Heaven's Gate's debut High Riser EP was one of my favorite releases from last year. It was seven compact songs that twisted & melded shoegaze and indie-rock into a knotty and powerful opening statement for a band, so well pulled off that it landed on my top singles of last year. And so, with the announcement that Heaven's Gate will be releasing their debut album Transmuting, I am not the least bit surprised that the first single off it, "Drone", is excellent. It's an even more concentrated dose of what was on High Riser; guitars that sound like Sonic Youth trying to play shoegaze riffs, thick & steady bass lines, and drums that strike just the right balance between tribal and smashing. Frontwoman Jess Paps' vocals, a harsh, growling, low-pitch diamond in the swirling rough behind it, that are the only thing that keep "Drone" steady, while at the same time coating the song in another layer of intensity. Any of the momentarily brighter pop sheen that was on their EP has been shed, the band diving head first into the vortex of damaged distortion they are creating. "Drone" is a darker, amplified version of Heaven's Gate, a skin that suits the band even better than their original.
Links:
Heaven's Gate's Facebook
Pre-order Transmuting here, from Inflated Records
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