PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
With four previous full-length releases under their belt, Italy’s Black Rainbows are becoming a contender on the psych/stoner/blues rock scene, and for good reason. Stellar Prophecy sees them reaching for new heights.
Stellar Prophecy, unfortunately, opens with what are (in my opinion) the two weakest tracks; “Electrify” and “Woman.” They aren’t bad songs in themselves, when compared to the rest of the album they come off a little underwhelming, while they are both fun tracks. Another point is that the vocals sound a little flat and too Mick Jagger to fit with the tracks.
However, from seemingly the worst tracks comes the best on Stellar Prophecy: “Golden Widow.” With an eleven-minute run time, Black Rainbows have written a blues/stoner rock odyssey that unfolds over and over again to present the listener with a journey through the band’s sound. It’s groovy, it’s riffy and it’s very psychedelic. A great track.
The biggest problem with Stellar Prophecy is that it’s a somewhat uneven album. While there are very engaging songs like “Golden Widow” and the faster paced “Evil Snake,” there are songs like “It’s Time to Die” and “Keep The Secret.” To say they are bad songs is a real misnomer, but compared to the previous two tracks, they’re kind of damp squibs. Pretty standard blues rock, as with the first two tracks on the album. Style over substance really.
The final track “The Travel” however is a return to psychedelic form. Much like “Golden Widow” this is a slow burn of a song, but in no way uninteresting. Black Rainbows have written a psych rock song that has more of a standard structure than most others you hear in the genre (or indeed the former).
All in all, this is a pretty strong album. I came into it not knowing what to expect, and I was pleasantly surprised. While it does have some faults it is, for the most part, an interesting album. Even on the weaker tracks there are things to enjoy. Check it out.
- £13.57
