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Kylesa: Spiral shadow

19/05/11 || The Duff

Kylesa created waves with their 2009 effort “Static Tensions”, up until that point a seasoned outfit lacking identity as a stoner/sludge band that was known to restricted groupings. They’ve since been likened to the aggressive, rock-Southern groove of a band like Mastodon, or the melodic lush of Baroness, all three of which herald from the same town. I purchased “Spiral Shadow” alongside “Static Tensions” after having neglected this Georgia-based collective for so long despite praise hitting them so hard and fast, but honestly with this most recent effort they’ve lost the grit of a punk/stoner/psychedelic outing that left things promising for a band trying to fill the void Mastodon left in tripping balls.

It smells like a rush-job, you know, kind of like when your girl climaxes early because the thought of having you inside her for one second longer may be the tipping point to suicide for all the years lost to an ugly-as-fuck primate with half a mind but you’re all like “Heeeey-yo” to your friends. The album has a lot of potential, and some terrific ideas throughout, but there’s little filling, the concrete formula of steak and potatoes with atmospheric flourishing of “Static Tensions” lost to an over-eagerness to complete a fruitful but maligned flurry of ideas. The core of each song is for the most part all fine and dandy, but the wandering sections are suited for one purpose, to tie in the gaps with drug-induced noise, and these unfortunately fail in many regards by lacking direction, leaving you grasping for choice notes and wishing for more, the better structured.

One can’t help but feel they’re victim to the absurd quantity of effects at their disposal, although it isn’t for a lack of talent that leaves them falling short. Hopefully it’s simply a case of a two year span, the dream of fulfilling your time as much as possible that has left “Spiral Shadow” a vapid affair with occasional golden nuggets. Examples of great morsels of music include the Mastodon, heavy-if-it-ain’t-broke riff to “Tired Climb”, a track with workable dynamics despite a shoddy-ending, “Cheating Synergy” despite the repetitiveness and rather superfluous widdly-bits, most if not all of “Drop Out” (with some sweet-ass Neurosis worship), basically all of the meat off “Crowded Road” meager though it is which follows similar Southern-doom paths, the uplifting Smashing Pumpkins tribute “Don’t Look Back”, and all of “To Forget” which channels bitterness, indifference and the will to overcome all very nicely with a very fitting performance from the band’s duo-drum team.

Onwards it all becomes more of a mixed-bag – the title track is a peace-maker, but just wanders on, which is fine if you weren’t expecting a sludge/rock metal album, but there’s simply too much on “Spiral Shadow” as it is – the final riff is too watered down to salvage anything, unfortunately. I hate Pixies, Ramones, punk generally, so “Back and Forth” does nothing but annoy, and “Dust” is more of the mellow half-foot-in-half-foot-out that does little to stimulate let alone close the album as strongly as it kicks off. In conclusion, with a production that bares all and reveals just how empty the music is, we needed an album with more riffs and less random, spaced-out material, leaving “Spiral Shadow” a lukewarm, ultimately dry affair.

Information
Released: 2010
Label: Season of Mist
Website: Kylesa MySpace
Band
Phillip Cope: guitar, vocals
Laura Pleasants: guitar, vocals
Carl McGinley: drums, percussion
Tyler Newberry: drums, percussion
Corey Barhorst: bass, keyboards

Tracklist
01. Tired Climb
02. Cheating Synergy
03. Drop Out
04. Crowded Road
05. Don’t Look Back
06. Distance Closing In
07. To Forget
08. Forsaken
09. Spiral Shadow
10. Back And Forth
11. Dust

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