Thunderous riffs and memorable hooks are two things many bands can do successfully, but to combine them seamlessly is a bit more of a rarity. Brooklyn’s Upper Wilds thrive on pummeling listeners with heavy doses of bass, guitar and drums that recall metal and punk’s finest moments, but their melodies will also stick around long after the record has finished playing. I described Upper Wilds in my review of their 2023 album Jupiter as “Hüsker Dü meets Black Sabbath“, and I’m happy to report that their new album, Mercury, is a healthy dose of the same.
Consisting of vocalist and guitarist Dan Friel, bassist Jason Binnick, and drummer Jeff Ottenbacher, Upper Wilds continue their tradition of assigning planets to album titles (Jupiter, Venus, Mars), and it makes sense, as their sound is vast and enormous. Friel—whose other band, noise/punk legends Parts & Labor, recently released Set of All Sets, their first album in 14 years—vacillates between lightning-fast guitar leads and bruising riffs, paired with vocal melodies that recall the catchy punch of power-pop.
The opening title track assures Upper Wilds fans that they are in familiar territory. The group lock in tightly as Friel pontificates the heat of the planet closest to the sun: “Everything looks like fuel to a fire / Just can’t help but burn a little higher / Kept us warm, but now it needs to feed / And I feel those flames come hunting after me.” Meanwhile, the punk energy continues to be a palpable force as Ottenbacher’s breakneck drum beats open “Fever” like a runaway train (a song that also features backing vocals from Erin Dawson of Los Angeles-based experimental black metal band Genital Shame) and Friel’s fingers whip around the fretboard with lightning speed on the energetic “Burning Bright”.
Not afraid of tackling deep subjects, Mercury contains a few death-inspired songs, including “Reaper”, featuring a scene-stealing performance from Jeff Tobias on EWI (electronic wind instrument), the thumping “Green-Wood Cemetery”, and the fiery “Death Song #3”, with a chorus that sounds lifted from Monster-era R.E.M. For all their well-deserved Brooklyn punk cred, Upper Wilds thrive on the sheer power of metal-influenced riffs and a powerful rhythm section.
“Dark Road” could be Black Sabbath at their peak after a residency at CBGB’s, but true to their album title, these grooves also carry a hefty dose of space-rock, as shown by the closing track, “Dying Star”, which sounds both ponderous and anthemic. “In time we all become undone again,” Friel sings as the song and the record fade off into the galaxy.
Mercury is one of those albums that you want to play for anyone raised on stoner rock, punk, or a combination of the two, who’s constantly complaining that nobody makes that kind of music anymore. Upper Wilds are still as strong as ever, and their new record proves that in spades.