On Friday, acid rock trio Protovulcan – comprised of Deric Criss, Will MacLean, and Nick Ammerman – released a new 8-track EP titled The Split. From the very first chaotic chords of “Pine for You”, the listener is drenched in this gorgeous, layered rock n’ roll sound that stands out among the rest. Though Protovulcan’s songs are void of human vocals, we are provided muffled robotic ones, along with a heightened sense that the past and future met on this work of art. While “The Force Remains the Same” is a party song instrumentally, “Snake Legend” has a sound that seems to layer into itself, a kaleidoscope perhaps less so in any type of vintage origin, and more so in its progression. The texture alone is something to write home about, and this is one of our favorite tracks on the release.
“Waking Up Dinosaurs” lands itself in that psychedelic area that we assumed its predecessor would take us to, a bit belated but equally as impressive. “Purple Sky” is, in reality, a glittering, chaotic cacophony of sound for the most part. By the time “Celestial Slingshot” hits, the robotic vocals are so prominent that they lead the track, sounding like a clash between an electronic keyboard and a accordion. The Oscillator Bug Remix of the same adds more lightweight instrumentals into the soundscape, bringing it to an even higher ethereal level than the original. We’re especially smitten with the way they placed the two tracks back-to-back, so a layman could identify the differences and insane progression from one into the next. By track eight, we are being dragged back into “Purple Sky”, though this badass track is an Odd Nosdam Remix, so there are ver important details that have been manipulated from the original, making it a standalone track on its own and the perfect way to round out the EP.
Keep up with Protovulcan here.
