Black Math Horseman: Wyllt

The alternative-metal scene grows stronger every day, despite the
misguided efforts of Brooklyn media hipsters seeking to ensure the
domination of pathetic electro bands like Animal Collective. For every
horrendous indie-rock act praised in the virtual pages of music blogs,
there’s a musically accomplished group of post-headbangers knocking on
hell’s moss-encrusted, heavy oak door.

One such group is Los Angeles’ Black Math Horseman, who
superficially can be described as Hope Sandoval fronting Black Sabbath.
Repeated listens, however, reveal a unique sound that’s at once doomy,
psychedelic and evocative of an epic Dungeons and Dragons campaign
conducted by torchlight at world’s end.

Vocalist/bassist Sera Timms produces tones not unlike the ghosts in
a Mario Bava chiller, particularly on the tribal, hoof-stomping,
seven-minute “Torment of the Metals.” Lyrically indecipherable, Timms
seems inspired by ambient peers Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and by
Nico’s The Marble Index. Guitarists Ian Barry and Bryan Tulao
refuse to double up on anything as petty as a signature riff, opting
instead to weave in and out of Timms’ plodding notes and Sasha
Popovic’s crushingly theatric drums. “Deerslayer” is pure martial
aggression, offering guitars bleeding across the sonic canvas with
sinister string bends and hammer-ons.

Sure, at times, the songs drift a bit too far in a post-rock
direction for many “true” metal fans, but if you simultaneously enjoy
the music of Sabbath, the Warlocks and Sigur Rós, this is your
dream (or maybe nightmare) band.

This article appears in Apr 23-29, 2009.