[rating=7.00]
Since the release of their debut full-length LP, Holy Water Pool, in 2015, Michigan-born psych-rock band Heaters have been churning out an album each year. Matterhorn is the follow-up to last years, Baptistina and continues in the same vein as their previous work. Following the departure of co-frontman Andrew Tamlyn last year, the now revamped lineup shows fans that they still have what it takes on the new album. Musically not much has changed from previous releases; however, the sounds and rhythms on Matterhorn sound a lot more polished than ever.
The first two tracks on the album are named “Thanksgiving I” and “Thanksgiving II”, respectively, and as might be expected share a similar “theme” in regards to chord progression and rhythm making the two blend into an almost ten minute track of pure psych-rock. “Black Bolt” continues the use of steady beats and well placed guitar effects to continue the relentless assault of psychedelia. The simmering guitars, staccato drum beats and reverb-laden vocals on “Hochelaga” bring more than a tinge of shoegaze into their sound and it’s definitely a welcome addition to the excellent psych-rock that has already been a fantastic aural ride. A rolling wave of synth takes the forefront as a repeated guitar riff plays over subdued drumming and reverb tinged vocals on “Bronze Behavior”, making it by far the most laidback track on the album. The first single released from the album is, in fact, the closing track and does a fantastic job encapsulating the sound of the re-formed Heaters.
Nolan Krebs and Ben Taber’s vocals on Matterhorn are almost exclusively seeped in reverb making their lyrics more of an instrument rather than using their vocals to say much of anything. This is a bit of a departure from past releases where even though vocals were drenched in reverb, the words were still somewhat discernable. However, the results make each song sound more like a sonic psychedelic soundscape than just another psych-rock song. All in all, Matterhorn has what it takes to stand out among their past LP as a stronger and more cohesive album then its predecessors.
