‘Fresh blood’
New lineup energizes Black Mountain, frontman Stephen McBean says
Black Mountain’s new album, appropriately named “Destroyer,” takes listeners on a journey, like the car it was named after.
Frontman Stephen McBean was not a typical teenager and had no interest in driving when he turned 16 in the 1980s. It was not until 2017 that he took the wheel for the first time. He also restored a 1985 Dodge Destroyer, a discontinued muscle car. Up until recently, McBean found ways to get around besides driving.
“Two legs and a bicycle,” McBean said in an email regarding his method of transportation. “I also chose my friends based on the whips they owned.”
McBean did not take notice of being free of a car payment or insurance.
“I never knew the responsibility, so I was ignorant of any potential bliss,” he said.
Regardless of McBean’s driving history, the power of that muscle car is evident on the band’s recent release, “Destroyer.” Songs include “Licensed to Drive,” an exhilarating song with the right dose of heavy, and “Horns Arising,” with climbing synthesizers and vocals that resonate a “Knight Rider” vibe, according to a band press release.
The album has a a nostalgic yet refreshing ’70s rock feel as well as an ’80s heavy metal vibe that ebbs and flows from exhilarating to somewhat melodic and then back around again. Each song encompasses something for all generations. The band’s love for rock icons The Who had something to do with that, according to McBean.
Black Mountain’s members each have impressive backgrounds, with some coming from bands such as Flaming Lips, St. Vincent and Swans.
“Asking for phone numbers, making calls,” McBean said of how the new lineup came about. “Turning off lights and turning up amplifiers. Keeping it a family affair was important.”
New members Rachel Fannan (Sleepy Sun) and Adam Bulgasem (Dommengang & Soft Kill), Kliph Scurlock (Flaming Lips), Kid Millions (Oneida), and John Congleton (St Vincent, Swans) have breathed new life into the band.
“Fresh blood,” McBean said when asked what the new members have brought to the band creatively and musically. “Different swaggers. A new bowl of sunglasses to choose from.”