Black Mountain

In The Future

[4.5/5]

Vancouver is a place where the locals smoke pot the way white-trash America sucks back Pabst Blue Ribbon. That probably explains why the city’s unwashed anti-heroes Black Mountain have been slapped with the stoner-rock tag more times than Josh Homme. In The Future’s rampaging kickoff track, “Stormy High,” is, admittedly, best taken with a bong hit; all sludgehoney guitars and thunder-stomp drums, the song smells like black-light posters and Sabbath-brand sweat leaf. What really impresses on the quintet’s sophomore stunner is the way Black Mountain effortlessly shift from devastating to devastatingly beautiful. “Tyrants” is all death-metal synths and smoking Marshalls one minute, psychedelic six-string and ghostly Mellotron the next. The band aren’t afraid to go the delicate route, as evidenced by the gorgeous sunset-country of “Stay Free.” But Black Mountain are their most awesome on “Evil Ways,” a bludgeoning marvel which makes In The Future the heaviest monster to roar out of the Pacific Northwest since Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger. (JAGJAGUWAR) Mike Usinger