4 out of 5

Label: self-released

Produced by: Matthew Bower (?)

Bookends of repetition wrap around some interesting folksiness, and Sunroof!-esque glimmer.

The “usual” Skullflower barrage: depths of grinding guitar; waves of psychedelic also-guitar; and a hammering – at various intensities – of different effects, and noise. ‘Points’ has the benefit of feeling somewhat structured overall, with its opening and closing tracks heavily favoring a strong, limited guitar line in the mix which sets the tracks into drone territory. The closing track starts in almost sci-fi guitar realms before shifting into this, making the magic pretty effective – you’re lured into the trance. The opener (‘My Sweet Lord’) is maybe a bit more standoffish by comparison, just wailing on that riff uber alles. Interestingly, the digital – which ditches the last two tracks – swaps ‘Lord’ for ‘Tawny Rose Filigree’ at the start.

‘Tawny Rose’ is a pretty amazing standout, casting way back in the SF timeline to when riffs were more discernible; it’s vaguely folksy feeling, and a bit looser and more welcoming than your usual noise assault from Bower.

‘Dieucifor,’ in the digital, mixes a kind of drilling “percussion” element way up high, which makes it intriguingly punishing – another form of the drone of the opener, but it’s not a trance, more like fight between the “bars” of this percussion and the guitar raging beneath. On the disc version, the mix is more balanced, making this track (and the untitled one that follows) akin to the clangy psych of Sunroof!, both tracks adding some appreciated chaos to the disc.