Sampling: Black Mountain - In the Future

After bursting onto the scene in 2005 with their self-titled mish-mash of stoner rock, psychedelic folk, and classic metal overtones, Black Mountain returns in 2008 with what could arguably be the hardest-rocking album of the year (OK, so it’s only February). In The Future is, for once, not a cheeky cliché, but an actual explanation of where this Vancouver, B.C., five-piece is headed. Grinding Black Sabbath-style guitars, pounding drumbeats, eerie synths and organs, and soaring, breathy vocals combine to tie the 1970s and the 2000s together.

In The Future opens with the glam-metal crunch of “Stormy High,” which showcases the band’s far-flung abilities: goth-tinged keyboards, tripped-out echoing lyrics, and bottom-heavy guitars. From there, the exploratory eight-minute epic “Tyrant” alternates between faster riffs and sparse black-folk interludes, lulling us mortal listeners into a hazy sort of Zeppelin hysteria, before flutes and acoustic guitars and pained vocals build to a dizzying climax. On “Tyrants,”  one of Black Mountain’s strengths is on display: the combination of male and female vocals (Amber Webber’s voice sounding a lot like a hipster Grace Slick). Webber’s vocals add a layer of sexy sleaze that testosterone-fueled stoner rock bands like Queens of the Stone Age and The Warlocks can’t achieve. Beyond that, other standouts include the swaggering indie feel of “Wucan,” the gritty and haunting “Queens Will Play,” and the all-too-brief T. Rex tribute “Wild Wind.” (Listen to that guitar glisten and those melodies ring!).

Unfortunately, In The Future gets dragged down by its final two tracks, the mind-blowing (in a bad way) “Bright Lights” and the light-hearted yet unfulfilling weirdness of “Night Walks.” “Bright Lights” attempts to do too many things, coming in at the 16-minute mark like an overblown, headache-inducing Pink Floyd interlude, although if you’re intoxicated it might sound like the coolest thing ever. But, and this is a very large but, two songs do not make an album. When you consider how hard-hitting and progressive Black Mountain has remained over a four-year career, it’s hard not to fall in love with the other eight masterpieces on In The Future. Assuming, of course, you think a 21st-century combination of Black Sabbath’s metal, Velvet Underground’s grimy sexuality, and Blue Cheer’s psychedelia is desirable.