Any music that makes me feel like I’m hurtling through space on a craft that is unlike anything we know on this earth always is going to be welcome in my collection. You don’t need mind-altering substances, though they help, in these types of situations because the music and the ambiance are all you really need to get there.
Long-running psyche doom warriors Ufomammut always nail the intergalactic sweet spot, and on their 10th record “Hidden,” they manage to open up new portals we’ve yet to encounter. Over six sprawling tracks and 45 minutes, the band—vocalist/bassist/synth player Urlo, guitarist Poia, drummer Levre, sound master Ciccio—stretches the possibilities of what doom can be, and while it’s not wildly different from their other nine record and slate of smaller releases, there’s still a sense of freshness packed inside. It’s a dream that has its rocky moments but always leaves you numb and electrified.
“Crookhead” bursts open, cosmic heat building, drubbing as alien singing spreads, numbing as the fuzz collects and drags you deep into chilling outer space. The haze spreads generously before erupting into fire, spilling over dangerously and mixing with punchy electronic pulses that eventually land within the stars. “Kismet” sizzles as the singing surges, muddy power accelerating, folding in burly playing and cosmic dust, the bass thickening. Guitars scorch as the tempo burns, the singing numbs as they achieve a desert ambiance, spiraling past worlds you never could hope to visit. “Spidher” chars as the singing belts, flattening with a heavier push, the howls scarring as the humidity increases. The playing crushes as things get faster and more aggressive, the band pounding your flesh into a bloody pile before finally relenting.
“Mausoleum” bristles with sonic pulses, the singing numbing as the playing flattens and then works into more of a mid-tempo sprawl. The keys numb as cosmic zaps whip by your head, the bass chugging as the singing feels like a transmission from a long-lost dimension. The pace appears to freeze before lava bursts through the surface, the playing slicing through muscle, the singing floating in a cloud before disappearing into black sky. “Leeched” has chugging riffs and a forceful melody that rolls in mud, the singing scorching as a burly low end bruises your flesh. The smoking doom gets more penetrating, the doom spiraling into corrosion, synth zapping as your brain is baked, and we leak right into closer “Soulost.” Frigid and bathing in echo, the singing pulls you into the center of a psychedelic dream, the guitars bathing in druggy waters. Fires then rage as the sounds fry, filling your senses, disappearing into galactic smoke.
Ufomammut continue to open their world both musically and psychedelically on “Hidden,” yet another gem from a band that continues to push their talents and the contents of their mind. Your best bet, like most of their records, is to enjoy this with headphones at night, preferably gazing at the stars that inspire these artists. But really, there is no setting that won’t be welcoming for their space doom as long as you’re willing to expand your mind and take the journey along with them.
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/ufomammutband
To buy the album, go here: https://neurotrecordings.merchtable.com/ufomammut/?
Or here: https://www.supernaturalcat.com/home/hiddenpreorder/
For more on the label, go here: https://www.neurotrecordings.com/
And here: https://www.supernaturalcat.com/home/
Meat Mead Metal 