It’s been half a decade since Texan psych warriors Black Angels' last album Death Song, and in that time the world has fallen apart completely. It’s the perfect environment for a band continually knocking on the outer doors of perception.
There are belters galore on Wilderness Of Mirrors, such as the slinky Velvets-in-leather History Of The Future (spoiler alert: there isn’t one) and sonic heat-blast Without A Trace.
There are also surprises, as always: Firefly is a foray into angular post-punk with a French pop twist, 100 Flowers Of Paracusia is a gently wafting psych-pop gem a million miles away from the band’s usual fire-breathing, and La Pared is a dark, throbbing, nihilist drone.
- “Some bands would think such an unlikely chart-topping feat would require them to lurch into a new chapter. Instead, Mogwai retreat to their discomfort zone”: The Bad Fire is reassuringly blurry
- “An ode to the litany of wankers we all have to deal with every day”: The Wildhearts prove once again they’re one of the UK’s greatest bands with The Satanic Rites Of…
It’s all part of an astonishing cinematic tapestry. This album will leave you so wobbly and weak-kneed, you might have to take a few days off work to recover. Headphone melter of the year so far, for sure.
