Review: The Mercury Tree – Spidermilk

Style: experimental microtonal rock, progressive rock (clean vocals)
Review by: Stephen
Country: Oregon, United States
Release date: 4 April, 2019

NOTE: This album was originally included in the Missed Albums 2019 issue of The Progressive Subway

I feel like I should make two disclaimers before I dive into this review. First of all, The Mercury Tree is one of my favorite bands of all-time. So full disclosure I love this band. Secondly, Spidermilk is a completely 17 EDO microtonal album. So if you are not a fan of dissonance, this album will either be an acquired taste for you, or not your cup of tea. Now that I got the disclaimers out of the way, let’s dive in!

As I mentioned before, Spidermilk is a 17-EDO microtonal album and with that, the album oozes with creepiness and unsettling sounds. I first heard Spidermilk about nine months ago shortly after the album was released, and as soon as “I Am a Husk” began, I knew this album was going to be a completely new sonic experience. For lack of a better expression, the dissonant riffs gave me the willies… in the best way possible. As the album progressed, my ears adjusted to the dissonance and I found myself listening more and more intently to each song.

I could give a song by song breakdown of this album, but for sake of length, I’ll stick to my personal highlights. Every song that followed “I Am a Husk” I enjoyed more and more as I adjusted to the album. Then enters the song, “I’ll Pay”. To this day, “I’ll Pay” is one of my favorite songs off the album. Even with the songs that preceded, for me, this song was on another level. The moment from 3:42 to about 4:38 is probably my favorite minute on the album. My other favorite song on the album is the closing track, “Tides of the Spine”. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect closing song to this album, and taking that one step further, couldn’t imagine a more perfect outro to the song. Every single time I listen to the end “Tides of the Spine” it sends shivers up my spine. Every. Damn. Time.

Taking a step back, on a high level Spidermilk feels as if you are listening to a lucid dream. After multiple listens, I still have not been able to make sense of the lyrics. While I’m sure there is some code I have not broken, I think the confusing (for lack of a better term) lyrical content just adds to the enjoyment of the album. Again, this album might not be for everyone, but it’s an album and band I cannot recommend enough. If you are desperate to hear something completely different, I would bump Spidermilk up to a must listen. In closing, this band is one that has been near and dear to my heart for a long time now. Even if Spidermilk doesn’t work for you, I encourage you to dig deeper into The Mercury Tree.

Recommended tracks: All
Recommended for fans of: Steven Wilson, Kayo Dot, Cheer-Accident, microtonal music
Final verdict: 9.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | RYM page

Label: Independent

The Mercury Tree is:
– Ben Spees (vocals, guitar, keyboards)
– Connor Reilly (drums)
– Oliver Campbell (bass)
– Igliashon Jones (guitar)
– Tony Mowe (saxophone)