Bardo Pond aren't afraid to drone on a bit. Actually, they quite enjoy it - most of their songs clock up to ten minutes with the majority of each song paused on one note. Press play and your stereo is sent into spasmodic overdrive, with the heavy electronics of 'Destroying Angels' disorientating everyone within a fifty-mile radius. And who needs to sing when words can be whispered, chanted and muffled in a glorious chorus of zombie monotone?
Named after the Tibetan Book of the Dead, Bardo is the place where the soul arrives upon its corporal self-dying. Pond meanwhile, is a word that the band stuck on the end because they thought it sounded good.
Michael Gibbons, guitarist, describes this album as a coming of age for the band, 'On The Ellipse' was really influenced by the post 9/11 vibe, whereas this one is the coming out of that. On this album we really investigated the dynamics between acoustic sound and heavy electrics.
'Ticket Crystals' includes the epic' Moonshine', more of an expedition than a song, it recalls the acoustic detail of 'Led Zeppelin III' coupled with the contemporary quirkiness of Coco Rosie. Elsewhere, opener 'Destroying Angel' is both haunting and terrifying with vocalist and flautist, Isobel Sollenberger taking a lead role.
In short, loud, damn loud and a damn fine album.
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