By Beert
I have had the distinct
pleasure of opening for Poney three of the four times they have played in Rapid
City, South Dakota. They are super nice guys, who play super heavy music and
have over-the-top talent in every realm of their band. They are just flat out
amazing. Folks in Rapid City have caught on and realized that you don’t want to
miss this band when they come to town. So, this past July, when
they came through again, my band was very excited to open for them. And, as
usual, we stood awestruck when they played their set. Afterwards, I ended up
throwing money at them, because I wanted, nay, needed, some more Poney in my
life. I already owned the Seamyth album and the 7”. But I did not have a copy of
their 2013 album, Rorschach. So, I bought both a clear and a purple vinyl
copy. Yeah, I’m “that guy.” Needless to say, I was not disappointed. Quite the
opposite. I recorded the album on to mp3 to pick a song or two for my weekly
radio show. Goddamn, it was hard to choose just one song. Be the judge for
yourself. Pick up a copy of Rorschach and realize musical perfection in the
heaviest degree. What follows is my review of the Rorschach album by Poney.
“Octavius”
starts out as ethereal post-metal, and quickly lays into a groove. Each
instrument plays off of each other and blends together into something heavy and
lumbering before devolving into a hypnotic, rhythmic composition. The vocals
are layered over the top, which adds to the ambience. Poney is lyrically
masterful with such lines as: “I am the king of the jungle, I am the mayor of
this sinking ship, I am the unworthy patron, I am Caesar at the dagger’s tip.”
This song is a complete package of riffitude and amazing instrument work from
all players.
“Rorschach”
is big right off the bat. It has a huge sound and ultra-fills from the
percussion section. It almost creates a new genre of math-metal, yet does not
quite reach prog-metal, as the sound emanates from a gargantuan void. The song
makes you want to scream along, with deep and guttural breath. Your head nods
along easily to this one. You cannot beat the statement: “The one percent must
die. The one percent must die.” Clearly, Poney has their head screwed on
straight.
“Temple”
rips. Fucking rips. It is one of the more straight up metal songs with a
soaring guitar and killer breakdowns. The metal claw came out a few times while
listening to this. I love the mix of screaming and drone-y vocals.
“Cat
City” is mellow and technical at the start. Ability oozes from the band here.
The song kind of has an Intronaut groove with something extra. It is a good
song to listen to in the dark, while just contemplating.
“Melt
Trip” has a beautiful build up into some nice guitar work. Syncopated rhythms
come in quickly and create a Nation of Ulysses vibe but with more guts. “Melt
Trip” gallops along and carries the listener with. It oddly brings a feeling of
satisfaction and cohesion to me when I listen to it.
“Acid
King” has a great start—nothing but hook with a harmonizing guitar and
beautiful riffs. It leads you right into a driving thunderstorm of “fuck yes!”
It is like a freight train going downhill with no breaks, until they catch for
a brief breakdown moment. Then it is right back into the aural tunnels traveling
through the mountain. This song is so melodically heavy and fucking brilliant!
In the middle of that tunnel is a sludge pit that brings everything down and
makes it slow and spacey. By the time you exit, the pace has picked up. I could
listen to this song forever.
Download
the album here (name your price): https://poney.bandcamp.com/
Merch here: https://poney.bandcamp.com/merch
Merch here: https://poney.bandcamp.com/merch
