Abronia

***One can find evidence of a pretty broad array of musical touchstones on Abronia’s Obsidian Visions/Shadowed Lands: Morricone Spaghetti Western soundtracks, spiritual free jazz, Tuareg guitar bands of the Sahara, drone metal, '70s Krautrock, Ethiopiques, Glenn Branca, outlaw country, various tribal music, '60s psychedelia, and maybe even a little '80s goth. 
 
Recorded onto 2” tape by Jason Powers (Grails, Moon Duo etc.) at the venerable Type Foundry Recording Studio, this album is a document of the first five completed compositions by the six piece. Replacing your standard drum set with an early '70s 30" marching drum, which proves to be a proper centerpiece for the guitars, lap steel and saxophone to create mesmerizing and sometimes cacophonous soundscapes. Everyone gathered around the drum and played together, with minimal overdubbing. It’s a snapshot of a band coming right out of the gate with a powerful, realized vision, that in actuality was a long time coming for this group of veteran players. 
 
Abronia is Keelin Mayer (Saxophone/Vocals) Benjamin Blake (Guitar) Andrew Endres (Lap Steel) Amir Amadi (Bass) Eric Crespo (Guitar/Backing Vocals) James Shaver (The Big Drum/Percussion/Melodica)