Dirty Sanchez
08-20-03, 02:41 PM
... saw them last night at Fireside Bowl. Blew me away. :thumbup:
PELICAN (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008DCT1/qid=1061404830/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/104-3387541-5957539)
Self Titled
Somewhere between godspeed you! black emperor and Neurosis resides Illinois' Pelican. Truth be told, this Hydrahead release is actually a re-issue of the band's independent untitled release. Apparently Aaron Turner got a hold of this "demo" and offered to sign the band. This implies a new album sometime in the relative future.
I had the first three tracks as mp3s and was stoked when I heard Hydrahead was going to be re-releasing this bad boy. It is a scant four tracks, but tips the scales at nearly thirty minutes long. Instrumental in nature, Pelican is a riff riding band, hammering each note out with sheer power. Don't expect technical wizardry here, but expect to bob your head, non-stop.
The opener, Pulse, is the shortest song on the disk and also the most basic. The guitars come in with melodic picking that eventually builds to climax with full drums and bass pounding before mellowing out again. Very gy!be. Mammoth was initially my favorite track with the huge riff that dominates the heavy parts. Heavy. It also has some cool tremolo-effect stuff going on with the verse melody. It is a rocker, albeit amazingly "simple." There is a weird time change that shows up twice, but they otherwise pummel you into a groove. rock. The closer, The Woods quickly overtook Mammoth as my favorite overall track. Weighing in around 13 minutes, this brute explores peace and chaos with subtlety, washing over you with tight riffs that explode into mighty rock and roll.
The guitars dominate the record. The left-right interplay is basic, but the doubled riffing adds to the molasses thick riffs. You want muted double-picking? You got it. You want dreamy passages? You got it. The dual guitar approach is thickened up with downtuned bass that essentially matches the guitars. The result is massive sludge when the bassist finally goes for the low string, most notably in Mammoth. Heavy.
The drums are very "understated" on this record, avoiding double-bass meltdowns in favor of sparse jazzy cymbal work. This isn't too say that the beats are weak, no, more like they don't overwhelm the moment. From pounding tom build-ups to cymbal bashing crescendos, the drums powerfully augment the guitar-centric structures of Pelican.
If you dig bands like Godflesh, Neurosis, Isis, godspeed you! black emperor, Keelhaul, or even Rebreather, you'll probably totally dig on Pelican. Plus, I picked this baddie up for $8 brand new at the Bent Crayon in Lakewood...so it's cheap and it kills.
-Jsin
these songs don't really change up too much. pelican picks a riff and more-or-less sticks with it for the duration. sure, they make it dynamic with loud and soft versions of the riff, but it is rather simple. of course, it is this "simplicity" that makes pelican as enjoyable as they are. they jam out on strong riffs, riffs that are worthy of such single-minded focus. these aren't sub-par chugga-chuggas that go on for far too long and leave you hungry for the real meat and potatoes. these are dramatic statements, commanding you to sway to the beat. the plodding devastation of mammoth, for instance, easily spawned a picture in my mind's eye of a giant pachyderm pounding through the ancient tundra. awesome.
otherwise, the first two tracks are "short," the last two are "long." i wish there was more to it, and hope a follow up is already in the works, even though this ep does satisfy my ears for half an hour.
-jeighsohn
Pelican is Hail the Mighty Goat and a Half good.
PELICAN (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008DCT1/qid=1061404830/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/104-3387541-5957539)
Self Titled
Somewhere between godspeed you! black emperor and Neurosis resides Illinois' Pelican. Truth be told, this Hydrahead release is actually a re-issue of the band's independent untitled release. Apparently Aaron Turner got a hold of this "demo" and offered to sign the band. This implies a new album sometime in the relative future.
I had the first three tracks as mp3s and was stoked when I heard Hydrahead was going to be re-releasing this bad boy. It is a scant four tracks, but tips the scales at nearly thirty minutes long. Instrumental in nature, Pelican is a riff riding band, hammering each note out with sheer power. Don't expect technical wizardry here, but expect to bob your head, non-stop.
The opener, Pulse, is the shortest song on the disk and also the most basic. The guitars come in with melodic picking that eventually builds to climax with full drums and bass pounding before mellowing out again. Very gy!be. Mammoth was initially my favorite track with the huge riff that dominates the heavy parts. Heavy. It also has some cool tremolo-effect stuff going on with the verse melody. It is a rocker, albeit amazingly "simple." There is a weird time change that shows up twice, but they otherwise pummel you into a groove. rock. The closer, The Woods quickly overtook Mammoth as my favorite overall track. Weighing in around 13 minutes, this brute explores peace and chaos with subtlety, washing over you with tight riffs that explode into mighty rock and roll.
The guitars dominate the record. The left-right interplay is basic, but the doubled riffing adds to the molasses thick riffs. You want muted double-picking? You got it. You want dreamy passages? You got it. The dual guitar approach is thickened up with downtuned bass that essentially matches the guitars. The result is massive sludge when the bassist finally goes for the low string, most notably in Mammoth. Heavy.
The drums are very "understated" on this record, avoiding double-bass meltdowns in favor of sparse jazzy cymbal work. This isn't too say that the beats are weak, no, more like they don't overwhelm the moment. From pounding tom build-ups to cymbal bashing crescendos, the drums powerfully augment the guitar-centric structures of Pelican.
If you dig bands like Godflesh, Neurosis, Isis, godspeed you! black emperor, Keelhaul, or even Rebreather, you'll probably totally dig on Pelican. Plus, I picked this baddie up for $8 brand new at the Bent Crayon in Lakewood...so it's cheap and it kills.
-Jsin
these songs don't really change up too much. pelican picks a riff and more-or-less sticks with it for the duration. sure, they make it dynamic with loud and soft versions of the riff, but it is rather simple. of course, it is this "simplicity" that makes pelican as enjoyable as they are. they jam out on strong riffs, riffs that are worthy of such single-minded focus. these aren't sub-par chugga-chuggas that go on for far too long and leave you hungry for the real meat and potatoes. these are dramatic statements, commanding you to sway to the beat. the plodding devastation of mammoth, for instance, easily spawned a picture in my mind's eye of a giant pachyderm pounding through the ancient tundra. awesome.
otherwise, the first two tracks are "short," the last two are "long." i wish there was more to it, and hope a follow up is already in the works, even though this ep does satisfy my ears for half an hour.
-jeighsohn
Pelican is Hail the Mighty Goat and a Half good.