Album Review: Mountain Caller – Chronicle II: Hypergenesis (Church Road Records)

London based progressive rock trio Mountain Caller continue their musical voyage in the form of their second album ‘Chronicle II: Hypergenesis’, which is set for release on January 26th, 2024, via Church Road Records.

One of my personal most anticipated records of 2024, Mountain Caller’s progressive rock style just hits so right for me. It’s felt like forever, waiting for this album to drop, having my anticipation built up more and more with each new single release. Hopefully you feel the same, and you should, but wait no more, Chronicle II: Hypergenesis is here, and it is very special.

This is an album you lose yourself to. It’s as simple as that. From the first melodic note of Daybreak, it takes hold, and that grip just tightens more as it goes on. The crashing of all the instruments that give this a more robust flavour, the melody that runs through the entire track, the post-like latter portion, and the overall warmth/get up and go that the shifting tempos portray. Mountain Caller couldn’t have started off this album in a more impressive way.

Being impressed by what is heard here is par for the course though, as this is a band whose prog rock sound is something you feel in the soul. No further proof needed then The Archivist, which sees Mountain Caller moving through stages of melody and vigorous heaviness with ease. The more time spent within its soundscape, the more it captures the imagination, and shows just how creative this band is.

Speaking of creativity, Dead Language is the first track to feature vocals. A track that finds the band in a particularly melodramatic mood, layering the track with exhilarating complexities and getting more and more intense as it plays out. The increasing heavier tempo, explosive instrumentation, melodic shifts, deft vocal performance, and erratic progression leaves a mighty impression.

It could be everyone’s favourite track, except that could be said about any of the tracks available here. How about Into the Hazel Woods? A track that spends the first two minutes assaulting the soul with dreamy and emotive melody, before unleashing a barrage of heaviness. This is a sign off things to come though, as the track ebbs and flows, balancing melodic and hefty progressive rock tones perfectly. Complex is one thing, but what Mountain Caller are doing here is something else completely.

…and then there is March Of The Göll, arguably Mountain Caller’s strongest track to date and maybe even their most ‘riffy’. It is a piece of music that can be rightfully called ‘on another level’. The trio turn a discombobulating and disconcerting blast of groove-infused heaviness into something truly captivating by telling a story that comes through so strongly. All enhanced by these wonderful ethereal melodies. It’s a tough one to beat.

Happily, Hypergenesis is another slice of brilliance and ends this phenomenal record with a mighty bang. A bang that involves smile-inducing melody, enigmatic heavy passages, hearty bursts of chunky groove, and so much more. It’s a progressive giant, without every feeling like it’s wearing the mind down. A true testament to Mountain Caller’s abilities as this track is over 8-minutes long.

A very special album from a very special band. This is Mountain Caller perfected and even in January, it can easily be called a contender for album of the year.

Mountain Caller – Chronicle II: Hypergenesis Track Listing:

1. Daybreak
2. The Archivist
3. Dead Language
4. Into The Hazel Woods
5. March Of The Göll
6. Hypergenesis

Links

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