Posts Tagged ‘Meteorcity’

Album of the day: Black Pyramid – II

Posted on Monday, January 30th, 2012

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: After releasing their self-titled MeteorCity debut in 2009 to a more than warm reception from the heavy underground, Northampton, Massachusetts, battle doomers Black Pyramid proceeded to hit the road on several tours and unleashed a tide of singles and splits. 2010 saw a split with Old One issued , and 2011 followed with a slew of vinyl: the Mercy’s Bane single, the Stormbringer single – a CD compilation of wax-only material would soon follow on Hydro-Phonic under the same name – and a split with Tenspeed Warlock.

The three-piece of guitarist / vocalist Andy Beresky, bassist Gein and drummer Clay Neely headed out on a European tour for the first time alongside reborn East Coast doom magnates Blood Farmers, and including a stop at last year’s Roadburn, seemed to be on the verge of their greatest triumph yet with the MeteorCity release of their second album, II.

Long story short, the band imploded. Beresky split, and after some soul-searching, Neely and Gein decided to continue Black Pyramid, bringing on board guitarist / vocalist Darryl Shepard (Hackman, Blackwolfgoat, Milligram) late in 2011 and setting almost immediately about writing new material. This puts II in something of an awkward position, release-wise. The album is at once obsolete already and the creative high point of the band to date. Its nine component tracks explode with confrontational energy, and it seems Black Pyramid were really just coming into their own as they made what would be their final statement in this incarnation.

That’s especially true of Beresky, whose performance throughout II is easily the best of his career either in this band or in his prior outfit, Palace in Thunderland. Whether it’s the more scripted-sounding leads of ‘Dreams of the Dead’ or the layered acoustic work of the interlude ‘Tanelorn’, or the High on Fire-esque bombast of the later movements in ‘Sons of Chaos’, he handles it all deftly and with poise, and his vocals – a subject of some debate among followers of the band – show development both melodically and in terms of the confidence in delivery.

His descending semi-melodicism in opener ‘Endless Agony’ begins to display itself as a genuine style by the end of II, and similar to the way Slough Feg incorporates progressions out of Celtic folk, Beresky brings a drinking-song cadence to his lines that only enhances the battle-minded lyrics. Neely, who also engineered II, has him layer the guitar effectively, so that leads are backed by rhythm tracks in addition to the bass and drums, and the resulting sound is full and engaging – ‘Mercy’s Bane’ beginning with Neely’s own thundering toms and moving quickly to stand itself out as a highlight of the album following the immersive and catchy ‘Endless Agony’, a well-placed opener for its memorable lyric and musical hook.

‘Mercy’s Bane’ is longer by more than two full minutes, but expands on the ideas in the album’s beginning without losing sight of the structure that makes it so effective. Black Pyramid are heavy – certainly tonally and thematically weighted – but still unflinchingly accessible, and they remain so even in the varying moments of indulgence that the hour-long II presents.

Continue reading: The Obelisk: REVIEW: Black Pyramid, II (MeteorCity)
(Courtesy of JJ Koczan / The Obelisk)

Tags: Album of the day, Andy Beresky, Black Pyramid, Black Pyramid II, Clay Neely, Darryl Shepard, JJ Koczan, Meteorcity, stoner metal, The Obelisk
Posted in 2012, Album of the Day, Roadburn Recommended | 1 Comment »

Black Pyramid: New Song Available For Streaming via The Obelisk

Posted on Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

New England doom rock trio Black Pyramid premiere a new track via The Obelisk called Night Queen. Culled from their upcoming album, Black Pyramid II, “it sums up both the maturity and the heaviness of Beresky-fronted Black Pyramid.”, according to JJ Koczan / The Obelisk. Listen to Night Queen HERE. ...read more

Album of the day: Elder – Dead Roots Stirring

Posted on Tuesday, September 20th, 2011

Lovingly pinched from Doommantia: I must confess I am lost for words to describe this masterpiece from Elder. Some bands match expectations with new releases, some disappoint but Elder have exceeded all possible expectations with Dead Roots Stirring. I can’t honestly say this is ‘album of the year’ as it ...read more

Album of the day: Olde Growth – Olde Growth

Posted on Thursday, May 5th, 2011

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: Originally a 2010 self-release, the self-titled debut from Boston bass / drum duo Olde Growth is given a second look thanks to MeteorCity. The 46-minute offering plays to a wide host of riffy influences, and the duo do well in carving out an identity for ...read more