Pyramids - A Northern Meadow (2015)

The Texas-based musical contingent known as PYRAMIDS have become quite the musical entity since emerging, almost from out of nowhere, in 2008 with their debut self-titled LP which was released by Hydra Head Records. A record that generated a lot of buzz and acclaim within experimental and extreme metal, with its references to such genres as shoegaze, black metal, ambient/drone, avant-garde, and industrial music respectively.

Following said debut album, PYRAMIDS would suddenly see themselves collaborating with and receiving contributions from a myriad of musicians (also note that the debut album also featured a bonus disc of re-mixes of said tracks from it, re-mixes done by artists such as Blut Aus Nord, James Plotkin, Colin Marston, and Jesu just to name a few), notable artists such as Faith Coloccia (Mamiffer), Simon Raymonde (Cocteau Twins), Albin Julius (Der Blutharsch), and Colin Marston (who PYRAMIDS would work on a regular basis with), along with making collaborative albums with Nadja, Horseback, and Mamiffer respectively.

“A Northern Meadow”, the new full-length PYRAMIDS album, is the band’s direct follow-up (that is not a collaboration or split with any other band) to their 2008 debut. For “A Northern Meadow”, joining the PYRAMIDS lineup (already consisting of R. Loren, M. Dean, M. Craig, and D. Willaim) is Colin Marston (Gorguts/Krallice/Dysrhythmia), Vindsval (Blut Aus Nord), and William Fowler Collins. The result being an encompassing album that stretches the PYRAMIDS sound even further into something even more grand and epic; the band’s most stunning offering yet, through an overwhelming sound picture heavy in atmosphere and ambience. One that is dark, dreamy, and lush, yet claustrophobic, mechanically crawling, and surgically cold at the same time.