The trio known as The Mercury Tree are back with the follow up to their stellar last album ‘Countenance’ which this website was a big fan of. This experimental Prog band from Portland, OR are not afraid to throw every idea into a song and then some. While a bit less accessible than their last album, Permutations boasts some incredible playing and experimentation. There are at times so many things going in, it is truly hard to make sense of it. That is their unique charm, however.
The two long tracks, “Permutations” and “Deep Five” both clock in at over 10 minutes and show the band at their most fearless. Other tracks like “Sympathesizer” try to convey some melody amidst all the chaos. The guys clearly are not trying to write hit singles here but if you hang around long enough, you will hear some moments of sheer brilliance and some saxophone.
Order Permutations from Bandcamp.
Tracklist:
1. Symptoms 06:59
2. Exhume the Worst 04:56
3. Permutations 10:42
4. Ether/Ore 04:08
5. Placeholder 04:32
6. Unintelligible 05:06
7. Sympathesizer 04:42 video
8. Seek and Release 05:46
9. Prometheist 09:00
10. Deep Five 10:32
Line-up:
* Ben Spees – vocals, guitar, keyboards
* Connor Reilly – drums
* Oliver Campbell – bass, voice
