Pelican
Pelican

THE REVIEW

Thanks to a recent listening session by one of us, I had a sudden and as destructive urge for Pelican. A band formed in 2001 on the grey outskirts of Chicago, debuting with this solemn four-song EP at the end of the same year. The record label Hydra Head Records (owned by a certain Aaron Turner) took care of the promotion of the work. Even the disturbing artwork was curated by Aaron, who was engaged in those years with the early works of his creature called Isis. After just a few lines, I have already reached the most important reference name to understand and appreciate the music presented by the young quartet. Instrumental Post-Rock, Post-Hardcore, with abundant and overflowing doses of Stoner-Sludge mainly due to the excessively down-tuned and crushing sound of the two guitars; a sonic wall that's distorted, abrasive, rigid, and well-constructed. Take equal parts of Neurosis, Kyuss, and of course Isis; blend them together, and you will faintly see the elephantine, slow, monumental sound approach of Pelican in the distance. There are only a few moments to catch one's breath, as seen in the first part of the opener Pulse. For the rest of the EP, they hammer at your sides, make the ground tremble, and knock on the doors of the underworld. They dismantle all resistance. This demonstration of terrifying strength can be particularly felt in Mammoth (with such a title, of course…). It feels like listening to primordial Cathedral, those more Doom and Sabbatic, sailing through dark seas in a perpetual search for a liberating harbor. Five ominous minutes that leave you short of more than just breath. The work concludes with The Woods; thirteen minutes that never end. Anguish; solemn repetitions of the same riff. A vicious, misty drumbeat; the bass that cuts through the air. Sudden explosions, icy slowdowns that leave a glimmer of hope. But they restart and drive the knife into the wound... and you reach the end in a trance... literally bloodless...

Ad Maiora.