Review: Wet Cactus ‘Magma Tres’
After the first of several instrumental tracks called I. The Long Escape that gently eases you in, Wet Cactus open up their third album with Barren Landscape and set about with some decent riffs and rhythms along the way.
An alternative rock band formed in Cantabria, Spain, they have maintained a constant lineup since 2013, with the quartet sharing a love of the Californian stoner and desert rock scene, but they like to expand their musical horizons and explore other genres as well.
They have one track, Mirage, which is a dreamy, hedonistic psychedelic sort of number, with the drums from Jaime Perez high up in the mix, the cymbals adding that touch of mystery to the song, but the tune meanders along nicely, with a few peaks and troughs where you feel like it’s going to explode and really open up. The guitars from Ernesto Diez and Oscar Sanchez complement each other superbly well before they suddenly let go and pick up the pace.
Magma Tres is a conceptual album which delves into the consequences of Earth’s depletion as a life-sustaining planet due to human inaction in reversing their actions, many of the songs invoke a gritty and explosive atmosphere, such as the brilliant My Gaze Is Fixed Ahead and Million Tears which begins with a delicious harmony and then bursts into life with some big riffs and powerful drumming, making the six and half minutes fly by.
many of the songs invoke a gritty and explosive atmosphere, such as the brilliant My Gaze Is Fixed Ahead and Million Tears…
The standout for me is Self Bitten Snake, beginning at a rapid pace and is a bit different from the rest as it feels like they’ve explored a harder edge and pushed a few boundaries, but it’s wrapped up in occasional softer vocals from bass player Daniel Pascual, which makes for a different sound across the track.
They mix the album up well with the other instrumental interludes, II. …From the Lair Of Majadero Man and III. …And The Arduos Revival before they end the album with Hell Dweller and Solar Prominence which has that deep space feel to it, almost like they are taking you away from planet Earth and dropping you somewhere far superior. With IV. …Of His Musical Ashes wrapping it all up nicely, it’s a really good album, which lots of people will thoroughly enjoy.
Label: Electric Valley Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Matthew Williams
