Just when you thought that post metal had run its course with the demise of Isis and Cult of Luna going on hiatus, along comes another set of bearded types who love Explosions in the Sky more than they do employing a vocalist. That’s not to say they’re not welcome to hang around for a while however, for St. Petersburg, Florida five piece Set and Setting have some gloriously hazy sights to show us, which they do with aplomb on sophomore record A Vivid Memory (Prosthetic).
With a name referencing the importance of one’s mindset and location in order to best appreciate an experience with psychedelic drugs, it would be lazy to lump Set and Setting in with those bands who rely on their listeners being wasted to make up for their own musical shortcomings, but it is true that the kind of woozy, gradually building post metal they play would go well with some mind-bending substances at hand. The repetitive melodies and surging rhythms of opening tracks ‘Waves of Luminescence’ and ‘The Inevitable Cycle’ will delight fans of Mono and Pelican, especially with the latter’s bursts of speed indicating that the band haven’t nodded off just yet, while the clinical squalls of ‘Acceptance’ has the members getting the most from their instruments.
Track lengths increase as the album progresses as the band explore the void even deeper with the blurring of post and black metal on the searing sheen of ‘Descending Sun’ which at times sounds like Deafheaven devoid of vocals. The dual percussive assault is maintained throughout the album, giving proceedings a hypnotic feel while the visual impressions of dramatic landscapes and blurred impressions are enforced by the use of repetition and occasional forays into drone and even Shoegaze territory. However the band never tries to outdo themselves and know that the best way to produce a memorable song is to make it worth listening to again. A Vivid Memory has plenty of such tracks and although you don’t have to be baked to fully appreciate them, it wouldn’t hurt.
7.5/10
JAMES CONWAY