Mammatus has been around for almost 20 years, but takes their time between releases. Expanding Majesty is their first since 2015 and is a 69-minute excursion consisting of four long tracks. Landing somewhere between jam band, prog metal, post-rock, and psychedelia, the group employs spiraling guitar riffs, long solos, analog keyboards, and workmanlike rhythms. The result is soaring, more than a little retro, and…yes, majestic.
Vocals are bright with long-held notes, providing much-needed positivity for anyone who has been paying attention to the news cycles of the last few years. The group moves slowly, and is in no rush to get anywhere in particular. Thus, the tracks tend to linger in grooves and acoustic passages, but do so without feeling repetitive.
None of this is overtly outside, though Expanding Majesty is not the type of music that makes for easy listening. For instance, the slightly angular guitar on Foreveriff is a bit discordant while still a high point to these ears. Ultimately, however, the album is perfect for a relaxed, bliss-out session.
Or, you can just take a look at the Roger-Dean-like album cover and you might have a sense of where Mammatus is coming from.
Avant Music News 