Stephen Mcbean

With all the bands out there trying to reinterpret the psychedelic rock style of the 1960’s and ‘70s, Black Mountain manages to grasp the audience’s attention with a new take on the style.
Black Mountain’s strong points seem to take place in their sense of dynamics. They are able to make beautiful, atmospheric sounds similar to a Jefferson Airplane song like “White Rabbit” and then turn it into a heavy metal extravaganza like a Black Sabbath song. Black Mountain uses a myriad of different effects such as vibrato to make classic psychedelic sounds. They often play their guitars through wah-wah pedals and run their vocals through heavy reverb and delay to attain a droning sound that entrances their audience in their sonic wave of sound. The bass playing is the driving force behind the music that keeps their sound stabilized while the clamor of guitars are wavering back and forth throughout the songs. They often incorporate synthesizers into their music, which is a unique addition to the psychedelic rock they are trying to emulate. Their keyboardist sounds like he is playing a Moog with the kind of spacey sounds he is able to synthesize.
The band’s songs are often very long and have been known to reach past the ten minute mark. Songs like “Mary Lou” drone off into long jam sessions, but every moment of it is unique and interesting. Amber Webber has proven herself to be an important member of the band as she provides beautiful vocal harmonies, which really help refine the often harsh tones that the band produces. Black Mountain’s performances are also visually appealing to see as they incorporate interesting psychedelic artwork as the backdrop to their shows. They also have dim, macabre lighting on stage that help enhances the band’s eerie vibe.
If Black Mountain ever comes through town, you should definitely give them the opportunity to let them suck you up in their psychedelic whirlwind of goodness.