Horseback has composed a record for William Faulkner’s blackout nightmares. If Lucifer lit a fire under Earth’s ass and in its bong, the resulting din might sound something like “Half Blood.”
The band’s first original release on Relapse, “Half Blood” stitches together the best of doom-drone, post-rock and psychedelia-tinged Americana. That sounds like a peculiar blend of non-genres because it is.
The growled black metal vocals lurk deep in the mix, which buzzes with layers of droning guitar and heavy drums. Eerie church organ fills out the sound and recalls the band’s roots influences.
The confluence of genres never dulls Horseback’s edge. “Arjuna” menaces with a creeping metallic guitar riff and pounding drums.
“Hallucigenia,” the sweeping, three-part suite that closes the record, sounds like a twisted take on some of the Grateful Dead’s more acidic feedback jams from the late ’60s.
No matter what, the members of Horseback sound competent riding out the Dead’s influences and breaking them into their own.
“Half Blood” is a devilishly face-melting spin on psychedelia and metal conventions. Don’t be afraid to take a dip or two in its deliciously muddy noise.
By Patrick Beane
Southern Gothic
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