Pelican
Forever Becoming
Instrumental
post-metal from Chicago. I’ve been a big
Pelican fan for years, but Forever Becoming is probably now my
favourite of their records. Reminiscent
of an angry Mogwai (a Gremlin – ?),
or I suppose more accurately bands like Maybeshewill,
Pelican produce layered and
inventive heavy music, which twists and turns its way into a world far beyond
the powerhouse riffs of most metal bands.
Not to say that there aren’t some damn heavy riffs on show. Cause there are. And they’ll kick your butt. Just that there’s plenty else too. The main change from previous Pelican releases is the introduction of
delicate acoustic sections, which adds to the mood of the overall piece and
means that when the hammer falls, it hits all the harder. The multiple guitars playing different
variations across octaves add depth, and you never once notice that Pelican don’t have a singer. Heavy as hell, but with melody and
originality – and not a vocalist in sight.
Sample track: ‘Immutable Dust’
Sample track: ‘Immutable Dust’