Mother Iron Horse Ride Out to Do "The Devil's Work" (Early Track + Video Stream)
Based in Salem, Massachusetts and set to release a new album called Under the Blood Moon, Mother Iron Horse are clearly no strangers to the occult, and their recent signing to Ripple Music (intriguingly, through a partnership with Ozzy Osbourne bassist Blasko) should put any doubts of their stoner rock chops to rest. All the same, it’s immediately apparent how far away this sits from the usual crossroads of these two interests: as the galloping introduction to the album, “The Devil’s Work,” hits its stride, the unhinged stoner grooves on display come doused in enough abrasion and noise to raise the hairs on the back of the neck. It’s a racket fit to raise spirits, and presumably that’s the point. There’s chaos and danger here that more subtle or atmosphere-intensive approaches can’t capture nearly as well, and this unsettling element raises an important point: dealing with Hell is not for the meek. Those up to the task can listen to “The Devil’s Work” now with this exclusive track and video premiere:
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Like the road-worn band that created it (judging by the exploits in the video), “The Devil’s Work” is tireless, and the sharp edges on the song strip away the usual veneer of mysticism behind occult-focused stoner rock, putting the heavy riffs in the spotlight as roared clean vocals and full-on screams describe Satanic labors and devotions. Even on this shorter song, the band’s mastery of when to be loud and when to foreshadow it is clear: the song is mostly swaggering riffs, but in the few spots without them, their threatening absence is deafening. Mother Iron Horse maintains no pretenses, but there’s a palpable air of supernatural might: within the world these songs create, there is something to be afraid of, and that’s what their music celebrates.
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Under the Blood Moon releases November 5th, 2021 via Ripple Music.
