AUSTRALASIA

While Black Sabbath lost the plot sometime in the mid seventies, Sleep looked like an act who could carry the mantle in the early nineties while the possible heirs, Kyuss, simply imploded Sabbath style. Sleep seemed to be caught in a mesh of a too deep mush and self obsessed stoner world and stoner rock itself just a pastiche rock parody, but thankfully Pelican continue a progressive journey that gives super heavy riffing music some dignity. While most metal bands, and to an extent Pelican are to an extent metal or rather spring from the genre somehow, are awash with mindless rantings, Pelican wrap themselves in lush, deep and saturated wall to wall symphonies of well toned and honed distorted vibes. The layerings of riffs create mechanic tonal voicings to blend and move the atmosphere which is at once emotive, melancholic angry but so fresh and worthwhile. A faceless band that rely on their massive structures of music to tell their story. No solos no words, just pure driven energy. Another album should do it to allow Pelican to have a fine legacy and not allow the momentum to stagnate.