CD Review

With all the hype surround the progressive rock blender of The Mars Volta, there are many other twisted talents laying down their own heavy sonic palettes. On their debut, mystic jaguar…ATTACK!!!!, The Stella Link build from a similar framework. Combining the finer airy moments of My Bloody Valentine with the calculated textures of post-rockers Interpol and Ambulance LTD, atop the hardcore assaults of Helmet and Quicksand, their are plenty of eras and sounds to draw from. Although this four-piece aren’t shy about their influences, they win points for being daring and temperamental on a debut recording.

Throughout this ten songer, The Stella Link journey through sweeping atmospheric numbers into agitated structured rockers. From the beginning movement, "Apogee," to the corrosive "Starting Time," the twin guitar attack of Justin Warring and Wade Williamson urgently channel the album from bridges of free-form instrumentals to precise song. It’s the piloting of the twin guitar attack that provides the album with an awakening quality that is rarely felt in such heavy form – both crisp and clean. "Winner Takes All" proves The Stella Link can move their structured movements from graceful to brutal with relative conviction, as Warring’s vocals blend intelligently with the albums pulsating force. However, the flow continually gets disjointed between the instrumental and lyrical nodes, giving the album a continual "replay" feel, making you wonder - "didn’t I already hear this?" Look out soon for the next Stella full length, as it will be interesting to see if their buzz becomes more widespread than the word of mouth taste of mystic jaguar..ATTACK!!!!

For more information, visit stellalink.com.