Mountain Caller – Chronicle II: Hypergenesis | Album Review

London’s (mostly) instrumental three piece return, with plenty of heavy grooves and melodic hooks in hand to showcase the next odyssey for their protagonist, Chronicle II: Hypergenesis.

Mountain Caller are best described as a “heavy progressive” musical outfit; their core rooted in doom, post metal and prog. Often compared to the likes of Elder, Cult Of Luna and Russian Circles, the band craft their own unique intricate soundscapes nestled between crushing grooves to paint a sonic portrait for the listener. Unveiling their debut album in 2020, Chronicle I: The Truthseeker introduced The Protagonist as the conceptual character and story the band’s music will follow. Using progressive music’s affinity for concept albums to craft their own story with a rich sonic tapestry, Mountain Caller followed suit with their 2021 EP Chronicle: Prologue to tell The Protagonist’s origin story. Now we’ve finally arrived at the next step, Chronicle II: Hypergenesis, meaning the extremely active formation of something new.

Opening the album and story with the aptly titled “Daybreak”, going for a soft open, a winding delay saturated melody is introduced and blossoms into fuzzy, head nodding riffage. The guitar and bass are locked in tight, hitting strong melodic grooves with each other; it’s all very psychedelic and satisfying. The band play with dynamics and energy through the 7 minute track; an extended bridge builds high anticipation before exploding into a joyous math-rock explosion that feels like it could be ripped straight off an And So I Watch You From Afar classic. 

Lead single “The Archivist” fits wonderfully as the second track, breaking the joyful pacing of “Daybreak” and progressing the narrative seamlessly. Energies shift from very dramatic and cryptic to concern and confusion, there is also an element of danger being conjured by the discordant guitar melodies and dramatic Mastodon-esque sludgy fists being thrown. Much like the first album, “Dead Language” is the only song on the record with vocals, reflecting the voice of the protagonist herself. El Reeve’s vocal performance is fantastic throughout the song, but when the post-bridge as her vocals swell from soft spoken to almighty cries, its stunning and epic. The delivery is as powerful as the message the band are trying to convey and lend to the emotional weight of the music and the message. 

One of the standouts present on the album, “Into The Hazel Woods” is devastating, the expansive and sorrowful post-rock introduction breaks into full blown Steve Vai – Passion and Warfare era wailing guitar melodies atop the mountains. Mountain Caller paint the picture of psyching yourself for the battle ahead no matter how scared you are, but allowing that feeling to wash over you. But once it’s time to move forward, the main riff kicks in and the levee breaks; it’s emotional and cathartic, whilst suffocated in the urgent feeling of impending battle.

It’s incredibly impressive with what Mountain Caller have managed to achieve. The album itself sounds excellent, clearly captured and wonderfully produced. Each member has a clear presence and have been captured excellently, allowing you to pick the soundscape apart with ease and hone in on specific elements. This album also feels like a fully fleshed out chapter in a story, a seamless flow of a sonic journey following the Protagonist on an adventure from start to finish. It enables the listener to experience a variety of emotions through music; from the inquisitive curiosity and unadulterated glee portrayed in “Daybreak”, the impending heartbreak and oncoming fear presented on “Into The Hazel Woods”, to the more complex dissociative chaos, panic from battle and danger in “March of the Göll”. At its brightest moments, you can almost hear the smiles on the band’s faces as they play some of these joyous riffs. They’re clearly enjoying the intricate structures of their extended grooves and small moments of call and response, playing off each other whenever possible.

The album isn’t quite over yet mind, the titular “Hypergenesis” is the beginning of the new world after the chaos of The Göll, rounding out the forty minute journey on positive and uplifting footing. Hopeful post-rock melodies transition to dreamy shoegaze passages, slowly meandering towards a fuzzed up and triumphant final statement, impactful and emotionally joyful. You’re worn out from the journey you’ve been taken on by the band, through strange lands facing strange dangers. Gentle layered vocal chanting and soothing melodies wind down the instrumental as things come to an end.

Like the soundtrack to the lost sci-fi fantasy film of your youth, the pacing and storytelling through music the band achieves without fully revealing their hand is magnificent. Repeat listens are rewarded with further intrigue to the story behind the music, the scenarios each song represents; the potential perils, dangers, successes and tribulations afflicted onto the protagonist. It’s truly magic, leaving more than enough breathing room for the listener to form their own vision of the events unfolding across the album. Mountain Caller have absolutely knocked it out of the park, doubling down on their first attempt to create audible cinema and crafting a triumphant sonic story that is sure to stick with you long after you’ve finished listening.