Lowcaster create the kind of Post-Desert Doom that you can’t experience in bits and pieces and on their upcoming full-length, Flames Arise, this San Franciscan quartet have assembled a body of work that demands to be listened to as a whole to fully appreciate it.
Three minutes of ominous, foreboding sounds herald what’s to come during “Prologue” before Jason Bridges and Marc Brandi’s guitars saunter in and give an Odd Fellows Rest feel to the proceedings. If ever a track was written to be the most perfect Desert Rawk opener for a given album or for a live set, it was this one. The track is just serenity. And barely scratches the surface of what’s coming.
“Flames Bemoan The Tide” is the start of six tracks of pure main course, though. The track is one of many a sonic journey listeners will take with Lowcaster venturing into sounds that are at times mythical and ethereal while at others, just crushing. Which all happens during this beginning banger with Dean Lavoie’s drumming slamming you over the noggin one minute then gently pulsing during an impassioned interlude that gives way to Brandi’s yearning howl as Blaine Tabor’s low end vibrations pave a steady sonic path to the end (Editor’s note: While Tabor played on the record, we’d be remiss not to mention that Dave Silva is Lowcaster’s current tremor-making bassist).
“Passage” is spooky and short, easing listeners into the next stage of evolution within an album that’s all about swells of sonic experimentation. As is the case with “Pilian” which just kinda fucking shreds with Lavoie’s drums bashing away and Brandi’s gruff vocal delivery adding a fierceness before heading into this massive breakdown that’ll cause you to stand up (If you were sitting down) and run around the room with your arms flailing yelling “OH SHIT!!!!” because of that just experienced MASSIVENESS of sound.
“Extramuros” kneels at the altar of the almighty shred but excels before that with an intro that highlights the Lowcaster musicianship and penchant for aural worldbuilding. And what a world they build in “Shore Up The Ashes” which gets some help from that aforementioned mysticism especially during that magical beginning which transitions into one of the most laid back grooves before hitting a pinnacle of swirling guitars and bass and drums then slowly climbing back down the mountain ushered by gorgeous vocal harmonies until finally planting feet on solid ground once again. Yep, it’s that fucking epic.
“Dust” just rawks, okay? A seven and a half minute balls out beastie that has the band firing on all cylinders for concentrated auditory attacks that give way to holy breakdowns before coming up for air once again and rawkin’ the fuck out as the record comes to an end. And I’ma stand by that last run-on sentence as a fitting “‘Nuff Said!” for the album.
Flames Arise arrives through Ripple Music on October 25th with cover art by Spirited Animals/Nicole Momaney (Check out more works from her here). You can pre-order the album in your favorite format by clicking here and here. For the latest on Lowcaster, including upcoming tour dates, follow the socials here and here.