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Methadone Skies Premiere “Control” Video; Different Layers of Fear out May 10

Posted in Bootleg Theater on April 9th, 2019 by JJ Koczan

methadone skies

Different Layers of Fear is the fourth full-length from Romanian atmospheric sludge/heavy rockers Methadone Skies. Issued through their own Haywire Records — an offshoot of Haywire Booking — the album brings the four-piece to an entirely different scale of work than they’ve gone before, following-up 2016’s Colosseus (discussed here) by pushing outward across a 71-minute 2LP that’s simply a new echelon for them. With the returning four-piece of guitarists Wehry and Casi, bassist Mihai and drummer Retea, the band embrace a psychedelic atmosphere constructed with clear ambient intent, melding together elements from post-metal and lysergic flow in a way that leaves one wondering how they got to be so separate in the first place. The seven-song instrumental offering brings a weighted tonal presence used for effect in moments like the last-couple-minutes crescendo in the 16-minute closer “Manos” — as in, “the hands of fate?” — and the lumbering earlier cut “Contra,” which is the shortest on the record at 6:10. Elsewhere, from opener “Where Were You When We Were into the Void?” through the extended duo of “God Help Us All” (12:55) and “Focus” (11:59), they balance that heft with an airy wash of effects to create a thoughtful and ethereal wholeness that’s engrossing even as it continues to dig deeper and deeper into itself.

Jams? Maybe. At least in some measure rooted in jams, but maybe Methadone Skies are more experimental than jammy. Not in the kitchen-sink sense of they’re-actually-banging-on-a-kitchen-sink — arrangements aremethadone skies different layers of fear largely straightforward despite added keys throughout from Marius Muntean — but in that their pieces seem to have an overall direction in mind, such as when “God Help Us All” follows its hypnotically repeating guitar line into an oblivion of noise wash, or when “Focus” turns from its sprawling fuzz into an uptempo post-rock progression in its second half. Some structure. Some master plan at work. “Contra” might be the most upfront of all the songs on Different Layers of Fear, and it comes paired with “Ol’ Painless,” which drifts through the early going of its linear build in order to provide due payoff ahead of the penultimate “A Glitch in the Sun,” which boasts a guest vocal from Davide Straccione (ZippoShores of Null, also head of Spikerot Records), who switches between crooning, whispers and harsher shouts over the 10-minute span of the track, adding to the emotional crux of the melodic guitar floating behind.

And when it comes around, “Manos” is almost an album’s flow unto itself, as Methadone Skies earn the added runtime through a patient execution that brings groove to bear even as it spaces out with intertwining guitar and synth in its earliest movement, right until the crushing central riff — yes, the one that comes back at the end — kicks in and sets up the essential back and forth of the finale. That moment too is well-earned, and though at an hour-plus, Different Layers of Fear is well past the line of what might be considered manageable, even if one has to take it in multiple sittings, it proves to be worth the effort of meeting them on their level.

The video for “Control” was filmed during the making of Different Layers of Fear, and I’m just going to assume that the wavy-vision on the footage captured of the band while they played is not, in fact, an effect put on the video, but actually how it appeared in the studio. Would only make sense. Also keep your eyes out for the dinosaur. He’s in there.

Please enjoy:

Methadone Skies, “Control” official video premiere

Second track off ,,Different Layers Of Fear” set for release May 10th via Haywire Records. Footage filmed during the recording of the album at Consonance Studio in Timisoara, Romania. Music by Methadone Skies. Keyboards and synthesizers were added by Marius Muntean (The Thirteenth Sun, Black Water).

The artwork was illustrated by Mihai Manescu (Obsidian Nibs). Different Layers of Fear was recorded at Consonance Studio in Timisoara in October – November 2018 by Edmond Karban, Cristian Popescu & Andrei Jumuga (all members of dordeduh, Sunset in the 12th House), then mixed and mastered by James Plotkin in December 2018 – January 2019.

Methadone Skies are:
Wehry – Guitar
Casi – Guitar
Mihai – Bass
Retea – Drums

Methadone Skies on Thee Facebooks

Methadone Skies on Bandcamp

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