Since forming in 2004, The Black Angels have been instrumental in growing and influencing both the Austin music scene and the modern psychedelic rock revival around the world. With their creative collective, The Reverberation Society, founding members Alex Maas and Christian Bland started the Austin Psych Fest (renamed Levitation) which, unsurprisingly, is primarily booked full of bands in the psychedelic and proto-metal vein and attracts patrons from around the world. Five years on from the release of the critically acclaimed Death Song, the psych-rock giants are back with their sixth studio album, Wilderness of Mirrors.
The album starts off gently (for a few seconds) with a subdued synth line before loud drums kick in and shrieking guitars, reminiscent of coyotes or seagulls, provide a cacophony of sound underlying lead singer Alex Maas as he spins a Robin Hood-type tale of robbing from the rich to feed the poor. “El Jardin” is the first single released from Wilderness of Mirrors and reflects the ‘overall insanity of the world that inspired Maas when he was writing songs for the album. The hard rocker dives not into the present times but looks towards a dark future as our choices lead towards a scorched world or a drowned world. On “Flowers of Paracusia” the group allows for a more stripped-down track that still manages to keep their signature vibe without the normal layer upon layers of echoing instrumentation that is their norm. “Firefly” also veers a bit from the signature dark, distortions with a tune that seems to transport the listener to Paris in the sixties. This transportation is aided by the addition of French vocals by Lou Lou Ghelichkhani responding to Maas’ lines.
After a five-year break from releasing new material, The Black Angels have made a triumphant return with Wilderness of Mirrors. With fifteen songs and an hour’s worth of new songs, the wait was definitely worth it. From their vivid performances to their exuberant albums to Levitation festival, The Black Angels’ importance to the psych rock scene cannot be overstated. Yet, even with the proverbial weight of the modern psych rock world on their shoulders, The Black Angels prove yet again that they are still the frontrunners of all things post-Roky Erickson.
