Black Mountain
Nothing screams prog like a great concept album. Black Mountain’s approach is a little different, however. Rather than weighty narratives or complex song cycles, the Canadian space rockers’ latest album is a fast-moving hymn to the exhilarating freedom of the open road. Named after a vintage 80s muscle car, Destroyer came about after singer/guitarist Stephen McBean got a driving licence.
“It definitely had a fair amount of influence on the songs and the recording,” says the LA-based McBean, who finally took to the wheel a couple of years ago, aged 48. “When you’re making records there are different ways of taking yourself out of the process and analysing the songs. I used to do things like sit on a park bench, get really stoned and listen to a Walkman. But for this one it was a case of getting into the car, putting in a rough mix and driving around to see how it sounded. It led to me rediscovering a lot of music, rekindling my love for things like classic rock and metal.”
“One of my friends
