With an album cover that has a on-coming shark about to attack an office building, Black Mountain is saying you better be ready for its next album, which is slated to be released on September 14. The Canadian quartet’s third release, released on Jagjaguwar, is different than it’s earlier material and like the album’s cover, the music has matured to the point where you have no choice but to pay attention. Unlike their earlier records, Wilderness Heart marks a shift in sound for Black Mountain. Stephen McBean’s familiar howling vocals and the band’s trademark formula of hard riffs and ominous synths are still in place, but the rest of the of the album is different and this isn’t a bad thing.

“It’s our most metal and most folk oriented album so far,” said McBean. And he’s right. The album varies from track to track. The album’s first single, “Old Fangs” is a typical Black Mountain song with the heavy riffs, but the next few songs take a sharp turn to the folk side. It’s almost as if the band is out to prove their songwriting chops with their new tunes.

Some of the best songs like “Rollercoaster” and “Buried By The Blues” are examples of the folk oriented sound that McBean describes. These smooth tunes, which feature the backing vocals of Amber Webber, are some of the best songs the band has written. In addition, raw guitar-driving rock jams “Let Spirits Ride,” which channels The Stooges and the album’s title track are proof of the rockers new direction.

For Wilderness Heart, the band added a new element to the recording process: a producer. With the addition of Randall Dunn (Sunn O))), Boris) and Dave Sardy (Oasis, Spoon, LCD Soundsystem), the band let outsiders into their recording process, which had positive effects on them.

“It’s a Black Mountain pop record, which is to say it’s nothing like a pop record,” said drummer Joshua Wells. “We’ve never worked with producers before and that was a challenge for us. It some growing for us to truly be open, but this album is all the better for it.”

Though the songs may be different, Black Mountain’s new album is as interesting it’s provocative cover. It may take some getting used to for hardcore fans, but in this case, change is a good thing.

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