Membran – 1st June 2018
Christopher Nosnibor
Endless reverb? Check. Jangle? Check. Breezy vocals half-buried amidst swirling swathes of overdriven, FX-drenched guitars? Oh yes. If their 2016 debut, Either That Or The Moon, pitched DMT as significant and exciting proponents of pulsating psychedelic rock, their second absolutely cements it. It’s not about innovation, but quality. Quality of songs, quality of execution. And DMT deliver solid quality with consistency here. But that isn’t to say there’s no innovation here: Om Parvat Mystery finds the trio pushing boundaries more than merely their own, and this is an album that shoots off in all directions.
The album barrels in with ‘It’s All Good’, which is true to the promise of the title, before ‘Way Back to You’ crashes in with splintering guitar and a thumping, repetitive rhythm section driving a quintessential psych-hued shoegaze riff. ‘Spyders’ does that heavy groove thing, with a swirling blend of airiness and drive keeping it moving forward while at the same time pinning it to a single spot. The whole gloriously kaleidoscopic affair calls to mind Chapterhouse and early Ride. So far, so nice and true to type.
But Om Parvat Mystery represents a massive expansion for DMT. Granted, ‘VII’ may venture a bit too close to Oasis territory for comfort or to be entirely cool, although it’s salvaged by a brilliantly nagging echo-heavy lead guitar and some reverbed-to-fuck vocals that are more Jesus and Mary Chain than Gallagher brothers.
But this album finds the band expanding in myriad and often unexpected directions. I’m a sucker for long songs that have a turn around the mid-point. ‘Chemical Genius’ is one of those: it begins as a thumping desert shoegaze trip, with reverb stretching to a heat-hazed before a sudden turn into something altogether different. After an explosive mid-section, it becomes a lot more overtly dancey than anything they’ve ever done before, but by the same token, it’s all about the driving, motoric groove, and dense, shimmering atmosphere. And it’s at this that Desert Mountain Tribe excel. And because of these quite dramatically different moments, Om Parvat Mystery brings elements of surprise and exploration without alienating the established fan-base. Difficult second album? DMT have absolutely smashed it.
Aural Aggravation 