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With their debut album Mind Palace of the Mushroom God<\/i>, Oakland sludge rockers Dungeon Weed have carved out a niche of their own. Many stoner rock outfits lean toward a perspective that travels well-trodden territory like dungeons, dragons and other doomy topics. And while Dungeon Weed trades in some of the same subject matter, they do so with tongues firmly planted in their collective cheeks.<\/p>\n
Mind Palace of the Mushroom God<\/i> opens with the brown-note thudding of \u201cOrcus Immortalis.\u201d Apparently that\u2019s Latin for \u2026 something<\/i>: an orc, maybe? It doesn\u2019t really matter, though. The lead vocals of Dmitri Mavra may remind older listeners of Black Oak Arkansas\u2019 Jim Dandy, but because Dungeon Weed brings in Thia Moonbrook to double on the chorus vocals (an octave higher), there\u2019s a much more nuanced vibe, one that at times feels like Black Mountain.<\/p>\n
But the instrumental work \u2013 Mavra on mostly everything (guitars, bass, synthesizers) plus drummer Chris McGrew \u2013 is uber-heavy and irresistibly hypnotic. The track\u2019s long fade-out sounds like the slow-motion soundtrack to a cinematic explosion. There\u2019s atmosphere to spare on these tracks, and the production strikes a sinister space-rock character reminiscent of Hawkwind. Or Hawkwind played at 16 r.p.m.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeholder Gonna Fuck You Up\u201d is the sound of a band who decided that what Black Sabbath really needed to do was to play slower. It\u2019s more than two minutes before vocals even enter the arrangement, but because there\u2019s enough going on musically, the lengthy instrumental break is apropriate. Squalls of distorted guitar adorn the song toward its end, and \u2013 uncharacteristically for the genre \u2013 they\u2019re quite melodic. Oddly enough, a bit of synthesizer near the track\u2019s end sounds like a jaw harp.<\/p>\n
Credit Dungeon Weed for truth in labeling: \u201cLumbering Hell\u201d is an apt title for the brontosaur of a tune, replete with howling wind sound effects, crushing guitar-bass unison riffing, and a relentless bottom end. Here, Dungeon Weed engages in a bit of black metal-style Cookie Monster vocalizing, but in the context of the track, it fits. The tune is so slow that it feels as if it might fall to pieces any second. But it never does, thudding forward, unyielding, for more than seven minutes. By adding more guitar overdubs, the band manages to increase the song\u2019s intensity as it goes along.<\/p>\n
Throughout the album, Dungeon Weed demonstrates a knack or exhuming new (or at least long-forgotten) riffs; even though the tunes are built upon repetitive melodic figures, Mind Palace of the Mushroom God<\/i> never feels like an exercise in riff recycling. The record seems to trudge farther into the sonic depths as it goes along; just when you think the record can\u2019t get any heavier, \u201cBlack Pudding\u201d proves you wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cSorceror with the Skull Face\u201d features funereal bells that explicitly evoke Ozzy and his pals. The relentless lockstep approach of Mavra\u2019s guitar and bass is solidly supported by McGrew\u2019s drumming; he sounds like he and his kit are submerged in a vat of molasses. The thunderous presentation wraps up with \u201cMind Palace,\u201d and while the track doesn\u2019t break any new ground, it delivers more of what brought Dungeon Weed this far. Mavra certainly likes his wah-wah pedal, and chances are that listeners who\u2019ve followed along on the band\u2019s fun (if not-exactly-jolly) musical journey will feel the same way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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