MOUNTAIN LANGUAGE

The debut release of FLIES ARE SPIES FROM HELL was actually this short three track EP titled MOUNTAIN LANGUAGE. The band formed in 2004 in Chichester, England and due to lightning striking the studio equipment, the debut album "Red Eyes Unravelling" was not released until 2009. This short EP sort of got the ball rolling.

The title track displays the band in full action with one of the most energetic performances you can hear in the context of post-rock. Sounding something like a mix between Russian Circles, Explosions In The Sky and a sludge metal band, this opening title track features those famous cyclical loops that post-rock has to offer but with an energetic drive usually only heard in metal bands. Particularly enthralling is the drumming prowess of Watty who has apparently acquired some jazzy percussive skills on steroids.

"King Sky" slows things down a bit to mid-tempo and focuses on the atmospheric moodiness of the band which drifts from uplifting to melancholy throughout its playing time. The third and final track "Next Hour" slows things down even further and eliminates the rock altogether with lush clean guitar riffs, minimal percussion and a cyclical piano roll that remains the backbone of the entire track even when the track explodes into heavy rock splendor. Once again drummer Watty provides some serious skin whacking skills.

Of the three tracks on this short EP, only the closing "Next Hour" was never included on the debut album or any other release for that matter therefore the only reason to acquire this lil' shorty is for this track alone. While a decent post-rock track that offers some of the best the genre has to offer including some sick guitar frenzies, i wouldn't call it absolutely essential due to the fact it's pretty much out of the Russian Circles playbook. In all honesty the track should just be added to the debut full-length "Red Eyes Unravelling."

While the music here makes this worthy of a four star rating, the fact that the first two tracks are included on the debut full-length makes this one a bit unnecessary and really only a concern for completists who have to hunt down every possible tidbit that FLIES ARE SPIES FROM HELL ever released. This EP must've been quite an interesting release back in 2007 as it showcased a fully developed post-rock act that had set itself apart from its influences from the beginning but the next two years would find the band touring with many of its contemporaries and that would train the band to be even tighter and more defiantly unique.