Last year, many of us here at the blog were blown away by Mountain Caller‘s Chronicle I: The Truthseeker a heavy, expansive, sci-fi adventure into the realms of fuzz, groove, stoner, and instrumental metal. The album offered what many in the above cited sub-genres try to accomplish but few succeed, namely music that is both ambitious and conceptual but also engaging and intricate. Seeing as the band erupted from out of left field, taking us all by surprise, a host of questions joined our elation at our discovery: who were Mountain Caller? What was their plan? And could they manage to recreate the lighting which pinged so expertly in the bottle? Luckily for us, Mountain Caller seem to have deigned to answer at least some of our questions by announcing a new EP, Chronicle: Prologue. Spoilers: it’s amazing. Head on down below for your first taste, as we premiere “Something Stirred From Beneath the Rubble”, the EP’s opening track.
Yes, yes, yes. “Something Stirred From Beneath the Rubble” showcases everything that we’ve grown to love about Mountain Caller. The first five minutes and a half present the contemplative, expansive side of their music, expertly drawing a vast canvas with a void-colored brush, bringing the universe in which the band’s music takes place to life. Then, the groovier side of things arrives, with the next minute or so exploring the darker, more agile post-metal side of the band’s sound. Then, everything is gathered together like the edge of a cloak of night, culminating in a massive, fuzzy riff. One can imagine that moment as the thing that stirs beneath the rubble throwing off the debris and unfurling its form into the sky, before the intro reprises the opening five minutes and puts the track to bed.
As with the previous release, everything is just so well constructed. The transitions between the different passages are seamless, the heavier parts strewn with callbacks and themes from the buildups that connect the whole track into one tapestry. The tones are exquisite, highlighting whatever instrument currently deserves center stage while clever composition makes sure that the backing parts hold plenty to be listened to and admired. And everything just scintillates with that sci-fi sheen that Mountain Caller and few other bands can conjur.
Chronicle: Prologue releases on July 9th. You can head on over to the band’s Bandcamp to pre-order it as well as gaze on the album’s excellent cover art and listen to the other track from it that’s already out. Engage warp speed!