Review: Black Book Lodge Enter Another Measure in Their Little Black Book

My roommate and I were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to spend a week in Colorado completely for free recently. We all know why people tend to go to Colorado these days, but let’s put that aside for a moment. What’s important here is that when I listened to Black Book Lodge’s sophomore LP, Entering Another Measure, I got to do it outside while watching it rain over the Rocky Mountains.

Now if that doesn’t sound like the most magnificent shit you’ve ever heard in your life, you’re dumb and you should feel dumb because, like the view, this album is magnificent. For the most part I like my music fast, distortion pedaled to hell and unintelligible in the lyrics department, but in this case, Entering Another Measure’s eerie drone is the perfect yin to my yang. If Mastodon and Muse had a baby in Denmark and never taught it how to run, that baby would be Black Book Lodge. This baby is neither as upbeat as momma Muse nor does is have as much blood and thunder as papa Mastodon, and said baby would be perpetually stoned. But if you combined the two bands, slowed it down and then slapped some clean vocals on it, you’d get Black Book Lodge. The album’s second track, “Ad Interim,” is a good example of this.

There’s very little not to like about Entering Another Measure other than that at times the vocals feel a little washed out by the rest of the band. The ambience of Entering Another Measure makes it perfect for zoning out and getting lost in, and sometimes albums like that are satisfying in the same way that climbing a mountain is. Just without the thin air, aching leg muscles and rattlesnakes.

So if it isn’t obvious by now, this album rocks from start to finish, which is how it should be listened to. To further enhance your Entering Another Measure listening experience, I would recommend an outdoor view of the Rocky Mountains, a rainstorm and a cold craft beer. Funny-smelling cigarettes are optional but encouraged.

Entering Another Measure is out now via Mighty Music. Stream the album in full and purchase it via Bandcamp.