Review
Ufomammut
Oro: Opus Primum

Ufomammut are certainly not a new band by any means. The Italian psych-doom trio have been kicking around since the turn of the century and over the past 2 years have managed to catch the eye of Neurosis. The previously noted Neurosis noted their power and signed them to their own label. So now with a proper North American label behind them many in this hemisphere will be able to notice them to a greater degree. The reality is it would be hard to say how many people that are already into what Neurot does would not have some knowledge of what these Italians bring to the table.

The record starts with some quiet clanging and a drawn out riff that seems phased to all hell giving it an otherworldly feel overall. This song slowly builds using keys and that aforementioned riff skulking and squirming in and out of the track. At about the 3 minute mark light drums enter the picture slowly building into a martial beat to welcome us into the next part of the song. The song continues to build with little evidence of the players having any interest in hurrying up. The climax becomes that much more of a gut punch when it finally does come as by this point the listener has nearly been lost in Ufomammuts' universe.

This is the bands trademark in a sense, an unequivocal willingness to build as long as it takes for each part to have maximum impact to the listener. There are parts reminiscent of more than a few scene and scenepointblank favorites that bleed in including nods to cult heroes Electric Wizard (though not super obvious all of the time), Rorcal, and Lento among others. All of these bands share the sense of build and release that these Italians run through each song with.

The production and instrumentation is unbelievable as each instrument can take the lead at any point whenever it would maximize the overall effect to the listener. Each of these instruments are clear as day there is never a point in which they feel as though they are fighting for space. Even in the heaviest songs they have their own little pocket of sound.

Overall the record gives in to both sides of the listeners brain. For each instance in which they feed the side that wants to trip out and "experience" the record there is a moment of absolutely massive riffs that could cave in that listeners head. The main thing of interest for a listener is patience as none of the songs are short or particularly fast they require patience and attention to take full effect. This record, is apparently part one of two, the second of which we may be seeing by year's end. Heres hoping that once they are pieced together that the effect will remain this strong.