If I said to you, “a trio from Texas,” wouldn’t your mind wander to ZZ Top? Maybe that’s just me.
Houston’s Fostermother has other ideas.
Here with “Echo Manor,” their third album, they’ve got riffs galore, but there’s something ethereal and dark about them.
“Wraith” starts the record as if something dark is waiting in the shadows, for all its QOTSA chug, and “Empty One” is another where something nasty lurks just below the surface.
For all the riffing—and oddly, the songs aren’t too long—there’s a naturally epic sound about them. The title track, anchored down by Jason Motamedi’s drums, makes that plain.
“Rituals Unknown” delves down into something near occult, while “Carry Me” changes the vibe totally, with its wafts of acoustic warmth.
Indeed, there’s more texture here than most bands who play this type of riff-based stuff. “Lighthouse” is full of peaks and troughs, and “In The Garden Of Lies” emphasises that this is based on soundscapes rather than straight-ahead, simple songs.
One of the more surprising and surprisingly original rock albums around.
Rating: 8/10
