What if June of 44 trended psychedelic with a vague notion of doom? And then some. Halma is a German band that knows all about those great late 90s post-rock bands, and it spins four instrumental tales that clock in at around 40 minutes in total.

Halma Driving by Numbers (Kapitän Platte)

The general technical approach to rhythm and melody is leavened by the aforementioned psychedelic sheen. The guitars aren't quite clean, and there's a general sense of foreboding. Something bad is coming. But when?

Unlike a doom band, Halma prefers to keep the suspense rolling. The black hat never walks into the town square, but the black cloud won't dissipate, either. There is a depth of field in the sound that few accomplish. Dirty Three on Horse Stories, perhaps, but those were kinetic tales. These are languid examinations, and yet they have an undeniable gravity.

Quite unlike anything I've heard in a long while. Halma doesn't ape its influences; it uses them to create something wholly original. This might give you the creeps. Good. It's supposed to. Let the suspense hold you.

Jon Worley