From the Vaults, Vol. 1

Recording information: Jam Room (2005-2012).
An odds-and-ends collection from psychedelic sludge merchants Kylesa, From the Vaults, Vol. 1 shows that, even when it comes to outtakes and castaways, the band is willing to go that extra mile to make it a mind-altering experience for the listener. Change the name and get rid of a couple of the less useful filler tracks like "Bass Salts" and "Drum Jam," and From the Vaults could easily have been a studio record, showing all of the care and craft that the band put into its critically acclaimed breakout album, Spiral Shadow. Differing from the myriad rarities compilations filled with basement recordings and long-forgotten demo tapes, the songs here are actual studio recordings from Kylesa's session at the Jam Room in South Carolina, giving the album a studio sound that elevates it above the typically dingy four-track recordings that these collections often contain. Aside from the alternate takes and also-rans, listeners are treated to covers of Pink Floyd's "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" and Buzzov*en's "Drained." This combination of psychedelic rock and ominous, sludgy doom feels like the essential building blocks of Kylesa's sound, providing listeners with a glimpse of the bands that live inside Kylesa's musical DNA. While this collection obviously isn't the best place for newcomers to cut their teeth, From the Vaults, Vol. 1 is a collection that will give longtime fans a taste of what could have been in some kind of alternate time line, making the album essential listening for Kylesa diehards. ~ Gregory Heaney