Review Summary: A colossus in every sense of the word
If there’s anything you can say about Black Pyramid’s fourth album, it’s that it certainly lives up to its title. The Paths of Time are Vast is a lengthy listen indeed at a little over seventy minutes with a mix of long runners and a multi-part suite sustained by their signature crawling riffs, swirling leads, and wayward warrior doom vibes. And with this being their first full-length in eleven years, twelve since bandleader guitarist/vocalist Andy Beresky was last on board, it’s all the more justified that this be such a sprawling colossus.
The musicianship certainly reflects a desire to make up for lost time, even if this is the first proper installment to feature original bassist Eric Beaudry and Andy Kivela. You can certainly feel that hefty bottom end, especially when the guitar lends itself to extended soloing, and the beats have the right mix of power and loose spirit behind them. Of course, the guitars are the primary focal point between beefy riffs, driving chugs, and atmospheric flourishes as the vocals retain that perfect meeting point of Matt Pike gruff and Al Cisneros mysticism.
It’s also nice to see the songwriting echo their first two albums without feeling too recursive, reflecting the monolithic tendencies of their 2009 self-titled debut with the psych-metal mix of 2012’s II. The opening “Bile, Blame, and Blasphemy” establishes itself with a bright desert overcast comparable to a Wino project that is met with a glacial ebb and flow of riffs over the span of twelve minutes. “The Crypt on the Borderlands” follows with a more straightforward slowed down trudge and “Take Us to the Threshold” puts in a pounding classic metal exhibition with “Astral Suicide” works as a splendidly exotic instrumental between them.
Much of that flavor is present in the album’s back half, albeit with a trippier bent. The three-part title suite certainly shows off a broad spectrum of sounds as the first part is a soft prelude, the second goes from another strong doom stomp to full-on Sabbath swing, and the third loses itself to full on Hawkwind-style spaciness. The sixteen-minute “The Quantum Phoenix” could’ve come off as a slog in light of such an undertaking, but it thankfully manages to avert the listener fatigue courtesy of an intriguing bass line that builds into an especially triumphant riff set with some wacky last-minute tempo changes for the road.
Black Pyramid always felt like a band in that late aughts/early tens stoner-doom crop who deserved better, which makes it all the more satisfying to come back with such fervor on The Paths of Time are Vast. Such a dense presentation is a whole lot to take in all at once and risked being downright agonizing in the wrong hands. I really appreciate how the band is able to lay out these tangents in ways that are coherent without feeling too predictable. In a scene where so many bands struggle with mapping out their jams and remembering to make their riffs memorable, you can keep counting on Black Pyramid to deliver on both fronts.
