After a long five-year hiatus following the release of the incredible Death Song (2017), The Black Angels finally return to this Earthly realm. Their iconic singer, Alex Maas, kept hardcore fans entertained during the interval by exploring a solo path, releasing his excellent album Luca (2020) on Basin Rock. That album tackled many familiar themes: a world in decline, uncertain futures, and collective awakening. However, with its undeniably folky sound (except for American Conquest), it didn’t fill the hole that The Black Angels’ absence left behind. Wilderness Of Mirrors has come to put this right.
The album starts strong. As usual, the Texans open the record with their best track. The hypnotically dark ‘Without A Trace’ kicks the record off, ripping back the curtains to reveal a mirror reflecting a world in its twilight. It’s sure to stir a reaction in every listener. “Is it possible to be invincible when everyone else is expendable?” preaches Maas. Prepare yourselves for roaring basslines, dirty distortion and synths from beyond the grave. ‘History Of The Future’ introduces a portion of the album that favours more straightforward rock, letting Stephanie Bailey’s clean drums take centre stage and giving the avalanche of distortion and fuzz a little time to settle. This lull is short-lived, however, as ‘La Pared (Govt. Wall Blues)’ delivers a flash flood of sticky, bluesy electric guitar. Special mention goes to ‘Firefly’—featuring the rebellious voice of Lou Ghelichkani from the Thievery Corporation—which has a lighter sixties French psyche-pop sound. The band creates a misty landscape, one which is cloudy without ever becoming fully opaque; a place where you feel like you’re suffocating even though breathing feels easy. This seventh album (the second on Partisan Records) is an excellent addition to the band’s incredible discography, which is undoubtedly up there with the very best the psychedelic genre has to offer. © Charlotte Saintoin/Qobuz