ALBUM REVIEW: Path of Might - "Hallowed Gate Style"

By: Mark Ambrose

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 07/11/ 2017

Label: Encapsulated Records

With “Hallowed Gate Style”, Path of Might adds some melody and grace to the punishing might of their debut, but more importantly cements the trio as an act who, in time, could equal or even eclipse their diverse influences.

“Hallowed Gate Style” CD//DD track listing

1. Hallowed Gate Style

2. Locust Fugue

3. Infernal Orchards

4. House of Rain

5. Mega Magicka

6. Tea and Oranges

7. Locust Storm

8. Chapels to the West

The Review:

               

Path of Might’s 2015 self-titled debut drew a lot of comparisons to other sludge masters: Mastodon, Neurosis, and Baroness, to name a few.  Like these modern legends, Path of Might infuses sludge with prog flourish, and adds some Appalachian folk for good measure.  If that tidy half hour of power was just a taste, “Hallowed Gate Style”is a veritable smorgasbord of sludge.  Over the course of eight tracks, guitarist Spencer Medley, bassist Derek Rife, and drummer Adam Lucz pay homage to their forebears in metal and prog alike, while crafting a cinematic journey through time and space that invokes images of Kurosawa and Leone, by way of Timothy Leary and Aldous Huxley.

               

First and foremost, Path of Mightare a highly skilled power trio, who lock into steady grooves without feeling stiff or mechanical.  There’s considerable production, with some distinct separation between guitar tracks for a nice, well rounded listen overall, but the organic tempo shifts and ineffable chemistry shines on the loose, jammy “Infernal Orchards”, or the swaggering, retro “Tea and Oranges”.  Spencer’s vocals push past the guttural barks of their self-titled album to move into melodies that are sometimes reminiscent of Pink Floyd, or, conversely, a younger Matt Pike.  While the lyrics are often subsumed by the heavy reverb or “chants field recorded in caves” qualities, it still works considering the hallucinogenic dynamics of Path of Might’s overall aesthetic.

               

The prog sludge infusions really cement the record as a serious step forward.  Even the interludes of “Locust Fugue” and “Locust Storm” incorporate American folk and vaguely “far eastern” qualities, even if they’re just cinematic flourishes.  The acoustic bridge of the title track, in particular, qualifies as its own little mystical journey.  For each of the progressive elements, there are lots of passages where the men of Path of Might reveal their classic rock hearts: “Infernal Orchards” feels like Nazareth, if they went full stoner metal, while the finale of “Mega Magicka” has a definite Thin Lizzy vibe.  The utterly savage “House of Rain” is the most indebted to Mastodon, with its rapid hammer-on, pull-off guitar riffing… but damn, Spencer manages to rip it up just as effectively as Brent Hinds & co.

For all the references to other artists, however, Path of Might is more than pastiche.  With their first album, they showed considerable instrumental prowess and fierce delivery.  In slightly more than two years, they’ve incorporated diverse elements without losing a bit of aggression, and battle hardened their sludge alchemy.  With “Hallowed Gate Style”, Path of Might adds some melody and grace to the punishing might of their debut, but more importantly cements the trio as an act who, in time, could equal or even eclipse their diverse influences.

“Hallowed Gate Style”is available hereand physical copies here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook