Band:	Kylesa
Album:	Ultraviolet
Style:	Sludge metal
Release date:	May 24, 2013
A review by:	Boxcar Willy

01. Exhale
02. Unspoken
03. Grounded
04. We're Taking This
05. Long Gone
06. What Does It Take
07. Steady Breakdown
08. Low Tide
09. Vulture's Landing
10. Quicksand
11. Drifting

Totally Groovy maaaaaaaaan.

That pretty much sums up Kylesa's Ultraviolet. In a world of generic and boring sludge bands that rely on the same rolling and rolling riffs that are overused again and again, Kylesa manages to do something totally off the beaten path. Be (somewhat) original.

This is good. Take your standard Savannah sludge release, and add a nice dose of acid. Boom, you've got Ultraviolet. The standard heavy-hitting, downtuned riffs that everyone loves are still as present as ever, the "air-drum on your van's steering wheel" drum fills and punk influenced beats are still in the mix. The "pleasantly" gruff female voice of Laura Pleasants* is still a charging force in the sound. So, by now you're probably wondering where the "(somewhat) original" comes in.

WELL I'll TELL YA WHAT.

The originality in this record comes from a whole batch of new things added to the sludge stew; the main ingredient being the new heavy dose of psychedelic and ambient sounds. These new effects and sound waves add much more texture to the basic Plain Jane sludge format we're so used to hearing over and over again. They add more jam and more gusto in the heavier sections, and they fill gaps in the quiet, slower sections. Another new addition is that of the electronic effects. These are another definite plus in my books. Providing much of the same effect as the psychedelic riffs, but perhaps not as filling, the new sounds add something? well, new to the mix. Instead of being boring and normal, Kylesa have really stepped their game up, and have created a really enjoyable sludge/psyche album. Kudos to 'em.

*If you don't like this pun you can F.O.A.D because it's brilliant.