By now you've probably heard of Ancient VVisdom. Since they released A God Like Inferno a couple years ago, their cult has been growing steadily, through old school road dog touring (they've opened for Ghost and Enslaved) and impressive word of mouth (my buddy at the record store raves about 'em). They are a big deal. All that said it took this album for me to really appreciate them.
But now that I've heard Deathlike, I wish I'd gotten into them sooner. And I don't know why I didn't. I blame the buzz. If some buddy, even a friend, gushes about some bit of art or culture and tells me "I'll love it" I generally shy away from it. I've got a whole shelf of books that were given to me that I'll never open because of this reluctance. It's my own fault for not trusting those friends and giving these guys a chance years ago. But just because my pals were on the mark with Ancient VVisdom that ain't gonna make me crack open that copy of Cloud Atlas just yet. Anyway, now that I'm an Ancient VVisdom convert I wanna convince you to give them a chance as well. That is if you haven't already.
I suppose if you had to classify them they'd be Occult Rock, that new/old sub-genre that is pretty damn popular these days. Bands of this ilk are a bit more musically adventurous than most stoner rock bands, bringing flutes to the stage and in VVisdom's case acoustic guitars, Jacob Marley chains, and machetes. They make a beautiful noise and I dig the heavy acoustic bit (there are hints of Alice in Chains' Sap) but I also appreciate the heavy psychedelic 60's vibe, though VVisdom might be more at home at Altamont than in some day-glo hippie hole on Haight-Ashbury. I get a Jim Morrison vibe from these cats. His ghost is lurking between the strums and shaking chains. The spirit of Mr. Mojo Risin, leader of the darkest of those sunny California bands, is alive and well and living in these tunes. So turn on, tune in and crank up the sophomore album from Ancient VVisdom. Highlights include Deathlike, Far Beyond Good and Evil, and Let the End Begin.
This is pretty rad, I've finally given them a listen through and I love how the vocals have this sound like if you were passing the entrance of a cave and heard singing deep in the cavern. I also get a slight Smashing Pumpkins vibe... Cool none-the-less. Great review!
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