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SISTERIA
Dark Matter

Horton (2022)
Rating: 8.5/10

Fronted by vocalist Katie Williams, Sisteria, according to the press release, “is a thunderous new psychedelic band from Norman, Oklahoma”, and that “from the outset the band unchains itself from streaming algorithms and expectations, choosing instead to feed the desires of art itself”.

For me, Sisteria explores the female-fronted doom / stoner realm touched upon by so many artists, only this time there’s less occult waffle, even with that familiar Jefferson Airplane groove at times mixed with an almost off-the-wall Kate Bush-cum-PJ Harvey-style vocal appreciation.

For those seeking the heavier side of things, fear not, as you’ll still be treated by the usual Black Sabbath influences and high doses of fuzziness from the off as Sisteria embarks on a trajectory similar to, say, Purson, but with more fuzz as evidenced with the exceptional ‘Wade My Way’ with its heavy construction and wistful vocals, while ‘Hunger’ stomps with a distorted Led Zeppelin menace to the gale of Katie’s ethereal warbles.

The theme throughout is clear; heavyweight chops caressed by Katie’s haunting voice, but not in the generic contemporary occult rock sense. These guys appear to have more depth without being propelled by black magic imagery, but one cannot argue with the initially stark, stone-baked ‘Reaper’ which leads into the dark soundscape of ‘Burial Ground’, a surreal, often eerie trickle of tapping percussion and samples.

Elsewhere ‘Om/Yes’ unravels as a vast, sprawling nod born from reflective origins, while ‘Ramblin’ Woman’ really does showcase Katie’s soulful tones. Dark Matter is strangely and, I assume, intentionally therapeutic throughout. ‘Star Child’ creeps and crawls with a foreboding but also a comforting, haunting sprawl before it cascades with a brilliant organ drench, ‘Pale In The Darkness’ feels like a bewitching Stevie Nicks outtake of unadorned drum and ethereal design, and ‘Winter Crow’ is just one of those unexpected organ-fused gems that’s ridiculously infectious with its funkiness.

Dark Matter is an all-rounder of a rock ‘n’ roll record daubed in 70s grooves, 60s psychedelia, flashes of doominess, but above all a moreish blend of coolness that enables it to step away from the current fads bogging down the so-called “doom / stoner” scene.

Neil Arnold

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