Father Light

Five years and a whole lotta social upheaval since 2018’s Pilgrims, Stoned Jesus returns with their fifth full-length album. While Father Light continues down the band’s proggy desert doom path, it differs from its predecessor’s intricate style by means of a more methodical, almost subdued execution. The title track sets the stage in a soft yet unnerving fashion ala something like Pink Floyd’s “Pigs on the Wing” with gentle vocals, pleasant strums, and peaceful ambiance being gradually overtaken by disorienting noise.

Subsequently, “Season of the Witch” does a splendid job of encapsulating the band’s broad sonic palette. The eleven-minute behemoth is bookended with an apocalyptic verse/chorus set driven by lumbering guitar work counteracted by an extended instrumental segment that channels classic Rush. The closing “Get What You Deserve” is another doom number that puts in persistently swirling psych textures and mournful vocals.

The tracks in between also highlight the band’s diversity. “Thoughts and Prayers” is the album’s strongest song and easily the most accessible of the lot, pairing a catchy swing shuffle with the album’s most directly sardonic lyrics. “Porcelain” follows it up with a mid-tempo trudge through murky bass-driven buildups and “Con” is a construction of seeing how many con-derived words can be thrown at the wall at an upbeat stoner rock drive.

Overall, Fäthër Light just might be the best album that Stoned Jesus has put out so far. The songwriting adeptly balances their varied influences while the clear production bolsters their hefty and grandiose musicianship. The more prominently socially conscious lyrics also emphasize a strong sense of purpose. In the weirdly specific set of bands on the stoner-doom to heavy prog pipeline, Stoned Jesus remains one of the best.