Who knew that Chicago is a hotbed of interesting new metal? Well, NOW you know!Stoner Metal has an appeal that's a bit inexplicable. That's not to say there's no reason I should like it, not at all. In fact, there's something almost comforting in allowing it to carry you along its lumbering groove much like a good buzz (however you may get yours).
What I find most fascinating about listening to good stoner metal is the imagery it conjures. There's always a very clear mood that it sets for me, like a soundtrack to a movie that's writing itself in my mind as I listen to it; I'm always intrigued by what my mind's eye conjures for me with each instrumental session.
In the case of Pelican's Ataraxia/Taraxis, I am whisked away to a science fiction western where cowboys roam an alien landscape. Okay, maybe I'm crazy, but as it concerns this Chicago quartet, Pelican has wisely eschewed the pigeon-holing that can come from having a singer. The focus is on the music and the mood that it sets.
The Bottom Line: Call it stoner, sludge, or post metal, but you can't deny there's some good heavy and atmospheric grooves all over their latest EP, from the industrial Tangerine Dream opener, Ataraxia, to the dobro-flavored cadence of Taraxis, this is 18+ minutes of trippy jams for a lazy Sunday of gettin' your mind right, dig?
Tracks to Enjoy While You Break In A New Vaporizer: Ataraxia, Lathe Biosas, Taraxis
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