Where the boundaries of reality become blurred and anything seems possible. It is where splendor and wonder can oftentimes come into play when it comes to what metal can offer listeners when it’s put in the hands of those that think outside-of-the-box and manage to make things feel nigh on invigorating. Normally, we see that come into the domains of a single style at a time, but it’s every now and then that we get a band that manages to push themselves and their sound to something that’s more than a little different to make for a performance that’s downright numinous. In their latest creation, Mount Palatine accomplishes that rare feat in magnificent fashion.

Despite how wide and far-reaching the underground of metal is in all that it has to offer, it’s a place that finds itself succumbing to many trends whether they’re intended or not. When it comes to the inclusion of psychedelia, it’s in the vast majority of scenarios that we see it paired with the slower, more patient forms of metal with doom metal an especially popular partner for the concept. However, it still has plenty of application elsewhere. It still takes quite a bit for any kind of band to put forth something that can actually capitalize on that relatively simple idea, yet it’s rare that we get something like what Mount Palatine offers us throughout the six otherworldly pieces of “Wormholy World”. Dipping their toes in several styles from doom, stoner, sludge, and rock with more than a little bit of a progressive nature at times, what’s been put forth here is nothing short of dynamic and captivating from top to bottom. From its core concepts to the execution that sees the listener soar along brilliant beams of sunlight as the pursuit of knowledge push us past our flesh bound reality, the rhythms and meandering nature of “Wormholy World” know precisely how to draw the listener deeper into its grandeur with Mount Palatine never forcing their way through nor overstaying their welcome. Rather, it’s in each track that “Wormholy World” takes on a warm, inviting essence that I can only liken to the aural equivalent of enlightenment. Your eyes feel open, the senses are in tune with all that’s around you, the air itself has a special chill to it, and the mist feels as though it has parted for the very first time. Psychedelic in execution and transcendent in its magnitude, Mount Palatine dared for much and achieved it all gloriously throughout this album.

LISTEN to “Wormholy World” on Bandcamp here.

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