Nine Circles

First things first, nothing you will hear on Telekinetic Yeti‘s full length debut Abominable will be even close to ‘abominable’. Instead what you’ll find is eight tracks of stoner doom metal that are engaging and unpredictable in the best of ways. Now that may sound like a tall order for a genre that hangs its hat on slow repetition but this duo has paid close attention to their intricate song structures and off kilter tempo changes and thus boredom is something that just doesn’t happen with Abominable. 

Ok so, it may have been a bit unfair to pigeonhole stoner doom with slow and repetitive but more times than not this is the case. Furthermore there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it but as packed as this genre is a band must do something different to stand out or have something to offer that turns heads (ears in this case). Telekinetic Yeti know this and rather than go the safe route they opt to meander in and out of genres which makes for one interesting debut. And the fact that this is a duo is even more amazing because honestly this band comes across larger than two people ought to be able to sound.

If there’s a track here that’s easily identifiable as stoner doom it’s “Electronaut.” And not only in name but in the lurching fuzz that greets the ears. But a one trick pony this isn’t, once the initial riff is established the track turns to a heady mix of doom and guitar wizardry. But as mentioned before this album has twists and turns, one such example being the title track with its early Mastodon meets early Clutch vigor. Alex Baumann’s vocals have that same all encompassing fury of Neil Fallon and in the framework of this album it works tremendously well in creating a larger than life feel.

Then there’s the aggressive nature of “Stoned and Feathered” that is precisely what drew me to this album to begin with. The tone and groove here are addictive but it’s the war machine cadence that is irresistible. And speaking of cadence, Anthony Dreyer is an absolute beast behind the drum kit. As good as the guitar playing is — and it’s really good — the drumming on this album takes front and center. It’s all over the place with cymbals crashing like fine crystal on a tile floor and fills as thunderous as a ship slamming into a rocky coast. Dramatic? Maybe, but one listen to “Beneath the Black Sun” warrants the comparisons.

Telekinetic Yeti have put together a ridiculously strong debut album with Abominable and consequently one that gives a shot in the arm to the stoner doom genre. It’s creative, heavy, addictive and energetic — what more can you ask for? Not once did I find myself wandering away from what I was hearing. Instead, each track was met with a renewed sense of urgency to see what was next and which direction the band would take their sound. If experiencing genre limits exceeded is something you’re into this is an album that needs to be in your rotation.

Abominable will be available March 17 on vinyl via Sump Pump Records and CD/digital via the band’s Bandcamp page. For more information on Telekinetic Yeti visit their Facebook page.