Blood Meridian

Members of Black Mountain certainly know how to keep busy when they’re not on the road pushing arena-tested psych rock. While Stephen McBean gets his groove on with the one-man venture Pink Mountaintops, Matt Camirand and Josh Wells practice their "countrified death rock” under the name of Blood Meridian. Named after Cormac McCarthy’s great American novel, Camirand and his crew follow up 2004’s We Almost Made It Home with this five-song EP that precedes a forthcoming sophomore album. Lead track "Soldiers of Christ” plays the role of the anthem, using a gospel-like narrative to build some intensity that respectfully never explodes into the climax you’re anticipating; thus showing just how disciplined the quintet are. "Shit World” follows with a rolling Americana stomper that again showcases Camirand’s gift for telling tall tales about great outlaws. Even a hatred for the blues as his inspiration for the closing chorus of "I Hate the Blues (Dead Moon)” works as an effective nuance in his songbook. A nice teaser to their full-length, Soldiers of Christ holds up remarkably well as a consistent, five-song recording.