Album Review: Sky Valley Mistress - Luna Mausoleum
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
”And now it’s time for me to say the long goodbye”.
Pilot Kayley “Hell Kitten” Davies and Commander Max “Leather Messiah” Newsome are back after some significant time away, armed with a host of new tracks and ready to launch their Hearsecraft ride to the moon. And if you’ve seen the video for the brilliant “Too Many Ghosts” you’ll get exactly what I mean.
They have a cacophony of desert rock grooves and huge sounding riffs and combined with the silky, smooth vocals from Davies, they are on point from the very beginning. With a combination of styles, with notable nods to Portishead and gospel inspired melodies, it allows Pilot Kayley to demonstrate her talents. Tracks such as “The Exit List” which is hauntingly beautiful and the previously mentioned “Too Many Ghosts” which has a notable bassline running throughout, are sure fire winners.
It shouldn’t be underestimated how big the production sound is on this record, as for a two piece, they make one hell of a racket. In the live environment, there are no backing tracks, no samples, just pure fuzzed out rock n’ roll and their use of raw power to create songs is clear on this record. I really like “No Sleep” as the riff explodes around the minute mark following a softer opening, but “House of the Moon” surpasses that with the gentle introduction and seductive serenading by Davies, before it goes off like a rocket. You are brought back down to earth by the inclusion of a children’s choir in the chorus, and it has a smooth transition into an orchestral ending.
It’s their fusing of different styles and genres that makes me warm to the band. With Sabbath esque riffs popping up all over the place, the duo erupts in the most unexpected of places, but it all sounds fresh with a hint of 70’s retro about it. “Live Past Life” is a fine example of this, and the journey has musical peaks and troughs throughout to keep you entertained, whilst “White Night” promotes the soulful audible musings of Davies.
“Thundertaker” has a lovely doomed out start to it, before that fuzziness appears from Newsome on guitar, and leads to a raucous track that it lively and energetic. They end with “Blue Desert II” which is a journey into the unknown, and probably best sums up the both the band and the album, as it’s an eclectic mix across 9 minutes of music. It’s a brilliant way to end the stratospheric journey, with a wonderful sounding organ wrapped around the simple drum beats and smooth guitar notes.
