New York City’s Netherlands may have yet to come across the average metalhead’s dashboard but with the release of their third fuzzed out LP (making their début on Prosthetic Records), they won’t be foreign for much longer. Founder and multi-instrumentalist, Timo Ellis, already has an impressive repertoire with having created and produced music for over 2 decades, releasing work under his own name as well as working with artists like The Melvins and Ween. But now, with the help of Zach Eichenhorn (drums) and Ava Farver (synth bass) since 2010, he’s channeling his heavier side…and it sounds oddly familiar. Not the ‘I’ve heard it before’ familiar but the ‘I totally know what your influences are’ familiar. It’s without a doubt enough to call your ears to attention.

This 9-track journey through distorted astronomy and psychedelia clocks in at a bittersweet 28 minutes. And I guarantee that you’ll feel the emptiness of a trip cut too short. From the Black Sabbath-y falsetto vocals combined with the foundationally Sleep-like wall of guitar riffage and just enough Ty Segall-approved fuzz to tickle one’s fancy, the track ‘Elephuck’ is enough to generate genuine excitement. Especially with the attractively dark lyrical theme of a dying sense of self as a result of religious mind control. What’s there not to like? The fellow slow-tempoed sludgey track ‘Bottom of the Ocean’ is the definite sweet spot of the record for the vocal variety alone. From the preachy chanting to the layered angelic whispers of world disasters and oncoming death (all over top of the gloomiest guitar riff of Audubon), Netherlands has more than honed in on a signature style.

Timo’s talent for intelligently hypnotizing guitar riffs and intriguing vocal organization is apparent in the fact that there is something attractive about each track on the record. Even the weakest track (and regrettably the opening track which is surely to throw some patrons off the scent) ‘L.M.M’ doesn’t get interesting until past the 1-minute mark when chaos and fuzz ensue to better fit Timo’s airy vocals.

Overall, Audubon is a solid release. Netherlands would surely benefit though in moving towards lengthier progressions to develop their tracks from being simply ‘a ride around the block’ to a fully dark and psychedelic experience.

7.5/10

EBONIE BUTLER

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