|
|
|
Pelican
|
Untitled [EP]
Hydra Head Records
Release: 02/25/2003
|
|
Rated:
Review by:
Rod Worth
|
|
|
Yes, you read the name correctly - Pelican. Like the bird.
Let's start by addressing that. The label one-sheet says it
best, "Pelican's namesake is a weird, funny bird. We are
confident that the band will appeal to lovers of weird, funny
birds and others interested in bizarre fauna." Right. Let's
move on to that fauna stuff, shall we?
Pelican would be nothing if they were described with words
other than heavy, intense, hypnotic, and fascinating. One
can tell that this quartet is driven by the desire to express
every nuance of their collective psyche in nothing more than
the instruments they hold and the music they create. In
fact, the band has chosen to omit vocals entirely so that
every nuance of the music may show itself.
Pelican would be nothing if they were described with words
other than heavy, intense, hypnotic, and fascinating. One
can tell that this quartet is driven by the desire to express
every nuance of their collective psyche in nothing more than
the instruments they hold and the music they create. In
fact, the band has chosen to omit vocals entirely so that
every nuance of the music may show itself.
The four tracks on the Untitled EP are a perfect
introduction to a band that no doubt will have a long and
prolific (we can hope, cant we?) future.
Beginning with "Pulse," the haunting guitar intros wrap
around each other until the drums nail down the edges of the
feedback and solidify the sound assault that is about to
begin. A slight hint of a groove begins to wander around the
wall of guitars...until the guitars take over and throw the
groove at you. While there are song titles for tracks two and
three, they don't seem to matter while you're listening.
Pelican pulls you into a trance-like state that isn't broken
until two minutes into the fourth and final track of this EP.
It's the epic 13-minute sendoff the band gives with "The
Woods" that pulls you out of the wandering thoughts and
floating consciousness. Rolling drums under perfectly
positioned guitar solos/riffs make this track the perfect song
for just about anything you'll ever do. In fact, with this as
your soundtrack, whatever you do will be much more
impressive.
Waiting for more Pelican will be hard, but the Untitled
EP will never get old, so at least there's something to
tide us over until they return with more.
Pelican fits what could be called the doom/gloom/drone
genre. Their sound is best described as a heavier Codeine
without the vocals that soften things up. This disc is a must
have for all fans of Form Of Rocket, The Fucking Champs,
Trans Am, Isis Earth, Le Force, Cursed, and even
Milemarker… without the vocals, of course. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
