Mushroom Giant – In a Forest (Album Review)

Posted on May 3, 2023 by roddy666

Mushroom Giant – In a Forest
Released: 28^th April, 2023

Lineup:

Craig Fryers // Bass and bowed bass
Trent Horwood // Drums
Simon Wade // Guitars and keys

Derek Richards // Guitars and keys

Online:

Mushroom Giant are an underrated phenomenon. In existence for two decades now, this band has just kept on delivering ultra high-quality all-instrumental progressive post-rock for years and years, and their new opus In a Forest only adds to the illustriousness of their canon.

As ever, the key with this type of music is the ebb and flow, the light and shade, the slow but steady and compelling build-up from relatively mellow and simple textures to roaring, fist-pumping crescendos. And this concept is embodied beautifully in opening nine-and-a-half minute epic ‘Owls’, which takes you on such a dynamic, cinematic journey, it makes your head spin. The eerie opening of ‘Vestige’ leads into a bassline that reminds one of Tool, Fryers’ four-string propelling the track forward while Wade’s psychedelic lead lines shine sweetly over the top. From here, the album effortlessly maintains high levels of interest right through to the evocative, delicate and yet powerful six-minute closer ‘The Green Expanse’.

Best track award, in this humble writer’s opinion, goes to third cab off the rank, the moody but melodic slow-burn of ‘Earthrise’. Their post-rocky take on punk, as inconceivable as that sounds, ‘Aire River Rapids’, is a beautiful mid-late album surprise too.

Mushroom Giant is the type of band where none of the individual members are doing anything technically astonishing, but when you put it all together, the sum is way, way greater than the sum of its parts. This band sits very comfortably within the vocal-free post-rock sub-genre, alongside names like sleepmakeswaves, We Lost the Sea, Russian Circles and so on, whilst still forging their own highly distinct path.

In a Forest creates a broad but instantly recognizable musical palette and a vivid soundscape that, given the right vehicle, should please lovers of this kind of music the world over.