EP REVIEW: Chronicle: Prologue – Mountain Caller

After a lengthy gestation period, instrumental trio MOUNTAIN CALLER finally released their debut album Chronicle I: The Truthseeker last year. Now, hot on the heels of that is a new EP, Chronicle: Prologue that as the name suggests, forms a prologue to the story explored through their debut. Formed of three songs, Prologue is the earliest material the band wrote and recorded together, at the same time as they committed their debut to tape. 

Opening track Something Stirred From Beneath The Rubble shows not only our first glimpses of The Protagonist but also of MOUNTAIN CALLER’s dynamic, expressive blend of styles.  It’s a slow burning start, anchored by a rumbling bassline, guitars swirling as the rubble stirs and The Protagonist is discovered in the ruins of a vast city. There’s a sense of exploration and discovery, not just of The Protagonist but of the band discovering their sound; three voices moving as one without a specific genre or direction in mind other than that which best served the story they want to tell. 

Something Stirred… unfolds gradually as The Protagonist finds herself in the ruins before Beyond This Black Horizon unfurls with a grooving riff and sublime drumming in its opening moments. It’s a far more immediate song, without losing the sense of exploration and wonder that MOUNTAIN CALLER put across so well. The intensity builds before the release of tension, giving the sense of a great battle or a tempestuous voyage. It’s the most direct song here and a clear love letter from the band to the riff; hardly surprising then, that it’s become a live favourite when the band were able to gig. 

Rounding out the trio is Stripped Of All But Purpose, again a slow starter and leans into their ebb and flow dynamics. There’s frenetic, fist-pumping moments as well as much calmer stretches, culminating in one of the most sonically diverse songs of their career so far. Not as riff-focused as its predecessor or as atmospheric as Something Stirred… , it instead finds a happy medium between the two, balancing Sabbathian riffs with the progressive elements of latter-day MASTODON. Finally, as it closes we hear an ambience that if played directly before the opening track of their debut forms a seamless whole. 

Given its status as a conceptual predecessor and that it was written and recorded at the same time, Chronicle: Prologue is designed to be enjoyed alongside Chronicle I: The Truthseeker in tandem and in their entirety. That’s not to say Prologue… can’t be enjoyed as a standalone; it’s a strong release in its own right, showing not only the band’s formative writings but their sheer passion for creating music together and telling a story. A bold statement that should whet the appetites of fans eagerly awaiting the chance to finally see MOUNTAIN CALLER take to the stage once more. 

Rating: 8/10

Chronicle: Prologue is set for release on July 9th via New Heavy Sounds. 

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