ATALA "The Bearer of Light"

ATALA

"The Bearer of Light"

Thick and pulsing doom rising from the desert like waves of heat is what we have here. ATALA apparently hail from Southern California desert country, the same that spawned KYUSS and the like, and that plays a huge part in their sound and outlook. This is raw and basic, done without artifice or unnecessary production. It's also real heavy, in the same sense that SLEEP and ELECTRIC WIZARD are. "Desolate Lands" treads a path that we've been done many times before, but the thick, oozing guitar riffs and simple approach make it easy to digest.

There is something kind of shamanistic about ATALA's take on doom and stoner rock. The vocals are plaintive and full of emotion, not the usual gruff growls or baroque tones we usually get here. The album's final tune "Dark Skies" is as stripped down and bare as a dead tree in the desert...an acoustic cut with sad vocals and just a touch of electric guitar. It's an atypical cut, as all the other songs are riff-crushers with lead-heavy guitar sound. "Naive Demur" is short and aggressive, "Sun Worship" is trippy and on the psychedelic side and "Won't Subside" is the album's one monster track, enduring for over 11 minutes.

Nothing ATALA does is particularly unique, but there's an honest feeling to it that carries it through. That, and riffs like sonic molasses pouring on your brain.

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ATALA