Written by Kirk
Mothman and the Thunderbirds – Portal Hopper
> Progressive metal/dream pop/hard rock
> Pennsylvania, US
> Releasing July 12
> Independent/self-release
Kinda hard to believe that it’s been a little over a year since Mothman and the Thunderbirds dropped the Gazer EP, expanding their ever-amalgamous sound into new directions and missile dropkicking our expectations from the top rope before getting the three count and winning the championship belt yet again. Whether it’s the progressive sludge of their debut album, the blackened crust punk of their CKY cover song, the blackened nu-sludge from their split with World Eaters, or the stoner rock/neo-psych of Gazer, the only guarantee that you get from Mothman and the Thunderbirds is that you’re about to hear some of the craziest, best music you’ve heard this year after you press play. If someone were to do a “Behind the Music” style documentary behind everyone’s favorite band of American cryptids, it would be a deep dive into mastermind Alex Parkinson’s record collection, which I can’t even fathom what it looks like after hearing this record just one time. The influences here are just off the charts, and we have found ourselves in uncharted waters. But hop in my boat, and I’ll do my best to act as your tour guide.
Our first stop is the opening track “Ruby Skies”, a solid temperature check to get fans caught up on where the band of cryptids left things off after Gazer. For those still reeling from last year’s Smash Mouth cover, I suggest y’all buckle up now. This ride’s gonna start getting bumpy in a bit, but with its drumbeat like the hooves of a galloping steed and guitars and synths colliding in a spectacular cascade of majestic beauty, you know it’s gonna be a thriller. Up next is “Polygonal Polliwog”, a synth-driven screed extolling the wonders and mysteries of the universe. But our journey is about to take a dark, ominous turn….
Here is where we encounter the “Flatwoods Monster”, another cryptid of North American folklore whose home—like that of the Mothman—is in West Virginia. Seeking an escape from the mundane earthly world in which we are all trapped, it bestows upon us access to the portals and through which we can explore the world beyond the stars. But what secrets lie just beyond our grasp, and—more importantly—what dangers? What will we find on the other end of the “Liminal Spacetime Continuum”, and will we be able to find our way back?
We emerge in the midst of “Fractals”, a funky little romp that has the tastiest bass riffs this side of the Milky Way and synth lines that will have you jumping out of your seat and dancing down the aisle. Spicing things up a bit with a healthy dose of Old Bay and a couple splashes of Tabasco is “Squonk Kingdom”, which is as far as the portals can take us (which is admittedly pretty far, but there’s more exploring to do). But they have a spaceport, so we sally forth. Onward, to “Akashic Records” and the knowledge of the past, the present, and the future of all things!
It is at this point where our journey once again takes a dark turn. Burdened with the knowledge of all things, we decide that maybe—just maybe—escape from our seemingly tiny, insignificant life is more than we bargained for. However, we are caught in the sticky web of the Flatwoods monster’s power, and we must “Escape from Flatwoods” if we are to return home and make peace with the future that lies ahead. Thankfully, the guitar gets kicked up to 11 and the drums get our blood pumping as we prepare to battle for our freedom from the Flatwoods monster’s clutches. In an album that has been bright and airy, dark and mysterious, and filled with wonder, this song is as close to a metal anthem as we get as we come ever closer to the climax of our adventure.
Victorious in battle and free from the Flatwood monster’s portal hopping powers, we now find ourselves “Somewhere in Time” and facing one of the most terrifying decisions of all: what to do with the time we have remaining. Drifting through the cosmos like “The Zaratan” of ancient folklore, we make peace with the awful knowledge with which we unknowingly and unwillingly have received in order to return to the life we were once so desperate to escape. But there is joy in escaping escapism itself, resigning ourselves to look at the world around us and making the best of it for whatever time is left to us and saying, “So Long (Portal Hopper)”. Lock that awful future in a trunk in your “Attic” and live for today. Hold your loved ones close and be present in the here and now, because you never know what you might miss when your back is turned.
THE BOTTOM LINE
How often do you find yourself straying from the comfortable shores of underground music? While there is a vast ocean of unexplored waters within heavy metal and punk music, all too often do these styles of music feel a little too familiar. Every once in a while, you owe it to yourself to pack a bag and go on vacation. Listen to a reggae album. Or put on a funk record. Change things up and expand your horizons; you may not like it, or you may discover a love for something you never knew existed. In a way, that’s what Portal Hopper is all about: taking a step away from what we think we know and discovering something new. Now, is listening to one Funkadelic album going to unlock the secrets of the past, present, and future of the universe? Probably not, but nothing is stopping you from enjoying what you’re used to listening to, either (not even the Flatwoods monster). So…what are you afraid of?