May 2018 has been a great month for stoner/doom, both in terms of new releases and promos in the blog inbox. While you’re waiting for that Khemmis album to drop, do yourself a favor and listen to albums from Mountain Dust and Witch Mountain.
Montreal heavy blues dealers Mountain Dust converted me with some demos in 2013 that I can’t seem to find on bandcamp anymore. Their first full-length, Nine Years, was an impressive meeting of careful songwriting and raw emotion. (Read AltCtrl’s interview with the band following that release here.) Now Seven Storms brings even more of this psychedelic, gut-wrenching music I’ve come to love. Released May 18th 2018, its full arrangements feature strings, piano, flute, blues harp, and a variety of distinct guitar tones that bring many colors to the music. The album has an Old West vibe, and I suspect there’s a storyline in there that I haven’t caught onto yet. See if you can figure it out — but in the meantime, “I’m still in love — stop screaming.” ….And if you live in Europe, possibly catch them on tour!
And just released May 25th, Witch Mountain’s self-titled is the first to feature vocalist Kayla Dixon. I became aware of Witch Mountain in spring 2015 when I tagged along on some important blog business at a YOB/Enslaved concert. (Check out Baldwin’s interview with Mike Scheidt here.) Witch Mountain opened the show and Dixon, who apparently was playing her very first shows with the band, was captivating. Due in part to her presence, I became an instant fan. Now Dixon gets to make her own stamp on the seminal Portland doom outfit, alternating between death growls and soulful melodies with ease. It’s hard to believe she joined the band as basically a teenager. Hi-fives all around! If Witch Mountain isn’t on your playlist, you’re missing out.
What’s on your playlist lately? Have a listen to Alternative Control’s May playlist on Spotify, featuring most of the bands we covered this month, plus a few bonus surprises from the inbox. Enjoy!
