With an evocative title like King on the Cross, you know Mystic Tears are cooking up some kind of trouble. Structured like a sing-along and performed with a blistering disdain directed towards theological figures and the atrocities performed in their names, King on the Cross brings up some of what music lost when psychedelic rock fell out of fashion. There’s something really ear-catching about the juxtaposition of simple, repetitive verses underscored with sinister themes and Mystic Tears know just how to capture that haphazard magic and shoot it with intent and precision.
The bassline walks tall and confidently while vocals echo through the halls toward a distant, menacing distorted guitar. Despite the atmosphere, there is no energy lost. Harmonically rich sound effects via the guitar keep things nice and interesting and the building layers of vocals climax but always come back for more. This is a song that doesn’t only seek to make its point. It doesn’t stop until it’s left you haunted. Whether preaching to the choir or converting new members of the congregation, King on the Cross is sure to draw a crowd for Mystic Tears.
-Paul Weyer