Their sound is described as progressive sludge/stoner metal but as the debut EP from Lark reveals, it is a broadly flavoured proposition truthfully rather hard to totally pin down. The creation of the Mizzi brothers, it is maybe no surprise that it is a multi-layered and styled proposition; Raph the former guitarist and lead singer of Sail In Between and former bassist of Angher Incorporated bringing a passion for and experience of hardcore and progressive metal while Zach, ex-drummer of Bright Curse, has nurtured his craft within stoner, psyche and hard rock adventures. They have melded their talents, experiences, and tastes for a brand new exploration, one which has ears and imagination pretty much enthralled from the first to last moments of their first offering.
Though immersed in music for numerous years, surprisingly the uniting of their enterprise and invention only came earlier this year, from which the EP emerged with the help of Robin Mariat of Grey Matter Studio France, Chris Painter of Red Roof Sounds, Marco of Marc&Cheese, and Jake Read of Living Room Studios, all London based studios. Said to be inspired by the likes of Mastodon, Opeth, Gojira, Black Peaks, and Russian Circles, many essences easy to surmise, the EP immediately has attention held with opener Hailstorm. Instantly an inviting wall of sound presses on ears, its potent lure the spring board for a charge of hungry riffs and spicy grooves ridden by equally enticing vocals. Both men holler and croon with melodic dexterity, guitars weaving a matching web of suggestion and enterprise as rhythms rumble. A fusion of post and progressive metal with grooved and melodic imagination, the song continues to evolve and tempt; that varied sound fuelling its increasingly compelling character and imagination.
It is an impressive start quickly backed by the tantalising endeavours of Red Eye. Though its air is warm and melodic prowess magnetic there is a dystopian tone to its breath shaped by the raw throated vocals and dark hearted grooves. It is a compelling blend which, as simply the gait of the song has the body bouncing, has ears and thoughts hooked. Raw but beauty laded, the track swiftly and increasingly gets under the skin, its strength in its instrumental prowess but potently backed by vocal suggestion and intensity.
The beginning of next up Heavy defies its title, its gentle melodic caress aural poetry but soon departing for the portentous tower of atmosphere and thickly toned sound which looms around vocal trespass. Sludgy bordering on the pestilential, the track is a blackened suffocation veined by melodic wires which shimmer with temptation. Though not quite finding the heights of the first pair, the song is raw captivation keeping expectations guessing and attention keen before Too Far Gone shares its post rock beauty and tempestuous emotions. Once more a host of metal bred shades and heavy rock essences collude in a kaleidoscopic tapestry, and again the imagination and appetite can only keenly sink into its creative landscape.
Decay brings things to a close, the track a vexed and portentous proposal crafted with melodic dexterity and emotional turmoil as dark storms simmer and erupt. Maybe the EP is at its most striking across its first few tracks but it never is less than riveting and ends on an engrossing high with the potential of greater endeavours as ripe as the pleasure found in its varied enticing and imposing soundscape. It is a release which demands attention for a band you can only think is setting out on one striking adventure for them and us.
The Lark EP is out now as a name your price download @ https://larkbandofficial.bandcamp.com/album/lark
https://www.facebook.com/LarkBandOfficial/ https://www.instagram.com/lark_band/
Pete RingMaster 08/11/2017
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