Black Mountain - Black Mountain
Black Mountain Image
Metascore
65 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 5 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
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  • Summary: This is the debut LP for Stephen McBean's Black Mountain project, which shares members with Jerk With A Bomb and Pink Mountaintops.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 13
  3. Negative: 2 out of 13
  1. Amazon.com
    100
    The disc is truly beautiful on the ears, filled with gorgeous dynamics, crisp, discordant playing and impressive production to boot.
  2. Paste Magazine
    80
    Black Mountain indulges that old-school rock ’n’ roll craving.
  3. Village Voice
    60
    I'd call it "psych-drone-sludge" except it's more tuneful and lively than those words imply.
  4. PopMatters
    30
    It goes awry for Black Mountain, devolving into a collection of musical segments that prove that the members have really important record collections and strong political views. The crucial thing that is missing is internal inspiration.

See all 13 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. RH
    8
    This was a pretty strong release that was sadly ignored last year by most. It's really got a lot of interest for anyone who even mildly enjoys classic rock.… Expand
  2. TristramIV
    6
    It doesn't always land where it aims but what redeems this record is just that. It consistently goes just askew from where you think it will. The effect of this is, depending on your temperament, either adventurous or annoying. After the mission statement of an opener, Modern Music, the band begrudgingly settles in until successive tracks, Set Us Free and No Hits, form the centerpiece. The latter features a relentless synth line, amid Patti Smith folk noir and Velvet's anti-psychedelia, that will have you seeing Michael Myers (no not the SNL guy) and the former smolders before rising into crescendo. Born of disparate parts, Black Mountain is almost overwhelming. It's a classic rock record for those who hate the idea of classic rock. And if that doesn't seem like a glowing endorsement it might be because the band hints throughout that their favorite joy is sneaking up on people.… Expand

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