck standing upright.
The spiritual intensity of this album makes it feel like psychedelic ritual in which you venture into the purple tinted void, unafraid of what lies in the darkness. Your protection is the blue flamed heat that emits from this album in the palms of your hands. The passionate fire that WHITE HILLS have on this album penetrates your psyche and courses through your body like the blood that flows in your veins. The musical craftsmanship throughout The Revenge Of Heads On Fire is impeccable, working within a paradox of sparsity and fullness. With a PINK FLOYD-esque methodology, the album plays as one continuous piece as each song bleeds into the other. This unbroken immersion is key to the album’s bewitching nature as well as guiding the listener through a truly old school psychedelic journey. This has been achieved by raucous guitars spiralling through your ear canals, with fuzz-drenched bass grooving methodically underneath layers of synthesisers and intricate sound design. Cymbal crashes wash over alongside deep kick beats that keep you grounded and in the moment. Everything comes together to create a mesmeric experience that in some ways defies any form of categorisation or definition.
With the album’s significant depth there is a lot to sink your teeth into. With each listen you find something new, profound and compelling. Opening up with The Instrumental Head you get a strong sense of what this album is about as a swirling effect builds up and launches into a BLACK SABBATH-style riff. Bleeding into Radiate, your spiritual journey starts here as Dave W.’s vocals shift from left to right while frantic drumming pushes along soaring flanged riffs. Oceans Of Sound is a classic fuzz rock track that would easily have you speeding down a desert highway. It leads into the strongly named Speed Toilet; a prime example of how this album works, this starts off with raucous riffs and then ever so gently ebbs into atmospheric soundscapes of restless sounds and voices. At the heart of the album sits the band’s magnum opus, Don’t Be Afraid, a 21-minute fever dream of haunting sounds and unearthly processes that put you on edge. With dark drones giving way to moments of momentous riffing and returning again, this track is a true psychedelic experience. The album finishes with the uptempo and punky Eternity – a short, sharp snap back to reality after an intense sonic journey.
The Revenge Of Heads On Fire is a must listen for all fans of psych music; subverting conventions and embracing innovation WHITE HILLS‘ enigmatic album is an intensely dark and eerie sonic exploration of sound. Suffice to say, an innovative and darker psychedelic album is refreshing, showing that exploring beyond our consciousness isn’t always sunshine and rainbows.
Rating: 8/10
The Revenge Of Heads On Fire is set for release on September 16th via Heads On Fire Industries/Cargo Records.
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