Review: Witch Mountain - Mobile of Angels
By Eric Perzanowski, Staff Writer
[Profound Lore; 2014]
Rating: 6/10
Key Tracks: “Psycho Animundi,” “Your Corrupt Ways (Sour the Hymn)
Of all of the recent “trends" in metal, the revitalization of traditional doom metal is one that, despite its seemingly ubiquitous presence (it seems half the bands around nowadays are doom metal, stoner doom or some other tag of the like), commercially hasn’t taken off to the extent that other “trends” have (“djent” is one that seems to enjoying a fair amount of success).
From this “trend,” if you’d call it that, Portland, Oregon’s Witch Mountain stands out as one of the best this subgenre has to offer. Between Uta Plotkin’s astonishing vocals and guitarist Rob Wrong’s solos, there’s a lot to like about Witch Mountain. The band’s previous album Cauldron of the Wild stands out as one of the best albums of 2012.
While Witch Mountain may have formed in 1997, a majority of the band’s work has come in the past 5 years with the addition of Uta Plotkin as the vocalist (who made the decision over the summer to leave the band following a fall tour that ended in late September). This recent work includes three full-length albums and an EP.
Plotkin’s voice is powerful and she displays a nice range as well as a variety of soothing, melancholic, ominous and just “doomy” approaches to the vocals. Because of this, the vocal work has stood out as impressive for several years now.
“Psycho Animundi” is the song that opens the album, and is also the biggest highlight of Mobile of Angels. From the opening riff, it was an easy indicator that we would be taken on a nice, doomy ride. One thing that’s great about this track is the several changes throughout the song in dynamics, tempo and Uta Plotkin’s vocal approach.
Mobile of Angels is more notably bluesy than the band’s 2012 release Cauldron of the Wild. The “bluesy-ness” of the sound is heard partly in the riffs, as well as Plotkin’s voice, but the song structures seem to have more of an approach and focus on blues as opposed to doom metal (although that influence is still highly prevalent).
The song “Your Corrupt Ways (Sour The Hymn)” speaks to this bluesy attribute very well, especially in the way the verses are delivered, as well as some of the lyrics. Overall, this ten and a half minute track, while at times drags on, still has many moments that made this stand out, including a fantastic guitar solo.
“The Shape Truth Takes” closes out the album, and compared to the rest of the material on Mobile of Angels, has more of a melancholic tone, especially in the vocal delivery.
Mobile of Angels may be a relatively quick listen--only five tracks that span a total of roughly 38 minutes--with some moments that could be more aurally engaging, but the newest release from Witch Mountain is by no means a bad album. However, if one is looking for a better showcase of the band’s abilities or talents, South of Salem or Cauldron of the Wild are more satisfying endeavors.
