REVIEW: Maserati - Pyramid of the Sun

Maserati - Pyramid of the Sun
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A pyramid exists when three points converge, meeting at a single point. Maserati, a Georgia-based quartet, lost their drummer, Gerhardt "Jerry" Fuchs, in a tragic accident last year. Before Fuchs' death, Maserati were in the midst of working on a new album, for which Fuchs had recorded a number of drum tracks. The future of the band and their new album were put into question following the loss of Fuchs, one of the most significant creative forces behind their sound. The three remaining members (guitarists Matt Cherry and Coley Dennis, bassist Chris McNeal) were adamant about completing the album, uniting to ensure that something special would result from Jerry Fuchs’ final recordings.

It’s hard to think of an album other than Pyramid of the Sun that speaks more distinctly and eloquently to the spirit, heart, and mind without the utterance of one single word. Without words, Maserati have managed to create a moving memorial for their fallen friend, brother, and musical partner. Pyramid of the Sun is the sound of hope in darkness and the ability and strength of memory to defeat pain and mortality. Maserati are defined by their precision and timing, racing with a sleek and fervent sound. They aren’t about songs as much as they are about the harmony of movement, pace, and direction. With Pyramid of the Sun, we hear the unity of four musically like-minded individuals resulting in one powerful collective force.

Maserati are generically classified as post-rock, but there is much more to this band than their face of instrumentalism. Pyramid of the Sun contains the Motorik-rhythm and experimental tendencies of Krautrock, the meditative, aurally mesmerizing tones of psych, and the dynamic textures and muscle of post-rock. Cherry and Dennis weave their delay-heavy guitar riffs in and out of one another as well as through flourishing sequences of synthesizers, especially on songs like “They’ll No More Suffer From Thirst” and “Oaxaca.” McNeal runs his bass right along with Fuchs' consistent, steady, machine-like drumming to create one hell of a rhythm section. It all mixes together to create an army of sound, a perfect storm of emotion. Even in its relatively simplistic moments, Pyramid of the Sun is so genuinely emotive and deep for how well the album honors Fuchs' playing and memory.

With an introductory statement as bold and earnest as “Who Can Find The Beast?”, Pyramid of the Sun ends up sounding absolutely colossal. At times the band can even seem primordial, smashing away any preconceived notions about the exact origins of their sound. If the Mayans or Aztecs ever made music, I believe it would sound something like Maserati, simply for the band’s sheer force and unrelenting drive. They truly embody the word “powerhouse,” thanks to the anchor of Fuchs' drumming.

Pyramid of the Sun is the convergent point of Maserati’s journey over the past year; the album that helped, once again, make the band whole. Fuchs’ Motorik-style drumming is the land upon which Maserati has constructed an album that is as massive and everlasting as a monument. Closer “Bye M’Friend, Goodbye” is the most upbeat and optimistic song on the album, a fond, bittersweet farewell to Fuchs; it gradually fades implying, in a way, that Fuchs' memory and spirit will never die. On its own, the album is striking, but imbued with the spirit of Fuchs' swan song performances it becomes something momentous. Pyramid of the Sun is Maserati’s pyramid – their monument – for Jerry Fuchs; three points are eternally connected with the fourth.

BUY: Pyramid of the Sun is out today on Temporary Residence Ltd. Pick it up Amazon, Amazon MP3, or directly from Temporary Residence Ltd. here.

MP3: Maserati - "We Got the System To Fight the System" from Pyramid of the Sun