Philadelphia-based one-man progressive heavy rock outfit Mothman and the Thunderbirds will make its self-released debut with Into the Hollow on May 21. Running just over half an hour in a span of 11 tracks, the record careens across its material, translating prog-metal à la Devin Townsend, Opeth and others into a heavy rock and sludge context with an overarching experimental feel — each track seeming to take an idea and using it to flesh out its own sonic intent while feeding into the flow of the whole. The guttural vocals on “Nomad,” for example, will remind of Crowbar, but they’re surrounded by winding leads, tambourine urgency, and what may or may not be an oud. The line between metal and rock is blurred throughout largely to the point of irrelevance, and as vocalist, guitarist, bassist, programmer, general-mastermind Alex Parkinson taps his inner Remission-era Mastodon on “Indrid Cold,” having already intro’d the record with the rush of “Mothman Takes Flight” and vocoder-izing chug “Hollow Earth,” the referential vibes feel no less multifaceted than the songs themselves.

‘Mothman’ and ‘Thunderbirds,’ as well as numerous other titles and lyrics, refer to American folklore and cryptozoology, and Into the Hollow itself is decidedly American in its melding of styles, but it’s also remarkably purposeful. “Infinite Ocean” dares a hook over its programmed drums, more Devin Townsend-esque runs, and clever layering, while “The Simpsons = Real Footage” — one of several cuts that brings in a guest on vocals — full-on engages a conspiracy theory mindset in its lyrics, with references to psyops and cover-ups. I don’t know Parkinson‘s actual views on any of the subjects the album is covering — if you were forcing me to guess I’d say “fascinated by” — but he seems remarkably well versed, and as the second half the tracklist unfolds with “Agarthan Riders” settling into the surrounding context in a way that feels like it’s evening out somewhat, the material doesn’t dull in the slightest. “Cloud Giant” brings in programmed flute sounds, more guest vocals (indeed, harmonies) and compositional surety, while the birdsong-laced acoustic “Squonk” is a quick harmonized lead-in for the outright pummel of “Roko’s Basilisk.”

If you don’t know — and I didn’t — the reference in that song’s title, you could Google it and lose the rest of your afternoon to furrowed-brow reading and confusion while simultaneously opening a wormhole of targeted ads for who knows what (I guess I’ll find out), but the shove in “Roko’s Basilisk” feels like it’s being given due ceremony as the penultimate and most aggressive cut ahead of the melodic roundout in “Hollow Sun,” an obvious complement to “Hollow Earth” earlier on. It is a strange world inhabited by strange creatures and ideas that Parkinson is creating, but the fact is, he is creating a world. In 31 minutes. Across 11 widely varied songs. On a debut release. The achievement of such isn’t to be understated, and while there are moments where for the breadth he’s shooting for he’s a bit undercut by the home-recorded feel, especially for a first outing, Into the Hollow is impressive in scope and execution alike, as well as brimming with forward potential for where Mothman and the Thunderbirds — why should Britain get all the silly band names? — might go next. I take the fact that I’m not willing to hazard a guess beyond “further” as a good sign.

Understand as you listen to the premiere below that “Infinite Ocean” isn’t so much a summary of Into the Hollow as a whole as a teaser of just some of the ideas Parkinson is working with across it. He offers some comment under the player that follows, and there’s some more background as well, dutifully hoisted from Bandcamp, where preorders are up.

Please enjoy:

Alex Parkinson on “Infinite Ocean”:

“Infinite Ocean” is one of the few songs that was completely written before I started this project, and thus is one of the few without any obvious references to conspiracy theories or cryptids in its lyrics. I had originally written the song about my experience with anxiety, which is made pretty obvious by the chorus. When I was doing my “research” for this album, I came across a theory about the ocean being bottomless. I thought this idea fit well with the song’s themes, so I tweaked a lyric and then boom – the song was complete!

When I went to record vocals for the album, I wasn’t super comfortable with the idea of doing all the clean vocals myself, so I brought in a few ringers to shake things up. I’m really thrilled with how all the guests’ – or rather Guest Thunderbirds’ – performances turned out, and “Infinite Ocean” is just one shining example of that. Jason Roberts of the bands Breaths and CHNNLR sings on the song’s third and fourth verses, and I think his voice is such a perfect fit!

Preorder here: https://mothmanandthethunderbirds.bandcamp.com/album/into-the-hollow

Into the Hollow, the debut album from Mothman and The Thunderbirds, will be released on May 21st. The first single “Infinite Ocean” will be released on March 16th.

Mothman and The Thunderbirds is the ambitious and conceptual solo project of Alex Parkinson. Will the Mothman be able to prevent disaster this time? Who knows, there’s bigger things going on to worry about like hollow earths and oceans without end. It’s going to take a whole cast of characters and guest musicians to save us from this one. Do you believe in reality?

Into the Hollow is a stoner metal album for people who are bored of stoner metal. The album is eclectic in scope; no two songs sound alike. Many of the song titles reference cryptids and conspiracy theories, but the lyrics intertwine these subjects with themes of anxiety, isolation, global warming, war, and manufactured consent. The insanity of it all is woven into an emotional, often aggressive, experience that just barely exceeds a 30-minute runtime.

Alex Parkinson – guitars, bass, vocals, vocoder, programming, mixing, mastering

Guest Thunderbirds:
Jason Roberts (of Breaths/CHNNLR) – Lead vocals on verses 3 & 4 of “Infinite Ocean”
Kirby – lead vocals on “The Simpsons = Real Footage”
Sam Parkinson – guitar solo on “Agarthan Riders”
Joe Sobieski – lead vocals on “Cloud Giant”

Mothman and the Thunderbirds on Thee Facebooks

Mothman and the Thunderbirds on Instagram

Mothman and the Thunderbirds on Bandcamp

Tags: Into the Hollow, Mothman and the Thunderbirds, Mothman and the Thunderbirds Into the Hollow, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Unsigned bands

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