These guys originally came together in 2009 as a trio in Fort Worth, Texas, as The Great Tyrant, and following the tragic passing of original bass player Tommy Atkins, the remaining duo of drummer Jon Teague and Daron Beck on vocals and synthesizer kept going as Pinkish Black. Their debut came out in 2012 and was so well received that they got a deal with Century Media to record a follow-up. There is no doubt that this is the heaviest album I have ever heard where there are no guitars. Some bands have played with no bass (Atomic Rooster and The Doors to name but two), but no bass and no guitar and still make a noise that has come straight from the sludge pit? Now that is impressive. These guys have managed to create something that is dark and oppressive, yet also containing some lightness with strong ‘normal’ vocals from Daron.
There is no doubt that this is going to find a lot of favour with those who prefer their music to be extremely heavy, yet this is much more than just some metalheads turning it up and letting go. The drums are full on, with Jon taking a Keith Moon approach of driving everything on through sheer activity, while Daron has layers among layers of keyboards and isn’t afraid to put in some prog/ space rock elements when he feels the need. The first time I played this I really didn’t like it, but it has kept dragging me back in and now I am confident to say that I do, although it is going to take a more than just a few more plays to fully get everything from it. It sounds nothing at all like Geoff Mann, either vocally or musically, but somehow it keeps me reminding me of him, especially during “Loss of Feeling Loss”. Worth investigating at least.
