British Post-rocker Crippled Black Phoenix return with their Pink Floyd worshipping EP New Dark Ages on Season of Mist.

At nearly six minutes the opener ‘Spider Island’ is mere runt compared to the lengthy remaining tracks, however, It’s shortness does make it the most immediate and accessible track. Opening up with a guitar tone which immediately put me in mind of Host by Paradise Lost. Coming quickly after are low lamentful vocals delivered at a slow pace which remind me a lot of Alice in Chains.

Title track ‘New Dark Age’ sounds exactly like what you’d expect if Dave Gilmour had been jamming with Mono. The track itself builds almost continually with a notable spacey feel mixing with the doom. With the occasional breakdown relieving the pressure, the songwriting is simply stunning here: giving the listener the feeling of a spacey soundscape, before finally building to a crushing crescendo.

The two-part cover of ‘Echoes’ is initially a fairly faithful note for note cover, The main difference being it’s slower feel and tone more reminiscent of The Division Bell-era Pink Floyd than Meddle, and the inclusion of some interview tracks with Pink Floyd themselves. The cover itself is excellent but by the extended breakdown towards the end where it almost entirely dissolves into discordant nothingness and becomes borderline annoying at times. It must be said that the title track handled it better.

Part 2 of Echoes CBP Build it back up there’s a feeling of death and rebirth evident in the shift between the two parts. More evident is the introduction of newer elements of their own before the track inexplicably becomes a cover of ‘Childhood’s End’

Despite the delightful Pink Floyd Cover(s), it’s The title track ‘Dark New Age’ which stands out as far more interesting.

9.0/10

RICHARD PRICE

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