#spacemetal

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~By Tom Hanno~

When one hears the words space and metal together, the first thought that comes to mind is what? Maybe something with spacey keyboards, progressive styled music, and cheesy vocals that have more in line with Middle Earth than they do the furthest reaches of the cosmos.

Well, guess again, because the New Orleans powerhouse calling themselves SPACE METAL will not leave any bad tastes in your mouth. Instead of using silly space gimmicks, they employ crushing riff work, a thunderous rhythm section, and a wonderful vocal approach that should appeal to anyone who loves heavy music -- plus, no lame keyboards can be heard.

The aforementioned elements are shown more than ever on their newest release, 'Highness' (2021), which came out on June 26th. The four tracks on this album exemplify everything you want to hear from a band of space aficionados.

Highness by Space Metal

Up first, and what I feel is the best track, is a little ditty called "Stare." I absolutely love the melody that is conveyed by the lyrics we hear in the very beginning, which also acts as the chorus.

If the wizard cares to Hold you in his stare Decides to migrate to your stated hemisphere Never fear cause the wizard dares To share your hatred for the Symmetry That put you there

These words initially made me think this was just about a certain Wizard who strikes fear into, for lack of a better phrase, the main character of the track. However, as the song progresses on we find out that there is a space theme after all, and that the Wizard has a role to play in protecting this central figure.

The music on "Stare" is not unlike the thunderous footsteps of massive creatures, with the riff thoroughly driving its way into your skull. There is also a sense of quicker movements, which is shown by the slightly faster riffs that are used here.

Overall, this is a heavy track that doesn't rely on speed or growled vocals to portray a sense of doom, and is even heavier for the lack of those things.

My other preferred track is called "The Seed," and this one seems to have a focus on certain flowering plants that a lot of us love to imbibe.

Inside the mind you will find a flowering herb Don't be disturbed Even if you've heard

Oh, that's the kind of prescription designed To bend your mind And send you into a state of time

The music is fairly similar to "Stare" in design; heavy, thunderous riffage flows aplenty, and the clean vocals are superbly executed.

The intro section really sticks out to me, as I really dig the watery feel of the non-distorted guitars; they add to the melody in the most perfect of ways.

The only bad thing about Highness is that it is only four songs in length, totalling out at about twenty-two minutes. The good thing is that every last second is packed with awesomeness, making the listener (in this case me) want to hear more. I personally play this album two or three times in a row and it never gets old, leaving me to think this will be one of the best albums of 2021. I hope that you will like it as much as I do.

Enjoy!

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