MONDO DRAG "The Occultation Of Light" [CD, Digipak]
2016 - Doom/Psychedelic from United States
Detailed Description
It's no minor thing to pack up and leave your home. Heavy psych mavens Mondo Drag relocated from Iowa to Oakland, California, after recording their self-titled second album (released on RidingEasy in 2015), and the move is central to understanding the progressive turn that their third record, The Occultation of Light, represents. "Each of our albums has directional changes in songwriting and this third chapter is no exception," says vocalist/keyboardist John Gamino. "Since moving to Oakland, we've been privy to the large amount of music that flows through a major cultural center. We've seen legendary acts like Magma, King Crimson, Goblin, and Yes. We are always trying to expand our sonic range and we definitely explore some new areas on the new album that we've not been to before." Most of The Occultation of Light was recorded live, tracked and mixed on analog tape by Phil Manley (Trans Am, The Fucking Champs) at El Studio in San Francisco. Mondo Drag had just come off the road after a month out with labelmates Electric Citizen and Slow Season, and their stage-honed, hard-won chemistry bleeds into every second of the record. Songs are warm, psychedelic and grooving, but have a poise born out of classic prog as well. And as much as their new home is a factor, that just wouldn't be possible without the road time.
