Record Label: Ripple Music
High Priestess are a recently new Los Angeles trio who play heavy psychedelic music. The band was formed in 2016 through an advertisement that the band's bass player and vocalist, Mariana Fiel placed on Craigslist when she was seeking like-minded musicians. The band now consists of Katie Gilchrest on guitar and vocals, Mariana Fiel on bass/vocals, and Megan Mullins on drums. The three musicians released a five song demo in 2017 and got a record deal with Ripple Music due to their musical style and the strength of their work so their first album has now come into fruition.
The first song "Firefly" informs their listening masses as to what High Priestess is all about. The band immediately lay on a hypnotic psychedelic groove which the the trio then incorporate with the slow crushing plod of doom metal. The soaring yet melodic vocals add further to the ethereal quality of the song. The ten minutes of the song takes psychedelic influences from the past and the metal element and the prominence of the instruments gives the song a modern feel. "Despise You" opens with a much more laid back approach and the singing starts much earlier in the piece. This second composition also takes a metallic twist with loud drums and frightening growls that seem much more sinister than most death metal bands as they aren't a constant feature and take you by surprise. Elements of the song are reminiscent of Soundgarden but High Priestess definitely have their own unique thing going.
The intro to "Banshee" wails doom metal but the dreamy vocals come in and the loud drums disappear for a while only to return again. The band utilize the loud-quiet-loud approach to great effect. "Take the Blame" is a fuzzed out heavy jamming rock tune. Some of the tune is in the video below.
The vocals on "Mother Forgive Me" are quiet with some even whispered and this aids the hypnotic psychedelic quality to remain a constant feature.
Starting an album with the longest song didn't seem a wise choice but High Priestess still command your attention immediately and they aren't about quick punches although this self-titled does have a couple of short burners and the variations in tune length are a wise move. This album is recommended for anyone interested in modern psychedelia.
3.5/5
Release Date: 18 May 2018
High Priestess on bandcamp
High Priestess on Facebook
Small Takeover on Facebook
No comments:
Post a Comment