The Swedish psychedelic space rockers known as New Keepers of the Water Towers return with their fourth album (and second for Listenable Records), titled Infernal Machines. Just one look at that creepy but totally cool cover art will instantly get you into the vibe of the music contained within Infernal Machines, as the bands space rock/prog/psych/doom style brings to mind not only vintage Pink Floyd, Hawkwind, and King Crimson, but also modern day Opeth and Mastodon. "The Forever War" drifts along with haunting keyboards and dreamy vocals with just enough of a menacing, doom laden tone bubbling underneath, while "Tracks Over Carcosa" is an ominous instrumental with pulsating grooves and melodic guitar textures. Melancholy keyboards permeate the haunting "Tachyon Deep", as distant vocal strains and lilting guitars float over meditative drum patters, a really enjoyable track that any fan of early Pink Floyd will love. "Escape Aleph Minor" once again takes the Pink Floyd element (think Ummagumma) and blends in a little Opeth and Mastodon, with some wicked drum work and layers of guitars, and the album ends with the nightmarish sounds of the title track, a slow builder that could have been a leftover from Floyd's time at Pompeii, with Mellotron galore.
Infernal Machines is a very solid album, complete with ominous, menacing passages and an overall creepy vibe. If there's any criticism here, it's that many of the arrangements follow a similar pattern, and the band rarely gets out of second gear, but what's on display is nevertheless quite satisfying and easy to recommend to any fanof dark prog and psychedelic space rock.
Track Listing
1. The Forever War
2. Tracks Over Carcosa
3. Tachyon Deep
4. Misantropin Kallar
5. Escape Aleph Minor
6. Jorden Wave
7. This Infernal Machine
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