Hidden Towers

After a two-year hiatus, Vancouver, BC-based Hidden Towers have returned with a driven, grunge-influenced hard rock gem in Olympus Mons. The record is named after the vast shield volcano on Mars that, at 22 kilometres high, is three times as tall as Everest and the largest peak in the solar system. Whatever the energy of the songs on Olympus Mons, each track is clawing in the same direction: up. The pummelling drums strike like a pick or crampon deep into a glacier, and the riffs are forever seeking handholds, snaking inexorably upwards with stubborn muscularity. Album opener "Smoke Cloud" has a determined, rocking rhythm that gets the neck muscles moving, while the guitar solo on "Nobody Knew How High She'd Get" somehow combines a retro-grunge ambience with forward-thinking progressive tendencies. With passion and creativity to spare, Olympus Mons is worth exploring.