Kylesa's Sonic Attack

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 9, 2009 7:40PM

The first time we heard Kylesa was when they did a cover of Pink Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive" for a metal Syd Barrett tribute record. We dug the heavy way they attacked the song but what really impressed us was the nuanced handling of the center psych-out section of the song. But it was just one song on a tribute record so we kind of forgot about them.

Flash-forward to a few weeks ago when their new album Static Tensions showed up. The name didn't register so we loaded up ye olde tankPOD and whoa were we in for a surprise. You see Kylesa has two drummers, and we're a sucker for double drummer even though most of the time they just double-up the beat and mirror each other. In Kylesa's case each drummer is so independent of the other they're given their own channels, one drum kit sits in your right ear, the other's in your left. And next thing you know you're caught in a whirlwind of sound.

Lay some seriously massive guitars over those whirling rhythms and you begin to get aural vertigo. Remember all those video's in the mid-90s that tried to look all bad-ass stealing David Lynch trick like speeding up and slowing down film and excessive use of strobes? We have a the feeling that the vibe those poseurs were trying to attain is what Kylesa actually lays down.

Kylesa performs with Saviours, Red Fang, and Atlas Moth on Monday, October 12, at Reggie's Rock Club, 2109 S State, 6 p.m., $14 ($12 advance), all ages