UNCAPPED 013: PURPLE RHINESTONE EAGLE

By Ezra Morris

We caught Purple Rhinestone Eagle, a black-clad, high volume trio hailing from Portland, OR, as they convened at the Woods in their hometown to blast out a potent brew of fuzzed-out mystical psych-metal. Ditching the flying broomstick for a Flying V, singer/guitarist Andrea Genevieve’s Valkyrie war cry rode the thunder churned up by bassist Morgan Ray Denning and drummer Ashley Spungin. Headbanging and air guitars were on full display as the packed audience was transported across dimensions and time.

Everyday is like Sunday for the women of Purple Rhinestone Eagle. In other words, everyday is all about the SABBATH. Along with Ozzy and Iommi, Lemmy of Motörhead and Hawkwind fame is another key figure in their pantheon. Mixed with the slow-burn throb perfected by the Melvins, Purple Rhinestone Eagle kicks out a ferocious blend of the highest points of heaviness achieved over the last four decades.

Like Vancouver’s Black Mountain, Purple Rhinestone Eagle worships the riff and embraces the catharsis of a trance-like groove. Similar to their other northern neighbors in Big Business, they can temper the psychedelic aspects with a punchy, punk rock ferocity when needed. Along with a healthy dose of trippiness, Purple Rhinestone Eagle strikes a balance between the seemingly opposite poles of fellow Portlanders Sleater-Kinney and Tragedy—one with their “show us your riffs” swagger and the other with their fist-pumping arena-crust fury. Whichever formula they’re working with, Purple Rhinestone Eagle is a welcome addition to Portland’s always impressive music scene.