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Released on April 29, 2016 via Undergroove Records
For a band who constantly defy description through change, Spider Kitten have really pushed the boat out this time with new album, Ark of Octofelis. Not content with being one of the most interesting doom bands around, they now push their already potent psychedelic edge to the fore on this two track album. Two long slabs of music which insidiously creep along telling a story of danger in the desert and forthcoming destruction (or something along those lines), whilst also creating some of the best music Spider Kitten have done so far.
It almost defies words to describe how they build upon a slow beat, suffused with trance inducing vocals until that inner Amon Duul is released by the motorik beat. A simple chime of a guitar releases the pent up energy into a spaced out drift all the time keeping sure to remind you this is one big story by revisiting constant musical themes throughout.
There’s a thrilling sense of freedom here and the notion that anything could happen which helps create a tension which accentuates the music. Masters at keeping things simple yet sounding absolutely monolithic, Spider Kitten let loose this time and enjoy themselves within the freedom the music has allowed them to. This is how you get the dramatic conclusion to part 1 without sounding a little corny and instead making pure sense. Just pick up the cover and lose yourself in it whilst the music sweeps over you.
Part 2 can’t quite live up the psychedelic majesty of part 1 and instead opts for a much louder stance. In come the riffs and with it a much more explosive sound. Crunching and doom laden, this is more in keeping with prior Spider Kitten releases. We do get some intriguing acoustic interludes harking to a story-telling folk tradition which helps break up the powerful riffs. These give way to moments which lead us back to the story in hand and allow for progression rather than a drift into a stagnant zone.
This release is ridiculously over the top, but Spider Kitten make no apologies for this. Instead, by enjoying themselves they create a work which is eminently repeatable. Although only split into two parts, each over twenty minutes long, there are plenty of elements to them that you stay for the long haul and still want to return. It is a release which displays a band unwilling to stay still and behind all the fantastical elements, a band of astutely brilliant musicians. With that comes a release unlike anything you will hear again this year.
