The Holydrug Couple – Ancient Land EP

We’ve covered a handful of releases from the Sacred Bones camp recently, and here’s one more you can add to the list. Hailing from Chile, the HOLYDRUG COUPLE just released their debut EP in the new year, and this is just more proof that there’s plenty to obsess over from the mysterious Chilean underground.

One of the first things that you might notice is the excellent production values. The sounds are crystal clear and free of any scratchy lo-fi crunch, which is a much welcomed change from the usual sandpaper-like qualities of lo-fi psych. Sacred Bones has been churning out the goods these days, and this release is right up their typical alley. In other words, if you think you’re going to like this stuff, then you’re probably right on the money, but just for good measure we think you should give it a spin anyway.

Together this Chilean duo has captured quite a classic and authentic sound, evoking both spiritual moods and the fear of being lost in a haunted forest, resulting in an enlightening session of self-discovery. The EP is just shy of twenty minutes in length, bringing the relentless heaviness from start to finish. The self-titled track “Ancient Land” is a ten minute brain burner, with curiously glowing guitars sitting on a dense drone bass-buzz. Seemingly screened by a thick layer of smoke, the song receives a subtle jolt of energy to change things up about halfway through, which eventually paves way for the creepy final three minutes. Now you’re in the dead center of a whispering wilderness ambiance. When all of these elements are mixed together it makes for a totally lethal and dazzling psyched-out sound that’s meant for you to sink your teeth into.

Following that up is “Now”, whose guitars are much more jagged and grungy sounding than in “Ancient Land”. They cut as deep as they need to, and they’re absolutely dripping with a filthy attitude. This track walks the line of total destruction with it’s pulsing bass lines and static-like guitars, and also displays just how well the chemistry has developed between these two psych freaks. Last but not least comes “Mountaintop”, which reverts back to the lucid and airy guitars, glistening in sunshine atop a misty (you guessed it) mountaintop. There’s more subtly buzzy ambiance thriving beneath the top layer of sounds, which is pretty much the last thing you hear before it’s all wrapped up. Now do yourself a huge solid and get on this stuff now, because all of this only means the future is looking good for this young and talented band.

Ancient Land –