New Year's resolution (it's not too late, right?): use the adjective "gnarly" more often, especially when I'm writing about the type of stoner metal that I love so much. That "type", the one which earns the "gnarly" moniker the most, is when the fuzzy tones of stoner is melded with the trappings of early heavy metal and progressive rock. And that is exactly what I have for you today and I couldn't be more excited! The band is called Owl and they are absolutely dedicated to the type of chimera between Iron Maiden and Kylesa that I adore. The track, "Pyramid Builder", comes to us from their upcoming release titled Geomancy, which is set for release on the 17th of February. Scroll on down below for your first taste!
It's just so gnarly right? I absolutely adore the riffs; their tone is stoner metal but their composition is early Iron Maiden through and through, creating those "descending" couplings between guitars, drums, and bass. Add in the vocals, both the deeper main ones and the high-pitched, screamed backing tracks, and you've got everything you need for an absolute banger. But in case that wasn't enough for you, there's also a "Revelations" reference on the outro (I mean, it has to be Maiden's "Revelations" or a Wishbone Ash reference, right?), a killer little solo in there, and excellent lyrics.
The rest of the album is just as good, running the gamut between fun, moving, heavy, and fuzzy to exactly the right degree. Make sure you head on over here to pre-order Geomancy if any of this sounds good to you; there's plenty more where it came from. Play it loud!