Black Mountain: Boogie Lover

By Kerry Doole

Black Mountain: "Boogie Lover" (Dine Alone): The BC rock band has a new album (its fifth), Destroyer, ready to roll out on May 24.

Mainman vocalist/guitarist Stephen McBean and longtime accomplice Jeremy Schmidt have transformed the band, adding new members Rachel Fannan (Sleepy Sun) and Adam Bulgasem (Dommengang & Soft Kill) as well as familiar collaborators Kliph Scurlock (Flaming Lips), Kid Millions (Oneida) and John Congleton (St. Vincent, Swans).

The sonic results as evidenced on the advance single "Boogie Lover" are not radically different, with the group's signature devotion to massive fire and brimstone riffs once more to the fore.

In a label press release, McBean describes the creation of the new concoction this way "Slaying hearts with riffs in search of Geezer wood. This one went into the oven twice as it needed an extra topping. Space doom for lovers. Kliph Scurlock [Flaming Lips] pulled some Kiss outta his cape and Randy Holden came knocking on the front door holding a bridge! Rachel Fannan baked a cake while Jeremy Schmidt and Tom G. Warrior spaced out on some classic Isaac Hayes. Slow burn in a creaky world."

At 6.20 in length, this jam assumes epic proportions, while McBean pays homage to the object of his lust: "Boogie lover Won’t you come over? All wrapped in leather Planting kisses on my brain How they drive this man insane."

The Black Mountain blend of prog, psychedelia, and hard rock is intoxicating and has earned them a loyal international following. In a more just world, you'd hear their material in high rotation on commercial rock radio, but that sadly is not the case.

The original version of BM was a powerhouse unit in performance, and we expect nothing less from the new incarnation. The group plays two CMW in Toronto on May 9 and 11, followed by shows in Tucson (May 25) and Pioneertown, CA (May 26) and fest appearances in Switzerland and Las Vegas in August.

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Publicity: Ken Beattie, Killbeat