Though undeniably rooted in stoner rock, Brooklyn-based heavy psychedelic trio River Cult fluently weave a far wider array of sonic touchstones into an enveloping amalgamation that offers constant surprises – what may sound familiar at first heads rapidly in unexpected directions.
Debut full-length Halcyon Daze ranges through retro-fuzz, sweeping psych-doom and stark, almost post-metallic soundscapes.
The core of spacious heaviness remains throughout, but to hear a band channel (at any given moment) elements of Blue Cheer, ISIS, Ty Segall, Pentagram and Earthless, all while maintaining a vibrant originality, is truly a singular experience.
Making pigeonholing a further impossibility are River Cult’s lyrics. Themes of disillusionment, angst, alienation, addiction, and the mutual exclusivity of rightness and victory are just some of the personal and philosophical considerations that surface.
