Album Review: Mountain Caller – Chronicle I: The Truthseeker (New Heavy Sounds)

Mountain Caller are El, Claire and Max and hail from London. They describe themselves as a heavy progressive instrumental three-piece, who are driven to tell stories with music and want listeners to conjure up cinematic scenes in their minds.

Chronicle I: The Truthseeker is a feminist allegory created in tandem with the music and is set for release on November 6th 2020 via New Heavy Sounds.

As the band describe it:

In The Truthseeker, we join The Protagonist at the edge of the Twilight Desert, compelled by an indefinable but urgent need to set forth on an Odyssean journey to rediscover her memory and her voice. Over the course of 42 minutes, we travel from barren wastelands to mysterious cities, encountering trials of both body and spirit.

A spectacular effort, the soft and subtle instrumentation that begins Journey Through Twilight Desert has the feel of a bright sun rising on a day like no other. It builds and builds before crashing down with chunkier heaviness and making things immediately feel more arduous. The different stages, such as the drop into melody and bass thrums adds a sense of discovery. Whereas the frantic eruption of intensity has such an air of danger about it.

Feast At Half-Light City is darker and more oppressive but equally complex listen where things get so filthy sounding. The heaviness is downright skull-crushing at times. Whereas I Remember Everything is a much more delicate (even when hitting hard) and enigmatic effort. Where the trials of both body and spirit are encompassed and left waning.

By the half way point, most will surely find themselves all in on Mountain Caller’s mouth-watering telling of this journey. Yet, there’s still so much more to come as Trial By Combat has two fighters warily facing off before clashing swords in a violent and blood-thirsty way.

A Clamour of Limbs, the penultimate offering and final stages of the Chronicle, is both harsh and hopeful. Things getting out of control at first before a renewed sense of being sees Mountain Caller’s character pushing onwards with the ringing noise of the guitars and drums encouraging each heavy footstep. It’s also the only track to feature vocals, something that appears right at the end briefly.

It’s with Dreamspirals that Chronicle I: The Truthseeker ends. Where we have a powerful, wistful and uplifting closer that is the most ‘post’ leaning track of the bunch. It’s a spectacular finish.

Mountain Caller – Chronicle I: The Truthseeker Full Track Listing:

1. Journey Through the Twilight Desert
2. Feast At Half-Light City
3. I Remember Everything
4. Trial By Combat
5. A Clamour Of Limbs
6. Dreamspirals

Links

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