‘Black Lotus‘ pre-order can be accessed, here.
Heavily influenced by Hinduism and psychedelica, True Home has brought a new flavour to the mixing bowl of Irish metal.
The opening track ‘Cry of the Mountain Hawk’ is a simplistic enough riff, but the execution of this riff is nothing short of crafty mastery.
Bassist Declan Beare, and percussionist Charlie Appleby parade their talent with pride, as the comfort in their musical ability is blatantly apparent. The dirty and gritty, ‘Cry of the Mountain Hawk’ riff carries an ear worm-like quality, and following hot on its heels is ‘The Great Journey’, a slow track to begin with, but three minutes in, and it has you by the throat. You can’t help but get carried away with the beat, and raw energy released by having this one played up loud.
There are sprinklings of influential inspirations here. Lyrics-wise, smatterings of Primus’ Les Claypool can be heard, similar to ‘John The Fisherman’, or ‘Seas of Cheese’. The basslines, though, are like hooks all on their own. ‘Sailing the Sand Dunes’ is a delightfully original instrumental feast; it’s a catchy and happily heavy track laid down by Beare.
The thought-provoking Buddham Sagnahram Gachami (I take refuge in the Buddha) slows the pulse to an almost trance-like pace, until 3 and a half minutes in when it suddenly sounds like the windows have been kicked in by a brutally heavy breakdown, which carries us on a storm of sound to the outro, and straight into Ascension Of The Astralnaut.
This 180-degree reverse almost feels transcendent; like you have walked through a darkened forest in the middle of a thunderstorm, only to open into a clearing of peace, sunshine and tranquillity. The backing track of chanting encourages the listener to seek inner peace, which sticks in your head. It’s not a million miles away from something from Khalil Gibran’s, The Prophet.
All the while Beare and Appleby are laying down slick and sludgy riffs that melt away in your head. This last track, at nearly 20 minutes long, doesn’t seem that long at all – it eerily finds a way to make it seem a lot shorter, and that’s the trick that True Home plays on your mind – it’s almost as if they enhance a trancelike state in their music and embrace you. It’s like a hug from the inside.
Black Lotus is an excellent release; it has everything – heavy and soft riffs, internal thought-provoking imagery, and lyrics that carry on long after the song has ended. This is a thoroughly enjoyable album, a must-have for all who want to headbang, but also want calm amidst the chaos of the metal scene.
3.5/5
Standout track: The Great Journey
‘Black Lotus‘ is out May 26th via Cursed Monk Records. Order your copy here.
© Down The Barrel Photography 2023
Shaun Martin
www.overdrive.ie 2023
