Mos Generator

Electric Mountain Majesty

Written by: BV on 30/03/2014 15:09:26

I’m gonna be quite blunt about this: I am a newer fan of Mos Generator and haven’t actually been following their work for very long. My first introduction to them was actually when I found out that Tony Reed (guitars / vocals) was the producer of Doublestone’s quite acclaimed debut LP “Wingmakers”. I figured that a man with that kind of production skills might possibly be in a pretty great band himself, so in the following week or so I went on to pick up “Nomads” from 2012. Blown away by tracks like “Lonely One Kenobi” I decided that given the chance, I wouldn’t let another Mos Generator album pass me by without reviewing it. Fast forward a few months and here I am with the newest effort from the band; “Electric Mountain Majesty”.

As the album opens with the raucous “Beyond the Whip”, Tony Reed’s crisp and rowdy guitar parts instantly appear in the soundscape via an overwhelming riff. I can draw instant parallels between Mos Generator, Doublestone and even some Pentagram which most definitely works as a benefit for Mos Generator. Although it is quite clear that the sound of Mos Generator owes a great deal to the 70’s styled rock, it never seems to sound quite as dated as many of these newer revivalist bands. This could perhaps be atoned to the latent desert grooves that frequently pop up, paying homage to a slightly more 90’s related stoner rock vibe. An example of this is quite evident with the fast-paced and insanely groovy “Nothing Left But Night” which also serves as an early highlight of the album, as the drumming of Shawn Johnson forcefully underlines the persistent groove of the track whilst Reed’s crunching guitars and Scooter Haslip’s bass-lines punch their way through my speakers – effectively delivering a heavy dose of testosterone and boogie-doom to my apartment (and my neighboring apartments).

With “Spectres”, Mos Generator moves into doomy territory with an unusually soulful emphasis on simplicity. Mos Generator have never struck me as the kind of band to crowd their songs with overdubs and massive amounts of effects – and “Spectres” most certainly confirms me in this thought. It’s a bare-boned minimalistic approach that simply goes to show how immensely massive a band can sound as a ’mere’ trio wherein there is no necessity for anything else than a carefully crafted track and superb handling of the instruments in question; namely guitar, bass, drums and vocals.

As the album comes up on the title track it is quite evident that the emphasis is still placed on the riff. However, “Electric Mountain Majesty” is also a pivotal example of Mos Generator’s skills as lyricists. Lines like; ”Electric mistress heat me up and melt away the ice / There’s something in your eyes I see that leads me to the light” underline their fondness for surreal lyricism quite befitting of their somewhat doom-laden approach to stoner-rock songwriting – effectively elevating them from a simple-minded riff-machine to an all-round musical experience.

All in all I’d reckon that stumbling over Mos Generator might have been one of the greater musical discoveries for me in recent times and I am most certainly glad that I picked up this album. Fans of 70’s tinged doom/boogie/stoner rock will almost undoubtedly enjoy this album. I know I did (and still do).

Download: Electric Mountain Majesty, Spectres, Beyond the Whip, Heavy Ritual
For The Fans Of:Pentagram, Doublestone, Black Sabbath, Stone Axe
Listen: Facebook

Release date 24.03.2014
Listenable Records


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