I'll always have a
soft spot for Floorian. Not long after I wrote up a stellar
review of their self-released debut, What the Buzzing, it got
re-released on Bomp Records. Issues of causality can be debated, but
there's no questioning the fact that this is one solid group of
musicians, capable of both stunningly pretty melodies and
pulverizingly heavy passages.
On More Fiend,
Floorian brings on the dense, weird jams just as you crave
them. Set the volume high and expect to be buried alive by the hazy
riffage of opener "Never Even," whose heavy stonedness will simply
bowl you over. This is a heavy psych album, for sure, but it's
distinctly weird - most of the tracks are moody and hypnotic, with a
willingness to wander and drone at will. Heavy sonic exploration is
the name of the game on efforts such as "Samadhi" and stellar
acid-rock instrumental "Edenic". Yet, as alluded to earlier, the
band is also capable of moments of pristine beauty amid the chaos.
"The Lower Room" plants a fluid, modulated vocal melody over an
entrancing bed of drums, guitar, and synths; there is a striking
Brian Jonestown Massacre influence present on it - which is
possibly related to the fact that BJM are big fans of the
band, having helped distribute both of their records thus far.
I'll lay off the
superlatives for the time being, and instead urge all heavy psych
lovers (or likers, or even those curious) to give More Fiend
a go.