Also Rising

Also Rising, Subarachnoid Space's seventh overall album and first for Portland's Strange Attractors Audio House, is a blend of heavy, long-form psychedelia, space rock, Krautrock, math rock, prog, and a dab of free improvisation. The instrumental quartet is something like Cul de Sac (their labelmates) meets Bardo Pond meets Red- and Larks' Tongues-era King Crimson. According to the band, Also Rising is meant to be listened to "from start to finish as one piece of music." It works best if listened to very, very loud. With the volume cranked you can hear the dynamics between the dual guitarists, the creeping bass, and the precise, pummeling beats. Kept down low, the album is a bit of a bore. With no lyrics, no prominent melodic themes, and little stylistic differentiation, texture is Subarachnoid's only currency. But to make good on it, the listener must front them the wattage.