5 loopy diamonds badly in want of a shave and a haircut, their garments reeking of bong smoke and time journey, Sacri Monti are bassist Anthony ‘Ant’ Meier, Brenden Dellar on vocals and guitar, Thomas Di Benedetto on drums, Dylan Donovan on guitar, and Evan Wenskay on organ and synth. From Oceanside, California, a seaside metropolis in San Diego County, all of them met in highschool within the early 2000s and commenced jamming.
“Our first present we made two songs final for 50 minutes,” chuckles Brenden. “That’s the way it started. Not a lot placing on exhibits as improvising in entrance of individuals.”
The band are named after 9 sacred mountains in northern Italy, and their music has been described as ‘heavy psych’ and ‘psychedelic prog’: a peak early-70s cross between Hawkwind and Deep Purple. Nonetheless, Ant says: “I don’t see us as progressive rock in any respect. We’re a heavy rock band.” Brenden says they “let the music take over and see the place it takes you. We go for a extra timeless vibe than progressive rock”.
Their self-titled first album got here out again in 2015. The second, Ready Room For The Magic Hour, took one other three years to flash within the sky. Now comes their third, Retrieval, a six-track masterpiece. From the towering Maelstrom to the chunky Intermediate Demise, it’s like cutting-edge Uriah Heep-meets-Cream when Eric actually was God.
The mesmerising nine-minute finale Extra Than I is for Sacri Monti what In The Mild was for Led Zeppelin: music as mystical communication, with a ferocious drive and flare that screams acid.
I inform them how once I labored for Hawkwind within the late 70s they made some extent of tripping on acid once they had been recording. “Oh my god!” Ant says, laughing. “We most likely dipped into every thing – not the arduous opiates and stuff – since highschool.”
Would they journey on stage?
Brenden: “We used to within the early days after we would jam lots.”
What sort of followers come to see Sacri Monti?
“Largely males,” guffaws Brenden.
I think about a crowd of deranged males with beards…
“Rocker males,” Ant says, smiling.
Sacri Monti did 4 exhibits within the UK this summer time, and say their British followers get them greater than followers in America.
“No query about that,” Ant confirms. “The UK is the house of lots of the music we love. What’s cool is we are able to play indierock festivals and heavy steel festivals. It truly is completely different each present. We by no means know what means it’s gonna be.”
And that in a nutshell is what makes Sacri Monti particular. Even they don’t know what means it’s gonna go. Can ya dig it?
Retrieval is out now by way of Tee Pee Information
