The Third Eye

Godsgreenearth is the self-titled debut EP from the Montréal-based production duo of Harpur Quee and Anthony Abbatangelo. They describe it as an “earthbound, dirty-crawling psych with roots in krautrock, dub, post-punk, and drone.” That’s a heady mix that, trust me, works out well.

The EP features contributions from the members of Toronto and Montréal’s fertile metal, punk, noise, and free jazz scenes, as well. Anthony (electric guitars and bass, analog synths and combo organ, percussion) and Harpur (drums and percussion, melodica) are the backbone of the band, though.

The EP starts with a likely field recording of crickets in the distance and a jazzy intro as the drums come into focus on “randonée I.” The track is only one minute and 45 seconds long, and it’s over before you know it, but it’s a good way to kick things off. “Hive” comes next, featuring Laura C. Bates on violin. The distorted, psyched-out guitar adds to the song’s flair and drags us through the mud. The EP’s theme is centered on a kind of pagan worship of nature, and “hive” represents the earth’s hive mind. I’m not sure if this is the artist’s intent, but it was my interpretation of things.

“Vessel is One” is more jazzy than the previous tracks, featuring Colin Fisher on tenor sax, but adding a creepy vibe from the hard-to-understand whispered vocals from Claudia Burneo. This is godsgreenearth playing free jazz with Anthony adding krautrock-inspired electric guitar for good measure. Claudia’s vocals feel like a witch’s invocation of a evil deity at a secret meeting deep in the woods, and I totally loved this one.

“randonée II” continues the theme of the opening short track with a quiet electric guitar vignette. The EP closes with “Carnivore’s Dub” – and as the name implies, there’s a freaky dub beat that carries throughout. Laura Gillis adds flute-playing to the mix, giving added touches of mysticism and forest enchantment.

Overall, I enjoyed godsgreenearth, and fans of many psychedelic genres and subgenres should give it a try. The only downside is that it’s over so soon – there are only five tracks, and some are quite short. Here’s hoping the Canadian band releases some new music soon and possibly gives us a full-length.

Support godsgreenearth by finding them on Bandcamp here.

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