THINGS TO COME...

Not exactly the kind of music you'd associate Texas with is it? Often slow and doom-like, experimental something SHUB NIGGURATH would be proud of perhaps. This is their debut from 2000 and they are a four piece. Sadly Doug Ferguson the keyboard player passed away after this recoding leaving the remaining three to do one more album in his honour. Both are solid 4 star albums in my opinion and neither is for the faint of heart that's for sure. I was surprised to see Dave Willingham involved with both YETI albums as he also worked in the studio with one of my favourite Post-Rock bands LIFT TO EXPERIENCE another Texas band playing very untypical music from this state. We get mellotron on three of the four tracks but the synths are more prominent. Doug was a huge MAGMA fan and both albums get tagged with Zeuhl although I hear it way more on the second album.

"Two Fingers" has these ghostly synths to start as distorted guitar and drums start to come and go. The tempo picks up 2 minutes in and the synths eventually come in over top. It settles back around 3 1/2 minutes with some nice prominent bass then the guitar starts to solo over top. Synths are back around 5 minutes in then keys a minute later. The tempo picks up again. It turns almost light after 7 minutes but not for long as the sound explodes but contrasts continue. It turns dark 8 minutes in to the end.

"Interstellar Biplane" has some active drumming and spacey synths early on but soon a full sound kicks in. Contrasts between full and not so much continue. Pulsating synths 2 1/2 minutes and more active drumming as the guitar becomes dissonant and the mellotron rolls in. A calm quickly takes over with the bass leading then a full sound with mellotron before 4 minutes. Bass only again briefly then it turns doom-like and slower until around 8 minutes in. Some organ runs and spacey synths before 10 minutes.

"Go Like This" is surprisingly upbeat until it calms right down 1 1/2 minutes in. It turns haunting around 3 1/2 minutes. It picks up before 7 minutes then kicks in a minute later. It settles back after 9 minutes to the end. I like this closing section.

"Est Mort" is the almost 17 minute closer. It opens with accordion-like sounds then the guitar kicks in before 1 1/2 minutes. Bass joins in then spacey synths as it builds. It turns heavier around 3 1/2 minutes. Spacey sounds over top before 5 minutes. It slowly plods heavily along until kicking in after 7 minutes. It settles beautifully with mellotron and slowly played guitar after 10 minutes. It kicks in again just before 13 minutes then settles again. A big chaotic finish 16 minutes in to the end.

Not as good as I had hoped but I like this style of music especially with mellotron being a part of it. The second album is more experimental and "out there" but this is a band worth checking out if you like dark and experimental music.