Sierra’s Pslip: It’s A Journey Through Space And Time [Album Review]

There’s something about Sierra’s Pslip that just sits right. Here’s a new band coming out of Kitchener, Ontario, finding themselves to be the inaugural release on a new label (Retro Futurist) formed by sludge metallers Kylesa.

Sierra isn’t exactly wet behind the ears, but they are still in their infancy as a band. Formed in 2011, they have just one EP to their name and Pslip, their first full-length, on the way (January 28th). However, from the progression of the album to the fuzzed out guitars to the raspy vocals and last, but not least, to the bluesy grunge feel that’s present throughout, this band sounds like they’ve been at it for years.

As soon as you put Pslip on, you will be transported to another space and time, an era when Nirvana was at the top of the food chain and Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains ruled the industry. When Sub Pop records reigned as a label within the “know.” When kids with a hunger for more sought out bands like Mudhoney, Sonic Youth, Melvins, Screaming Trees, The Replacements, Pavement, Hüsker Dü, and more.

All this to say that Sierra’s Pslip definitely has its roots firmly planted in Seattle. So much so that from the vibe to the title, “Little Smoke” sounds like something Jimi Hendrix would have played.

The beauty of this album is that it weaves a melodic magic carpet that opens and closes (“Pslip In” and “Pslip Out,” respectively) soft chords and peaceful melodies while hitting you with heavy, dirty riffs that are reminiscent of Black Sabbath (again, in “Little Smoke” and in “Psquilgalogz”). It’s an incredibly balanced album filled with great melodies and obvious homages to Nirvana (“Into Nothing” – Bleach era) maybe to Collective Soul on the more playful “Control Folly” and, yes, even to Alice in Chains and definitely Mudhoney in other other tracks. Pslip also has instrumental variety (such as the xylophone usage on “Smoke Filled Room”), but it’s mostly straight-forward grunge riffing.

Sierra Is:

Jason Taylor – Guitar/Vox
Robbie Carvalho – Bass
Ky Anto – Drums

The Verdict:

A label by the name of Retro Futurist couldn’t have asked for a better band to make their debut release. Sierra is at once retro, harkening back to the ‘90s, while pushing into the future, perhaps picking up where 2013’s predominantly doom metal flashback left off. If you were a kid of the grunge era, you will most definitely want to pick up Pslip; it’s as well constructed as anything that came out back then.