Track listing: Angel In The Mud
Battle Mountain and Other Electro-Mechanical Disasters formed from the ashes of San Francisco rockers, Through Walls. Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Geo has revived his muse and from the union has the first single "Angel In The Mud" from the group's upcoming eponymous album.
Citing influences including Concrete Blonde, Police, and Soundgarden, "Angel In The Mud" embodies some of the ethereal vibe of all three of those groups. But Battle Mountain has a dirtier, grainer sound to it with strains of Drivin N Cryin or Midnight Oil coming through at moments.
Angels fall from the sky
Always movin' forward, never left behind
She learned the world will knock you down
Says "Leave me here" when she's lyin' on the ground
You certainly hear the New Wave effects on the guitars. And Geo's vocal cries out in its higher register, slicing through the fat bass and chunky rhythm guitar foundation.
There's not much out there about either Through Walls or Battle Mountain--the mystery building some of the allure. Instead of aligning with the group's history, trials and tribulations, you've got some releases from the old band and exactly 3 minutes and 54 seconds worth of sound to form your opinion of Battle Mountain and their music.
The grit, the mystery, and the biting straight-forward guitar licks work in concert to create a solid lead-off single for the new group. What is left to the listener is to piece together the next string of releases building to the full-length release. For now you can only find Battle Mountain on Spotify and Apple Music. Go there now. Follow them. Put your finger on the this single and let the new music trickle into your playlists as it becomes available.