Psychedelic rock legends make a triumphant return after a 5-year hiatus.
The best music reflects a broad view of the world back at us, helping to distill the universal into something much more personal. Since forming in Austin in 2004, The Black Angels have become standard-bearers for modern psychedelic rock that does exactly that, which is one reason the band's new album, *Wilderness of Mirrors*, is so aptly named. In the 5 years since the band’s previous album, *Death Song*, and 2 years spent working on *Wilderness of Mirrors*, pandemics, political upheaval, and continued environmental devastation have supplied abundant grist for The Black Angels' characteristic sonic mill. *Wilderness of Mirrors* expertly refines the band's psychedelic rock attack with a host of intriguing new sounds and textures. And even amidst these new experimentations, The Black Angels remain masterfully true to their psychedelic ancestors like Syd Barrett, Roky Erickson, Arthur Lee, and the members of The Velvet Underground, all of whom are referenced on the album's lead track, "The River." The Velvet Underground song "I'll Be Your Mirror" — that's what all Black Angels records are about," says singer and bassist Alex Maas. "You can’t fight your demons unless you bring them to the forefront and reflect on them. If we can all think about it together, maybe we can come to terms with saving ourselves.”