Review : ANCESTORS – “Of Sound Mind”

Ancestors – Of Sound Mind
released October 6, 2009 on Tee Pee

Monolithic is not a word to be used casually. If you say it, you must truly mean it. In the past, few albums have managed to gain the title - Sleep‘s Dopesmoker and Electric Wizard‘s Come My Fanatics… are two of the limited examples – but every once in a while, you find an album that can’t really be called anything else. Welcome to the world of Ancestors. This is monolithic.

Of Sound Mind is essentially Pink Floyd would sound like had Roger Waters been a metalhead. In fact, “Mother Animal” (possibly a nod to Atom Heart Mother and Animals) shares the exact same chord progression as in the 23-minute epic “Echoes” (“The Ambrose Law” then reprises the similarity, but more with the vibe than the actually notes). They go so far as to even include the organ in there. However, I would not go so far as to say that it’s a ripoff. It still has a fresh and unique sound, bringing much more heaviness than Floyd ever did.

The other predominant influence for Ancestors would be Neurosis. The long, brooding, psychedelic doom that these guys bring is clearly influence by albums like Through Silver in Blood and A Sun that Never Sets. Of course there is no Scott Kelly roaring on the mic, but the vocals do bring the same intensity sometimes. They can also be more relaxing in line with King Crimson. This is attributed to the fact that 4 of the 5 members contribute vocals to the album, along with Sera Timms of Black Math Horsemen working her magic on “The Trial” (likely another nod to Floyd).

If you’re like me and have ever wondered what all those ’70s prog bands would have been like had they been influenced by metal, it’s a monolithic sound. This album is your proof.

FCC OK
Try *2*, 4, 6, 8

01. From Nothing
02. Mother Animal
03. Not the Last Return
04. Bounty of Age
05. A Friend
06. The Trial
07. Challenging
08. The Ambrose Law

Rating: