The Black Angels' "Death Song" Is A Huge Record

When you hear psychedelic rock, something epic isn't usually what pops to mind. The Black Angels breaks the chain. Their new album is a massive one, with loads of driven and intense tracks with loads of energy. The Black Angel's Death Song is a huge record with lots of levels and no dull moments.

There's something epic about Death Song that makes it really captivating. At times it feels less like an album and more like a story of adventure and conquest. There's an epic darkness in opening track 'Currency,' the distorted guitars and wild vocals offering a thrilling and almost evil experience. There's nothing even intrinsically evil about the track, but the overall mood is just melodically dark and has a feeling of walking towards something dark with confidence. 'I'd Kill For Her' rolls in with less of a burden and more rocking riffs, the track becoming wild, especially towards the end with the soaring guitar solo.

There's a lot more depth on the record than you may immediately realize. The final two songs say wonders towards that: 'Death March' is the ode to death, the funky and almost hellish background guitars offering a offputting vibe that'll keep you grooving but place a slight sense of unease upon you. The real emotional heaviness is brought in 'Life Song.' The interesting thing here is the contrast between the two songs. 'Death March' feels much more anthemic, in a sense, with a larger sense of optimism and grandness to it. 'Life Song' is much more depressed, as it searches for answers within life that never seem to come. One seems like the grand end, while the other is the long, rigorous journey. 'Life Song' goes through many more ups and downs, however, with varying levels of intensity.

Death Song is all around just a jammy record. From the Lightning Bolt guitars in 'Comanche Moon' to the marching vibe of 'I Dreamt,' there's a lot going on in this record and it never lets up. You'll be left rocking out for its entirety, each song being starkly different from the one before it with an excellent vibe along with it. There is truly not a dull moment on the record.

The Black Angels' Death Song is a huge record. It not only never lets up its energy and creativity, but also has deeper messages within it that give it a sort of mission statement. It's an album that's smart and still fun - even if every track isn't a classic, you can always come back to any of them.

Favorite Tracks: Currency, Life Song, I'd Kill For Her

Least Favorite Track: Hunt Me Down

Rating: 79 / 100

Buy or listen to Death Song here: