Mushroom Giant is an Australian band of Instrumental Progressive Rock with Cinematic and Experimental traces active since the early 2000s. The new album “In A Forest” due out on February 2022 via Bird’s Robe Records and containing 7 tracks between 3 and over 9 minutes of duration. The opener “Owls” has also been proposed as a single, and starts with distorted and heavy guitar arpeggios that create a dark atmosphere. With the entry of the rhythm session the track begins to develop between tempo changes and scratchy and incisive guitar inserts, and the sound is an explosive blend of Post-Rock and Progressive Rock. Between Heavy riffs and more elaborate textures this is a powerful song, which in the end offers a softer section and a dreamy atmosphere. Second track “Vestige” is characterized by a long intro with guitar arpeggios which after about 1 minute are transformed with the addition of solid drumming. The guitar is stratified, enriched by the effects giving that personal and distinctive mark of the band to the sound, enriched by the tempo changes and intense passages with the guitar at the center of the scene. In the second part, a good solo guides us to the end. “Earthrise” begins with slower drumming and guitar textures that mix Cinematic and Post-Rock overtones, with the intensity increasing as the song progresses. The melodies have a melancholic touch and the protagonist guitar offers a mix of arpeggios and well-made solo parts. We are in the middle of the disc with “Aire River Rapids” which is the shortest track in duration, but also one of the tightest, with an elaborate and fast drumming. The guitar riffs are granite and the bass creates leading lines, allowing you to develop the lead parts that are intense and dynamic. “Mountain Ash” follows the sound of the previous one with a burst of energy and massive and very engaging riffs. The guitar creates dark melodies that alternate with accelerated riffs with the rhythmic session that marks a tight and fast tempo. With heavier references it is a passage with a strong impact, with valuable guitar solos and tempo changes that are an added value for the sound. From the slow press “And the Earthly Remains” it is more Experimental than the previous ones, with some forays into space sounds. A deep track, which suddenly accelerates in the final closing in a musical crescendo that flows into the harshest sounds of the band. The concluding track “The Green Expanse” connects to the previous one with atmospheric effects that create an intro of about 1 minute. The piece proposed here presents more dilated sounds and Post-Rock and Prog molds that are mixed, with the guitar offering intense and full of pathos ideas. An album that fits into a Post-Rock context mainly, with references to Prog and Cinematic sounds, entirely instrumental. This work confirms what we heard in previous releases, with a band that takes care of the guitar sounds in detail and creates elaborate tempo changes. The long instrumental textures are refined and engaging, with forays into the harshest sounds between rhythms and well-made drawn solos. A listening recommended for lovers of Post-Rock instrumental sounds, which highlights the technique of the artists involved.
Tracklist
1. Owls (09:26)
2. Vestige (06:20)
3. Earthrise (05:13)
4. Aire River Rapids (03:58)
5. Mountain Ash (05:02)
6. And the Earthly Remains (05:32)
7. The Green Expanse (06:02)
Lineup
Craig Fryers / Bass, Bowed Bass
Trent Horwood / Drums, Percussion
David Charlton / Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Simon Wade / Guitar, Hammond Organ, Rhodes Piano
