Palace In Thunderland – Stars, Dreams, Seas EP (Reverse Feed Records)
By Jay Snyder
December 15, 2012

Palace in Thunderland made some waves on their first run in the underground hard rock circuit, and then vanished in a puff of spritely vapor. Andy Beresky went on to form the hieroglyphic, cartouche crushers Black Pyramid…Monte Newman served time in Hydro-Electric, and Adam Abrams helms the wholly killer atmosphere illusionists Blue Aside (along with Matt Netto who is on duty for percussion pulverization on this brief and brilliant EP)… It’s interesting to note how everyone in PIT fractured off into different bands, and then decide to reignite this psychedelically inclined, meteor shower machine. If Sabbath, Hawkwind, Soundgarden (Badmotorfinger/Superunknown era), Trouble, Spirit Caravan, and Kyuss had an orgy, this would be the resulting money shot. A no frills, no nonsense throw down of heavy 70s rock as interpreted through the breathing walls of psilocybin psychosis and metallic, 6-string workouts. Hopefully that sounds good to your ears; otherwise you’re shit outta luck!

Opener “Beyond the Stars” relies on spacious guitar riffs pumped full of Sabbath and the golden days of 90s thud (from Seattle to Maryland) as it constructs a massive, rock n’ roll black hole; the grooves and rhythms worshipping the annals of timelessly heavy riff-o-logy, as the band’s heady sound and thick tonalities dabble in astral projection visa vie the incisive lead playing that walks a fine line between old school metal and total psychedelic trip-outs. The lead-work is purely vintage 70s soul from blood to bone, Beresky and Newman weaving their instruments together magically (as well as their vocal cards), creating a time-shifting vortex that shrouds the rhythm section’s dense particle blanket. It’s clear to me that Abrams and Netto have really morphed their playing styles together from the time spent in Blue Aside; Adam’s terse, low-end vacuums swallowing up Matt’s satellite array of bone-crunching, locked-on snare fills and classic rock, pocket pressure with all of the power of a Mayan vortex. There’s not a goddamn negative thing I can say about this stuff…the chorus delivers the hook, the hefty riffage keeps the head banging, and all throughout the psychedelic touches bring my mind into a state of mental teleportation that only occurs when I’m getting the much needed satisfaction of visceral sound waves entering my earholes. Right the fuck on!

“Awakened Dream” really stings of Maryland magic in its doozy of a kick-off riff punctuated by open, melodic chords and the use of busy progressions that call to mind Wino and Flood, though Beresky and Newman are definitely their own thing. The way these guys compose is what takes the cake for me. Over the course of this 6 minute jam the instrumentation changes up frequently…one minute a doomed out riff is the equivalent of a dying in scream in space…the very last thing you’ll fuckin’ hear before you're crushed like a sardine can, but then the next the uplifting harmonies and supple leads transport you to an altogether different spiritual realm. Netto sneaks in busy little rolls on the toms and snares to buttress Abram’s impenetrable, bottom-end hull, and a slick solo pops up right after the 3:30 mark, managing to be both shredding and compelling in the very same breath. Vocally, this one knocks it out of the park…spot-on delivery with just the right amount of rise and fall. The boys cap off the song with that beautiful beginning bit, but not before turning your ass into space chow with a walloping 1-2 punch that begins with a superb Sabbath nod and calls the curtain with a wah-drenched lead lick. Closer, “The Distant Shore” is the EP’s “and now for something completely different track,” a slice of smoldering, relatively clean space-rock that strips the distortion down to a buzzing hum that’s vibrantly shaded by the lush bass runs and wickedly intricate licks. There’s nary a traditional riff in view until the very end and select sections of the tune’s bulk (this is lead and lick oriented), making for a delightfully rift-tripping, atmospheric slow-burner of a number… Couldn’t think of a better ending to this flawlessly executed EP if I tried!

Bearers of the Palace in Thunderland banner have a glorious reason to rejoice, as Stars, Dreams, Seas is one hell of a return to the frontlines. Fans of the “classic” 70s sounds are going to want to scoop this up posthaste. To my knowledge it’s available on Band Camp now, and will hopefully get a physical release sometime in the future. No matter what format your poison is…get on this shit…download it and burn it onto a disc…do whatever you got to do…just get it! Highly recommended.



http://www.hellridemusicforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26347

Check it out here if you're so inclined, and enjoy!

http://palaceinthunderland.bandcamp.com