Destroyer (Black Mountain album)

2019 studio album by Black Mountain

Destroyer

Studio album by

Black Mountain

Released| May 24, 2019
Genre|

* Hard rock
* neo-psychedelia
* progressive rock
* space rock
* stoner rock

Length| 42:58
Label| Dine Alone
Producer| John Congleton[1]
Black Mountain chronology
| IV
(2016)  | Destroyer
(2019)  |

|
|

Singles from  Destroyer

1. "Future Shade"
Released: March 7, 2019
2. "Boogie Lover"
Released: August 11, 2019
3. "Licensed to Drive"
Released: May 8, 2019

Destroyer is the fifth studio album by the Canadian psychedelic rock band, Black Mountain. It was released on May 24, 2019, by Dine Alone Records and was the band's first new material in three years after their fourth album, IV.

Destroyer is the first album with Rachel Fannan (from Sleepy Sun) and Adam Bulgasem (from Dommengang and Soft Kill).

## Background

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The album was first announced on March 7, 2019, with the release of a single, "Future Shade", described by the lead singer, Stephen McBean, as a "warping" and "rending". McBean described the riff as one that has "traveled around the world then hit the bong with a chorus a year and a half later. A last attempt at double frosting produced a chorus on chorus death match. Anxiety is the new heavy metal."[2]

The album takes its name from discontinued single-run 1985 Dodge Destroyer. The album also refers to the fact that McBean obtained his driver's license in 2017.[3]

Destroyer has contributions from The Flaming Lips' Kliph Scurlock and Oneida's Kid Millions.[1]

## Style and composition

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Destroyer has been described as having a mixture of stoner rock,[4] progressive rock,[5] hard rock,[6] neo-psychedelia[7] and space rock.[7]

## Promotion

[edit]

### Singles

[edit]

Three singles were released before Destroyer. The first single, "Future Shade", was released on March 7, 2019. "Boogie Lover" came out on April 11, 2019,[8] and "Licensed to Drive" on May 8, 2019.[9]

David Nadelle of Tiny Mix Tapes described "Boogie Lover" as a "bevy of heavy friends both old and new", referring to the appearances by Jeremy Schmidt, Kliph Scurlock (The Flaming Lips), Kid Millions (Oneida), Rachel Fannan (Sleepy Sun) and Adam Bulgasem (Dommengang).[10] Chris DeVille of Stereogum called the song "a spacey, doomy slow creep on which the band sounds as towering and geological as their band name suggests".[11]

Also writing for Stereogum, Tom Breihan praised "Licensed to Drive", saying the track "starts out with eerie horror-movie theatrics, locks into ’70s-style dragon-trudge metal, and climaxes with a wild Edgar Winter-ish synth solo. It's flaming-sword music, music for blasting off into the cosmos on a tricked-out GTO."[9]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsAggregate scores

Source| Rating
Album of the Year| 72/100[13]
Metacritic| 74/100[12]
Review scores
Source| Rating
The 405| 7.5/10[14]
AllMusic| [15]
Exclaim!| 8/10[4]
Glide Magazine| 7/10[6]
Loud and Quiet| 6/10[16]
Mojo| [12]
Paste| 7.9/10[17]
Pitchfork| 7.0/10[18]
Uncut| [12]

Destroyer was well received by contemporary music critics. At the review aggregator website, Metacritic, the album has an average rating of 74 out of 100 based on ten critic reviews indicating generally favorable reviews.[12]

## Track listing

[edit]

No.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Future Shade"| 5:10
2.| "Horns Arising"| 6:50
3.| "Closer to the Edge"| 2:54
4.| "High Rise"| 6:12
5.| "Pretty Little Lazies"| 5:00
6.| "Boogie Lover"| 6:20
7.| "Licensed to Drive"| 4:46
8.| "FD'72"| 5:46
Total length:| 42:58

## Personnel

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Black Mountain[19]

* Stephen McBean — vocals, electric guitar; bass (tracks 1, 2, 6, 8), percussion (tracks 2, 4-8), E-Bow (tracks 3, 7), LinnDrum programming (tracks 3, 4, 8), acoustic guitar (track 5), organ (track 6)
* Jeremy Schmidt — synthesizer; Mellotron (tracks 1-3, 5-8), vocoder (tracks 2, 7)
* Rachel Fannan — vocals (tracks 1, 4-7)
* Arjan Miranda — bass (tracks 1, 7), acoustic guitar (track 2), E-Bow (tracks 3, 4)
* Adam Bulgasem — drums (tracks 1, 7)

Additional Personnel

* Brad Truax — bass (track 4)
* Steve Fishman — bass (track 5)
* Andy Anderson — bass (track 7)
* Kilph Scurlock — drums (tracks 2, 5, 6)
* Kid Millions — drums (track 4)[20]

## Charts

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Chart (2019)  | Peak
position

|

German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[21] | 54
Scottish Albums (OCC)[22] | 53
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[23] | 61
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[24] | 19
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[25] | 75

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Sacher, Adam (March 7, 2019). "Black Mountain announce new album 'Destroyer,' share "Future Shade"". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved March 15, 2019. "The album also features contributions from Kliph Scurlock (Flaming Lips), Kid Millions (Oneida) and the great indie rock producer John Congleton (who works with St. Vincent, Angel Olsen, Cloud Nothings, and many others)."
2. ^ Duffey, Connor (March 7, 2019). "Black Mountain – 'Future Shade'". Stereogum. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
3. ^ Schatz, Lake (March 7, 2019). "Black Mountain announce new album, Destroyer, share "Future Shade": Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
4. ^ a b Ranta, Alan (May 22, 2019). "Black Mountain Destroyer". Exclaim!. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
5. ^ Golembeski, Bill (May 22, 2019). "Black Mountain - Destroyer". Soundblab. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
6. ^ a b Willis, Joey (May 25, 2019). "Black Mountain Go for Heavier, Driving Rock Sound on 'Destroyer' (Album Review)". Glide Magazine. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
7. ^ a b "Destroyer by Black Mountain Genres". AllMusic. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
8. ^ "Boogie Lover - Single by Black Mountain". SoundCloud. April 11, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
9. ^ a b Breihan, Tom (May 8, 2019). "Black Mountain – "Licensed To Drive"". Stereogum. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
10. ^ Nadelle, David. "Black Mountain return with new album Destroyer, share second single "Boogie Lover"". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
11. ^ DeVille, Chris (April 11, 2019). "Black Mountain – "Boogie Lover"". Stereogum. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
12. ^ a b c d "Destroyer by Black Mountain Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
13. ^ "Black Mountain - Destroyer - Reviews". Album of the Year. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
14. ^ Dedman, Todd (May 28, 2019). "Review: Black Mountain add new elements to their psych-rock sound, resulting in their freshest album for a while in Destroyer". The 405. Archived from the original on May 29, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
15. ^ Monger, James Christopher. Review of Destroyer by Black Mountain at AllMusic. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
16. ^ Critten, Tom. "Black Mountain Destroyer". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
17. ^ Crump, Andy (May 21, 2019). "Black Mountain: Destroyer Review". Paste. Retrieved June 1, 2019.[permanent dead link]
18. ^ Desuner, Stephen M. (May 29, 2019). "Black Mountain: Destroyer Album Review". Pitchfork. Conde Nast. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
19. ^ https://www.blackmountainarmy.com/bio
20. ^ https://www.discogs.com/it/release/13639245-Black-Mountain-Destroyer
21. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Black Mountain – Destroyer" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
22. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
23. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Black Mountain – Destroyer". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
24. ^ "Black Mountain Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
25. ^ "Black Mountain Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2019.

* v
* t
* e

Black Mountain

Stephen McBean
Jeremy Schmidt
Brad Truax

* Matt Camirand
* Amber Webber
* Joshua Wells

Studio albums|

* Black Mountain
* In the Future
* Wilderness Heart
* IV
* Destroyer

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

*[No.]: Number
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*[t]: Discuss this template
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