The Raptor Trail - Devil On An Indian

This is a band that has slipped under my radar. The Raptor Trail are a band from North Carolina that have released two albums and have released last year a concept album entitled, Devil On An Indian. It’s a story about internal spiritual warfare that comes from a young man who is coming to grips of his Native American Indian heritage after being raised in the 21^st century white Christian morality after a severe motorcycle accident.

The album is set in three movements. The album has a powerful story with a sad ending of a young man going through the motions of what he notices and realizes that this is not what he has expected in the future. It is suddenly a dystopian society that is headed for an apocalypse. The music itself is staggering from beginning to end. The band considers Gene Bass on Drums and Percussion, Matt Mayes on Vocals, Guijo, Acoustic Guitar, and Banjo, and John Meyer on Vocals, Guitar, Effects, Keyboards, and Bass.

Ten Bears opens the track with a Hammond Organ and roaring electric guitar that bursts through the flood gates like a bat out of hell as the composition goes through an alternative acoustic rock as the music and lyrics reminisces of Pearl Jam’s Ten-era along with Quaker Pets. With its heavy riffs and trying to run away from the past, present, and future, there’s no turning back with an embracing and melodic texture.

But it’s Dream Catcher that made my eyebrows go up. It has these ominous banjo chords and the thundering drums and percussion atmosphere with an ending that is chilling and eerie featuring eerie keyboards and alarming guitars. It brings to mind the ‘70s Space Rock sounds of Ash Ra Tempel’s Manuel Gottsching and Aphrodite’s Child’s 666.

The closer Red Giant is where everything turns into an apocalyptic nightmare. You have this climatic volcanic roar of the Bass and Guitar with a harmonic soundings as the motorcycle revs up and driving into the night before ending with the pandemonium beginning and the explosion hitting for the nightmare to begin of annihilation.

Now is this a great album? No. Powerful and Mind-Blowing? In a roundabout way, yes. Devil on an Indian is an astounding album I’ve listened to this year. The story and music along with the lyrics will capture you to know that they aren’t showing off, but giving you a lot of power and glory throughout the concept. So I recommend checking them out.