Boston’s Black Pyramid to release new album – News

Boston’s Black Pyramid to release new album

New England doom rock trio Black Pyramid will release its long awaited sophomore album Black Pyramid II on January 31, 2012 via MeteorCity Records.  Recorded “in the foothills of the Berkshires” at Black Coffee Sound (Elks, Elder) and mixed by Justin Pizzoferrato (Sonic Youth, Witch, Dinosaur Jr.), the record features nine tracks of the band’s self-titled “galloping war metal”.  Black Pyramid II was mastered by Matt Washburn (Mastodon) and is “at times a bit more death metal and black metal influenced” than the band’s previous material, boasting a rich sound that will find immediate appeal in fans of Sleep, OM, The Gates of Slumber, In Solitude, Graveyard and Witchcraft.        
 
“We’re incredibly proud of the sonic landscapes we were able to achieve with the new album,” said Black Pyramid drummer Clay Neely.  “It’s a clear successor to the debut album and we allowed ourselves to further expand into some uncharted territories.  The recording of the record was an incredibly rewarding experience and we can’t wait to bring the show back on the road.”     
            
Known for its dynamic sound that blends towering riff cosmos with magnetic psychedelic rock, Black Pyramid has been turning heads in the underground music world since its formation in late 2007; the response to its initial demo and debut 7″ was such that the band’s name spread even faster than its music.  The group’s instantly agreeable bang and spectacular live shows has garnered the trio an army of loyal enthusiasts.  Black Pyramid’s thunderous tone, fire-eating licks, lyrical bent and single-minded devotion to music has enabled the trio to share the stage with a variety of like-minded heavy rock acts – from Electric Wizard to Black Mountain – and have pegged the unit as a “band to watch”.
    
Heavier and more atmospheric than the band’s debut, Black Pyramid II contains Black Pyramid’s most ambitious material to date; a fact especially underlined by the epic, 15 minute long closing track “Into The Dawn.”  When writing the album, the band drew inspiration from “Lovecraft, Robert E Howard, Edison’s second book “Mistress Of Mistresses” and both Norse and Indian mythology”, while a big influence as far as source material was Grant Morrison’s “The Invisibles”, the popular comic book series with a plot that follows (more or less) a single cell of “The Invisible College”, a secret organization “battling against physical and psychic oppression using time travel, magic, meditation and violence.”

“The first album represented a book of nine different stories from our own private mythology…the Black Pyramid mythology,” Neely explained.  “This second album, “II”, represents another nine stories from the same book but these are significantly darker tales.”             

Additionally, Black Pyramid has announced the addition of vocalist / guitarist Darryl Shepard to its ranks.  Shepard, known for his instantly memorable guitar playing in bands such as Blackwolfgoat, Roadsaw and Miligram, replaces former six stringer Andy Beresky. 

Shepard will hit the road with Black Pyramid in support of the new album including an appearance at the 2012 Metal Hammer / Classic Rock sponsored Desertfest next April in London, where the band will share the stage with Church of Misery, Orange Goblin, Truckfighters, Gentleman’s Pistols and more.

Visit them online at www.BlackPyramid.net

“Haven’t heard of Black Pyramid yet? Don’t worry, you will.” – AOL Noisecreep

“Part of MeteorCity’s ongoing effort to rejuvenate the allegedly-dormant American stoner movement, Black Pyramid are a monument built in honor of SLEEP, weaving tales of monsters, legends and wildebeests that match the epic scope of their riffs and crashes.” – THE OBELISK

While Black Pyramid’s self-titled isn’t quite Holy Mountain Pt. 2, it’s quite possibly the next best thing.  If SLEEP’s the stuff that makes your bongwater bubble, then Black Pyramid is your new favourite band.  Doom’s not dead, not by a mile, and these guys are at the top of the list of New Doom Bands You Gotta Hear!