Of Sound Mind

‘Neptune With Fire’ was most certainly my favourite doom/stoner hybrid of 2008 and possibly of the entire crossover department, so when I heard the band were working hard at producing a sophomore so soon after the exquisite debut, I was overjoyed, if not a little apprehensive as well since it was truly a mammoth record. It’s a tall order for any band to outdo their previous effort when it is that with which we compare their entire discography to, so the timid opening to this record entitled, ‘Of Sound Mind’ left me with more questions than answers is my bid to look as positively upon this record as I did the debut. Although it doesn’t happen too often, it isn’t odd to witness bands who have produced a startling debut of epic proportions turn to mush during their sophomore and from there onwards never hit their stride again. Instead, the downfall of a seemingly bright future is as sudden as it is shocking and certain bands have had a nasty habit of falling into generic mediocrity, a state in which they can never truly recover from. I was preparing myself for such an occurrence during this sophomore, the follow-up to a successful debut which punctured my belief that the doom/stoner hybrid was faltering.

The arduous task of reviewing a sophomore which isn’t even a patch upon the original is almost heart breaking when the debut has left such a profound impression upon you, which Ancestors debut did with me, altering my entire belief system about this hybrid of genres. To have witnessed Ancestors fall from grace in such a manner would have shaken my world and turned it upside down. From the grace of ‘Neptune With Fire’ to anything less than brilliant would have been painful to witness but, thankfully, they’ve done it again. These American masterminds of the doom/stoner hybrid have long since hit their peak, but they’re maintaining their efforts in the form of ‘Of Sound Mind’, a very different offering from the hardened debut. Initially I had some worries when the information for this record had leaked to the public. The debut consisted of two long epic songs and the record itself was just under forty minutes long. The sophomore however, is twice that length and consists of more songs, particularly short filler tracks which usually serve no purpose on the majority of records they’re used on in such an abundance. Although the regular songs are not as lengthy, they are all still over ten minutes in duration and offer enough in the way of impacting instrumentation to remain fresh for that entire duration. At no stage do any of the songs, including the short fillers, seem in any way strenuous on the listener in terms of offering minimal variation and boring undertones.

Ancestors strike me as modern day geniuses. Whoever is writing the songs and constructing them in the ways in which they are pieced together deserves a raise. Doom/stoner hybrids have always had an ability to slip from mesmerising down tuned riffs to arduous soundscapes in a heartbeat through lack of dynamism and innovation, but Ancestors are an exception to the rule and offer soundscapes which are nothing less than perfection. Although I initially was sceptical in regards to the instrumentation present on this record, I no longer feel as if there is any reason to feel apprehension in regards to comparing this records songs to that on ‘Neptune With Fire’. There aren’t actually that many notable differences in approach on ‘Of Sound Mind’. The structures are almost the same as it sticks closely to the newly laid roots of the band with the addition of one telling aspect - the presence of the inspiring organ throughout the record, which is actually a factor that is steadily turning my main focus away from the debut and onto this beauty. From the very beginning of ‘Mother Animal’, the organ slowly intoxicates the listener with a spiritual vibe that reverberates throughout the entire record. Ancestors are beginning to sustain themselves and are adding a sense of durability to their records with songs like the immense ‘Bounty of Age’, which resembles, in part, an in form Neurosis clashing with a melancholic jazz band.

As the lyrics come in via the vocals of the main vocalist who sounds the same as he did on the last record, the vivid imagery begins to swirl in my mind like a caged animal searching for release. Once again, there are set patterns to which Ancestors abide by during the entirety of the record. The audible qualities over the perfected production, the bass alongside the psychedelic musings of the guitars and the lush textures the grinding organ brings to the surface of the songs as the vocalists, including the clean spoken backing vocalists, preach a sermon to the avid listeners. The organ is the quintessential element to proceedings as it breeds a sense of dynamism in the soundscapes and though it may seem like a subtle entity amidst the entrancing and swirling riffs from the guitars that draw out a blissful psychedelic sound, it is a force to be reckoned with alongside the other aspects of instrumentation and particularly the harmonious clean vocals on songs like the impervious ‘Mother Animal’. Even the filler tracks seem worthwhile, especially songs like ‘Not The Last Return’ with its haunting piano passages. Definitely a doom/stoner highlight of the year.