Album Review

Holy Mountain – Ancient Astronauts

• 14th Apr 2014

Glasgow based hard rock trio Holy Mountain have unleashed an eight track debut album that mixes psychedelic tones with hard rock riffs to create a massively powerful sound. The sonic textures created are vast in scope and scale, as the space themed and epic sounding tracks expand in scintillating fashion. It is largely an instrumental album with occasional vocal bursts, but the music is mainly centre stage rather than the lyrics.

Andy McGlone (guitars, vocals), Pete Flett (drums) and Allan Stewart (bass) recorded the album with producer Paul Savage (Mogwai, Franz Ferdinand) and he has allowed the trio to let their creativity run riot. Graeme Smillie adds organ and keyboard parts that fit well into to the rich music. The resulting sound is fast and exciting, with the occasional slower sections merely acting as short breaks. You just know that the pace will pick up again soon.

Opener LV-42666 is a short overture with a fast pace and some lovely guitar work before Luftwizard builds from a nice hook into a wall of sound from which guitar solos and keyboard runs emerge. Title track Ancient Astronauts starts off with repeated riffs and droned vocals before bursting into fast paced life with a swagger and a confidence and then a drum roll heralds a final section that comes close to speed metal.

The drums kick off Star Kings and a lovely bass line drives it forward with the guitar riffing in typically solid fashion. The bass take the lead on several other occasions, deep and rumbling in a track that has more vocals than most, giving it a portentous tone. Tokyo has deep vocal bursts rising from the guitar heavy mix, the riffs fighting with lightning fast rum fills for space. The track lasts little over two minutes but there is so much going on that it feels much longer. The expansive Gift Giver is both melodic and forceful, while 100 Years A Day sees the feedback heavy guitar duelling with what can only be called lead bass before a fast guitar solo breaks through.

And the seven minute closing epic that is Hollow Hill sounds like it has at least three guitars on it. With repeated riffs and big hooks aplenty it flies by at a fast pace as the drums crash, and when the guitar solo hits it hits hard. You will go a long way to find a more explosive ending to a debut album.

Holy Mountain use change of pace very well and vary the tone and mood so often that it is at times difficult to keep up. But the relentless aural assault also has plenty of melody and the level of musical talent on display is high. The psychedelic base of the music could have led to a sound that was dated but instead it is fresh and exciting. Not so much stoner rock or space rock as expansive and exciting modern rock.

Venue: Ancient Astronauts
Support Band: Chemikal Underground Records