An enjoyable psychedelic rock journey

Psychedelic rock band Black Mountain, hailing from the land up north of Canada, is back with Destroyer. Destroyer is their first album in three years, since 2016’s IV, and it’s another solid addition to the band’s repertoire. The group currently consists of Stephen McBean, Arjan Miranda, Rachel Fannan from group Sleepy Sun, Adam Bulgasem from Soft Kill and Jeremy Schmidt. The album has some great songs and sounds, showing off styles that appear influenced by legendary groups like Pink Floyd. Black Mountain are legendary in their own right, fusing together synthesized sounds and rock instruments to create another great album.

The album begins with “Future Shade,” which itself begins with a catchy guitar riff that is easily memorable. This song falls less into the psychedelic style that the group is known for, and feels more ’80s rock influenced. It’s an enjoyable song though, with a lot of energy, and it features Fannan’s vocals beautifully. The second song on the album is “Horns Arising,” which is another fantastic addition. It features some very talented instrumentation and is much more on the psychedelic side than the previous song.

Two other songs on the album worth noting are “Boogie Lover” and “Licensed to Drive.” “Boogie Lover” has a somewhat creepy feeling to it. It features loud, heavy, synthesized guitar, and deep vocals. The vocals mix well with the guitar, as it sounds faded behind the instruments. And as the chorus comes in, “boogie lover/ undercover/ there ain’t no other,” the listener is fully immersed in this beautiful and chaotic song. Plus, Fannan’s vocals shine yet again, showing just what a great addition to the group she is.

“Licensed to Drive” is a fun song simply because, according to Consequence of Sound, the title is a reference to how McBean just got his driver’s license in 2017. The song itself is less trippy and harder rock, and it’s a song that changes sound and style multiple times throughout. The drum solo at the beginning sounds like a battle march before the fast guitar starts up. “The highway is your heaven/ the static is your hell,” seems to be a reference to the thrill of driving, but the necessity of music on the radio to make it enjoyable. It’s a song that is strangely relatable and would make a great background for any drive down a high-speed highway.

Some other songs worth checking out are “High Rise,” which has an eclectic psych sound, “Closer to the Edge,” which has a retro sound to it and the album ender “FD 72,” which wraps the album up perfectly. Destroyer is available for purchase and streaming