Old Man Lizard | facebook | bandcamp |
Released on September 25, 2015 via Heavy Psych Sounds Records
Sudbury in Suffolk may be more known for being a small market town on the river Stour than for its music scene, but here is where we find the newest members of the Heavy Psych Sounds roster, Old Man Lizard. If geographical virtues had a tendency to display certain virtues upon a band you would never place this band with said town either. Instead you would be more inclined to think of some beer-sodden place off the devils highway somewhere. Cowboy sludge partly rings true, but there are also folk influences which go further and just maybe, are the key to where they come from.
You see, Old Man Lizard are on the surface yet another sludge band, but like Thou, who sort of have a similar aesthetic, they trade in some rather unique melodic moments, which add a brilliant colour to their palette. They may not be as heavy as Thou, but they know how to deliver an album which works along the same lines as Heathen in that it never lets up and never once bows to any commercial pressures.
This self-titled second album is an unrelenting yet fascinating affair, which needs to be appreciated as a whole to gain the full impact. There are certain melodic intervals that seem to match up throughout giving a sense of continuity. They also make for one powerful listen and by the time you reach ‘Craniopagus-Paraditicus’, as the music swells on a singular melody into a slow triumphant crescendo, you can’t help but feel the majesty. Then it falls into an abyss as the desolate vocal call howls over a blues beat.
And this is how the album works. From the outset the music introduces a blues filled sound, which overtakes any riffs making the album a much more classic doom affair which relies more on darker nuances than full on riffs. There are riffs of course, but they are hidden beneath the layers.
Another winning aspect of this album is when the band seem to free-fall into jam territory and forget all semblance of what a song should sound like. The build up to the end of ‘Fawza-Falih’ is a prime example as the music spirals out of control, yet always seemingly held back enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. Old Man Lizard like to ratchet up the tension and then release it with little key motifs.
It’s an interesting album and one which begs repeated listens. It sounds of one piece as the music follows a similar pattern throughout and discerning any differences in songs is difficult. This is in no way a bad thing and it is testament to the band that they manage to keep you interested all the way through. You never know which way they are going to go as the music forever leads you down its windy path. It’s doom, but its also folk and progressive. It also has a high element of blues too which gives it that classic feel. A great album which deserves to be heard and Sudbury should be proud.
