The Cold Stares - Mountain

01-11-2021

The Cold Stares are an American rock band from Evansville, Indiana, formed in 2009. The duo, originally from Madisonville in Western Kentucky, is guitarist-singer Chris Tapp and drummer Brian Mullins, who have a friendship that dates to their early twenties when they were in bands together. They went their separate ways then to only circle back a decade later and currently reside in Evansville. Listening to some of the tracks on The Cold Stares' album, "Mountain", it makes sense that you're listening to a duo. In fact, some of the haunting man-and-a-guitar tracks are so sparse that it might convince you that you're listening to a solo bluesman. But on most of the songs here, when the band are cranking out material that wouldn't seem out of place in the early 90s grunge scene, you'll swear that there must be a least five members. You'd be wrong. The Cold Stares comprise singer/guitarist Chris Tapp and drummer Brian Mullins, and that's it. Released last year, this would have been right near the top of my end-of-year list. It runs to fifteen tracks, and although your favourites may change from one play to the next, there is no filler here. The songs alternative between the sparse arrangements of dark blues numbers with meatier fayre. Lyrically, the album is an intoxicating fusion of biblical references and Southern mythology. On "Friend of Mine" Tapp howls "Oh, Lord, bless my soul / been standing on the levee since I was six years old", which, lyrically at least, is the album in a microcosm. There are references to the "Mississippi at my hips," preachers, muddy water, and the characters that populate these songs often call out to Jesus or God for inspiration in some form or another. The sparser numbers draw you in to the unfolding tale, where the characters feel real, such as on "The River", a murder ballad in which Tapp deftly sketches out the grim story of how a Chevrolet came to be sunken at the bottom of a river. "Killing machine" kicks off with the lyric "Another man dead, I didn't want to kill" before taking us through the protagonist's thoughts like a haunting movie reel. Best of the slow songs is the title track that closes this collection - an atmospheric meditation about those lost finding their way, played out against a soundscape of acoustic and slide guitar. But if it's monsters riffs you're after, or huge slabs of guitar backed by percussive bombast, you won't be disappointed because the album has all of this in spades. Songs like "The Great Unknown", "Gone (Not Dead)", "Cold Black Water" and "Two Keys and a Good Book" are just a few of the songs that will have you tapping your feet and reaching for that air guitar. "Mountain" straddles the worlds of dark acoustic folk and modern electrified hard rock, fusing some blistering riffs with a captivating lyrical theme to produce a powerful listening experience. Although religious imagery abounds, it's never preachy, and when you read that Chris Tapp is a cancer survivor, who has battled through years of treatment, some of the biblical references make sense. Maybe he found comfort in religion, maybe he was always religious, or maybe I'm simply reading too much into it. Once thing is for sure, whatever the reasons, Mountain is a superb piece of lyrically astute blues-rock that you'll want to listen to time and again. The promise of new music so hot-on-the-heels of Mountain is fantastic news for fans of The Cold Stares, and I definitely count myself in that number after listening to this fabulous album. From the moment that "Mountain" comes smashing through our speakers like a wrecking ball in the song 'The Great Unknown', there isn't any debate as to whether or not the countrified grit and garage rock recklessness that The Cold Stares have become known for is alive and well in their follow up to "Head Bent". Ultra-thick guitar riffs and blues-influenced swing is plentiful in "Mountain", but this record wasn't stylized around the epic riffing of front man Chris Tapp alone. Drummer Brian Mullins puts on an absolutely stellar performance behind the drum kit, evenly dispatching textured percussion that makes evocative tunes like 'Friend of Mine', 'Stickemup' and the boisterous 'Gone Not Dead' come alive under the pressure of his sticks. 'Blanketed' in an insular production that magnifies the bands heaviness tenfold, The Cold Stares' latest album is a brilliant exhibition in big grooves and even bigger licks. "Mountain" doesn't completely center on heavy guitar rock. There's plenty of ominously dark folk music ala the haunting 'Under His Command' and the reverberating 'Wade In The Darkness', the latter recalling shades of an "Uncle Anesthesia"-era Screaming Trees. The tracks vary quite significantly in tone and volume, but they all share an emotional depth that is startlingly gripping even at its most vulnerable and intimately personal. 'Child of God' and 'The River' are two songs that are stylized on polar opposite sides of the pop spectrum, but both feel intricately related somehow. Tapp fashions himself as a shaman leading us through a terrible storm by the light of his swaggering guitar play in this record, and though the stoic melodies and black and white mix of the vocals test our will, we're never abandoned for the whole of the journey. 'Sleeping With Lions' is the most gritty produced song on the album, yet its sterling harmony is so affective and stirring that its rough edges seem almost beautiful and deliberate. There's no escaping the stomp of vintage Delta blues in this record, and even when Mullins injects a song like 'Two Keys' and a 'Good Book' with a jazzy, somewhat post-rock flavor, the grind of Tapp's soulful solos is a constant, dominating presence. The tonality of this record is buried within in the foreboding stride of its songs. 'Killing Machine' deceptively leads us into the closing title track thinking that The Cold Stares are about to unleash an omnipotent heat that has been building up throughout the album. Instead, they end the record with an optimistic, Celtic-style folk jam that comes out of nowhere but ties everything that we've heard together in just under four minutes of playing time. "Mountain" is an exquisitely produced and mixed album; even in tracks that focus almost squarely on lead singer Chris Tapp's bluesy strut, Brian Mullins is artfully crafting a pulsating beat that reshapes the mood of the song entirely. The duality of their sound isn't as contrasting as it was in their last record, which is definitely a step in the right direction for their music moving forward. I would even go as far as to argue that these compositions seem much more thoughtful and tempered than their predecessors did, which tells me that The Cold Stares have matured substantially in the last couple of years. Their new record is a breakthrough moment for their craftsmanship and a sound that they've truly made their own, and as a blues fan myself I couldn't be more pleased with its tremendously gratifying content. The Cold Stares have come out with probably the best 'ock album in along time. They are on the cutting edge of New Rock. The influence of this album should carry these guys straight to the top. Every song on the album is a hit and will appeal to rockers, blues guys, and the toughest critics. Anyone who like rock will enjoy every song this album has to offer. The songs will take you to the Antebellum South and back again. The album is full of songs of turmoil and redemtion. You couldn't ask for a better album. Fantastic stiff here, siunds ranging from killer groovy southern hard rock to straight up blues and a southern gothic sound. Big things are coming for these two guys ! One of the best unknown bands out there true rock and roll true feelings true grooves absolutely awesome deserve to be recognized.

A1 The Great Unknown

A2 Frind Of Mine

A3 Under His Command

A4 Stickemup

A5 Gone (Not Dead)

A6 Wade In The Darkness

A7 Child Of God

A8 Sleeping With Lions

B1 The River

B2 Cold Black Water

B3 The Plan

B4 If Your Way Gets Dark