Ufomammut‘s just one of those bands that it’s hard not to get excited about. Since their inception in 1999, they’ve been a continuously-evolving beast, getting heavier and heavier with each new release and constantly pushing the boundaries of their psychedelic sludge sound. Even with numerous shape-shifts throughout prog and psychedelia, and a range of releases under their belts—from a single, 45-minute song, to a two-part concept album set— they’ve never strayed from being flat out heavy, and never once sounded stale or regurgitated. And their newest offering, Ecate, only continues that trend. It’s precisely the kind of album Ufomammut fans have been waiting for.

The album starts off with the kind of apocalyptic, spacey sound we’re accustomed to hearing from Ufomammut—a long, slow build up that makes you yearn for what you know is coming. Volumes increase and decrease throughout, but the doom sound and the guitar tones are unmistakably Ufomammut and it’s good to have them back with this new offering. The interplay of guitars and bass on the shortest track, “Plouton,” is mesmerizing, along with the signature gnarled vocals from Urlo.

The band shows off its psychedelic side during the six minute opening portion of “Chaosecret,” and I don’t know that I’ve ever heard a better tripped out passage from them before. The keyboards here and on “Revelation” really bring out the experimental prog vibe and, to my ears, accentuate a kind of ’80s horror synth feel. The added acoustic strummed part near the end of the track is well placed and adds a sense of warmth to the otherwise cold feel on display here.

These guys are experts at their craft, and the thick, heavy-as-lead brand of doom they serve up throughout this album is trance inducing. With layers of repeating riffs and even the occasional droning drum cadence, it’s amazing the album sounds as fresh as it does and never once goes stale.

My personal favorite from this album is closer “Daemon,” which opens violently with the guitars and drums firmly in your face, but then leads into a more rocking pace. We shift into a rhythm the dead could dance to, and the vocals sound as if Urlo is carrying on a conversation with the god Zeus. The bass anchors the otherwise spacey guitar and keyboard parts, before the song (and album) closes with a fading piano pattern.

I’ve always had a penchant for this band, largely in part due to the compelling and intriguing nature of the music they craft and for the fact you can pick up any of their releases—even the ones you’ve heard numerous times—and always find something new each time. Even at their weakest—and mind you there aren’t really any weaknesses on this album—they’re still better than many a great doom band on their best day.

– Josh

Ecate will be available March 31 on Neurot Recordings. For more information on Ufomammut, visit their official website.

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