This is a site where I post reviews of CDs, DVDs, LPs, and concerts. I have been writing music reviews on and off since 1984. I ran a heavy metal fanzine from 1984-1988 called Metal Madness and have been a staff writer for Aural Innovations for many years. I have also contributed to Chrohinga Well (RIP), Bad Acid (RIP), Lowcut (RIP), Roadburn and a number of other zines as well. I recently moved to Portugal so please request the new address and do not send any music to Denmark anymore. Tak..
Friday, February 6, 2015
Sun and the Wolf- Salutations (World in Sound WIS-3024)
Colour Haze- To the Highest Gods we Know (Elektrohasch 010)
Colour
Haze is back with their 10th record and this time a single LP with
five songs. Again, it was recorded all analog at the bands own studio, with a
focus on the best analog sound they can get. There is really no need to
introduce this three piece band, although they are assisted by some special
guests on modular synth, flutes, horns, strings, sounds of wind and water.. Circles
starts things off with some slow building guitar with the tone you all know
before Mani and Philip get pulled into the fold. Stefan’s vocal is soft and
relaxed and occasionally doubletracked. The track just glides along, flowing
like a river until the riff that you hear in 50% of all the bands songs,
appears and the intensity goes up and the drums are beginning to get lost as
the guitar is louder and a violin comes in for a brief 30 seconds or so. Paradise
starts off with a really familiar riff, classic Colour Haze sound and tone, is
it Zen or Roses that they borrow from??
Short 3½ min song, perhaps a single? Ûberall is instrumental and starts
slowly with just guitar for about 2mins before the rest of the band kick in at
a mid-tempo. There is some modular synth somewhere (very low at the beginning?)
but the track ins 8 ½ mins of riffing mostly. Call, features Philip on some
droning Hammond throughout the track but you can hear him best at the
beginning. This track is very stripped down with just Stefan playing a riff
with a really cool guitar tone and a vocal sung over it. At 6½ mins, the rest
of the band kicks in for another 1½ mins of riffs you have heard before. The
only real highlight of the record for me is the title track, which ends the
album which is a brilliant like CH Spanish inspired track, starting with some
acoustic guitar and later drums, violin and horns, etc... Amazing track.
I
have to say besides the last song, I did not really get into this album much.
Probably my least favourite CH album since Chopping Block. It just seems like
they have nothing new to say or express until the end of the record. The artwork is just very stripped down and
simple and just not that interesting and the songs just seem to recycled. Sure,
they throw in a violin here and some strings or some organ or modular synth
there but Stefan plays very little new or interesting guitar and hardly any
solos and Mani is mixed way down in the mix. I liked the sound of the last
record much more. Hum… Sorry guys.. I just did not really get it, I guess…
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Bland Bladen- Vederkvegelse (Kommun2)
Bland Bladen were an
all instrumental psychedelic space rock band from Malmö that existed from about
2002 until 2010. The four piece band were an integral part of the Øresund Space
Collective and all of the members except the drummer still perform on and off
with ØSC. This limited LP features fantastic artwork and a nice insert with a
long history about the band and other info related to this LP. Anyway, the side
A is the last two songs the band recorded in the studio not too long before
they officially split up. It was recorded mostly live plus a few overdubs here
and there. The opening track, Daggväta, starts off quite fast with a great
guitar solo by Sebastian as the band kicks into full blast psychedelic space
rock mode with a nice groovy bass line. Ola later comes in with the Fender
Rhodes that was so characteristic of their sound on the first record. Fantastic
solos by both Sebastian and Ola on this track. Haskaren is next and brings the
intensity down a little bit but the groovy is really cool with Luz, a Brazilian
friend joining in on some congas and additional percussion. Lovely guitar and
keyboard melodies on this track. The side B is actually tracks taken from the
Malmö local jam project that was headed by the amazing visual artist called
Insezt, who also did the album artwork. This was a project he organized that
often included some of the guys from BB plus other local guests. These tracks
are shorter and more chilled but also very cool. It starts off with Visa för
Allmännyttan. The drumming is more laid back and Ola really takes the lead with
some nice Fender Rhodes playing and not that much synths on this track until
the end which is really cool and nice layers of stuff are going on as the track
really gains intensity and the synth sound really goes into your head as it is
mixed really loud. Sine-us is a short track and the bass line and piano make me
feel like Jim Morrison will jump out and sing soon until the guitar kicks in…
The last track is called Beyond the Deepest Deep. I really like this slow
spacey track with some cool wah guitar and lots of spacey synths. Great way to
end the record. This is most likely the last stuff ever by this cool band, so
for sure get this one! 500 copies on three different colours of vinyl and no
digital version…
Janne Westerlund- Marshland (Krypt-071/Ektro 118)
Janne Westerlund is
the guitar player in Circle, Plain Ride and Pharaoh Overlord from Finland. This
is his second solo album and like the first it is pretty much stripped bare
with just Janne, his guitar, dulcimer or banjo and the occasional bits of
percussion. The CD features 10 tracks of
emotional music. It takes a strong Jesus to carry me Home starts things off in
a fairly dark mood. Stranger’s Row is a banjo song that is written for all
those people who are down and out on the streets. Powerful melody and lyrics.
Wow. Treetops is a strummed acoustic track with layered vocals, a simple drum
beat to go with the flowing vocals. Tar is another banjo song for the hobo.. I
have found these songs to be amazingly powerful tracks. Long tall Grass is very passionately sung with
very simple instrumentation. I’m Wrong is a more happy song. See Thru is a
truly incredible song with great lyrics and deep, dark emotion in these few
notes.. This track I have played over and over again. Wow.. Listening Rain returns
us to the banjo. The title track, Marshland has the most complex
instrumentation of any track with a cool effect added on the vocal to
compliment the organ, guitar and simple percussion as well as horn. It is also
the longest track at over 8 mins. Love is the Point ends this CD. Simple,
emotional music that really speaks to me. I loved this record. Brilliant. The video below is a track from his first album but it will give you an idea of the flavor of this record as well.
Killer Boogie- Detroit (Heavy Psych Sounds)
This
is a new Italian three piece band that stoner, 70’s rock, more than Boogie but
have delivered a really solid 9 track LP on the Heavy Psych Sounds label. Bad
Rebel kicks thing into high gear with a more garage rocker before heading into
Riding the Wind, which is a mid-paced track with some cool spacey sounds like
mixed in on Brain Pyramid and Black Rainbows also on this label. The band has
at least one cool guitar solo in each track. My Queen gets a good groove going.
Little Flower is a more hard rock groover that can really suck you in. Silver
Universe was a great laid back spacey track that leads into the UEMG inspired
Cosmic Eye, which is one of the longest tracks and has a slow spaced out
movement in the middle before building up again with a really cool effected
guitar sound. Summertime, is a happy track to shake your ass to. The vocal is
mixed a bit further back on this one for some reason. A happy track! The Golden
Age reminds me a lot of Nebula and Fu Manchu.. Dynamite ends this pretty uptempo
with a classic stoner rock tradition… This was a really cool and enjoyable
album and if you are fans of Radio Moscow, Brain Pyramid, Black Rainbows, UEMG,
etc.. you probably get into this bands groove and rock and roll, straight up,
no surprises, done with class and style..
Easy Chair- Easy Chair EP (World In Sound WIS-1046)
Easy
Chair was a four piece band from Seattle Washington. Phil Kirby- Guitar, Vocals, jeff
Simmons- Bass, Lead vocals, piano, Peter Larsen- Guitar (lead vocals on My Own
life), and Albert Malosky- Drums. These
tracks were recorded in 1968 and released on a very rare one sided album. This
is the first official reissue ever. The first is called Slender Woman and is
mostly instrumental with a slow beginning with a lot of different changes some
focus on the guitar, the bass, the piano but eventually a cool stoney blues
feeling develops in the track. It has a bit of a Jefferson Airplane feeling also.
Jeff was for sure a fan of Marty Balin. My own Life is next and a more uptempo
track but still a bit jammed out with a nice wah guitar section. Easy Chair
ends this single album side. It starts with some piano and has some nice
harmony vocals. Quite a stoney sound… I really did enjoy this a lot but it is
not mind blowing stuff. I could image they were a really cool live band though,
if you ever got to see them. If you like West Coast stuff, early MAN, check it
out…
Ff- Feeling (Thrill Jockey)
Ff
is a new project featuring Dave from White Hills and Antrony also known as Tony
the Interpretive Dancer). Antronhy has played drums for numerous bands
including Bivouac, Punish the Atom, Julian Cope but you won’t hear many on this
release as it is mostly strange samples, synths and some vocals. There are
several editions of this record and I managed to the mail order on in only 50
copies in a white sleeve and a brown vinyl with streaks. It also comes with a
sheet of blotter with two different coloured hands on it.. Would be cool if had
acid on it but seems unlikely but you don’t know if you don’t try it! Anyway,
the record features 10 tracks, 5 on each side of strange soundscapes lasting
about 30mins, that a bit of LSD would for sure enhance your ability to
appreciate this quite abstract music. Fans of the White Hills Oddity series
will for sure dig this…… Far out stuff..
Cranium Pie- Mechanisms Part 2 (Fruits der Mer Records)
The
UK based band, Cranium Pie are back with a new double vinyl record on the
amazing Fruits der Mer label. This time around the band cranks out 4 album side
long tracks, none with song titles. The track glides along with a nice spacey
Fender Rhodes piano that you follow along the drum machine and a disturbing
guitar that pops in at specific intervals and then about 3½ mins the whole
things turns violet as the vocals return and you go back to the main theme.
This fades out and a new section returns with a distorted organ like on
Brainticket as a new track beginnings. The organ and keyboard remain the main focus
for some time. The third movement or track on side A has a repeated synth loop
and more programmed like drums and lots of weirdness until the guitar and voice
kicks in. Now we are at 14 mins and there has been very little guitar before
this point but now he wants to play a bit! Track 2 is once again a collage of
3-4 different tracks-ideas that have a different pull. This one is a bit more
jazzy and has more guitar as well but also a lot of far our movements and
pieces. The organ dominates at the end as the spoken word samples returns. Track
3 starts off with a really funky guitar and groove but sadly it fades away into
strangeness all too fast as you feel as if something terrible is going to
happen next……….. disco?..No… just some samples, circus music and then…. Anyway,
this record has surprises around every corner and is a very cool and
interesting listen. I enjoyed it a lot the three times I have heard it now… If
you dig the first Brainticket and Polytoxicmane Philharmonie, and Soft Machine
all mixed together you will dig this.
Mos Generator/Issak split LP (Heavy Psych Sound Records)
This
is the first new material from Mos Generator this year but I am sure not the
last. The three songs here are quite different for the band and they were all
recorded back in 2008 for an aborted album. Tony plays some keyboards on the
opening track, which he says was inspired by the movie Altered States. Time and
Other Theives Tony says was inspired by VoiVod and has had a number of versions
layers added at different times but he has stripped a lot of that back for this
final version of a song he is happy is out to the people now. Outlander has
hardly any guitars but is a beautiful spacey track lead mainly by the
keyboards, simple bass and drum groove. Very cool floating vocals.. This
material is unlike anything you have heard released under the name Mos
Generator but cool tracks, so who cares? The Issak track is only long 15min
track with a lot of different moods. It starts off slow and a bit spacey with
some long spoken word speeches by the crazy preacher, Jim Jones. Far out stuff
but it sets a cool vibe for when the stoner rock riffs kick in and it gets
heavy. I quite liked this track and they return to the same theme at the end
where the song started. A pretty cool 30min record… The record has really nice
details about all the songs by both bands.
Sun and the Wolf- Salutations (World in Sound WIS-3024)
This
is a new band for me but they have a catchy groove and remind me of
Spirtualized or early 90s Sundial without the great guitar playing. They are a
quartet originally from New Zealand but moved to Berlin to make their mark on
the music world. The band has previously released one record, called White
Buffalo. I really dig the opening track, 87 years, such a cool groove and sound.
Settle Down has a more dark vibe and is one of the longer tracks at nearly
5mins and has some drone synths and some conga in the mid-end groove section
and some guitar but not that interesting compared to the rest of the sound.
Great track. ! All we Need features a real 60s fuzz guitar and vibe but still
have floating feeling. Ghetto Drum is a slightly slower piece with these
slightly more spacey vocals and guitars. Waves
in front of Me has a some cool layers of fuzz and wah guitar as a heavy
deep bass line pushes the track as the vocals put you in this ethereal world.
Into this Mess starts off like a jam with a lazy bluesy, psychedelic guitar as
the groove gets more catchy and melodic vocal develops to follow the guitar or
the other way around and then they have a bit of a jam and space out but the
guitar player only teases and never really just kicks ass and plays a massive
solo.. only toying with us, sadly… This is probably my favourite track with the
opening one but still under 5mins. The Fisherman starts with a loop and then
the drums and bass kick in and then the vocals and happy vibe. Why are we not
Fading is one of the more hard rocking tracks on the CD. Never Sorry finished
off the CD and is another of the more melodic dreamy tracks. A lot of this CD I
liked a lot and some of it was bit too mainstream dreamy pop rock stuff but
fans of Tame Impala, Spiritualized, and the 90s UK psych-pop scene should check
these guys out. They write a lot of good songs.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Freak Valley Festival 2014 DVD (Rock Freaks- Heavy Media)
This
double DVD just came out to document the very cool festival called Freak Valley
that celebrates modern 70s inspired, psychedelic and stoner rock… This is a
double DVD and a very cool documentary on the festival. Anyone that was there
will recall great memories of the place, the people and bands as they walk around
and film all over and talk to a number of fans (mostly in German with no
subtitles but some people from other countries as well). The video footage has
in general been quite well edited and not just set on change camera every 5
seconds so when there is a longer guitar solo, you might be a lot of it filmed
and not focusing on the drummer or something.. They paid attention.. I thought
all the bands would be represented but there are a number that did not make the
DVD such as Samsara Blues Experiment and Sir Admiral Cloudsley Shovell. I was
happy to see a number of bands from the first day that I missed like Lone
Crows, The Midnight Ghost Train, Ivy garden of the Desert and Radio Moscow…
Most bands have one complete song but a few are missing a complete track like
the Elder track is cut short and Øresund Space Collective (our jam was like
20mins..) Nice to see the headline bands agreeing like Blues Pills and radio
Moscow, although Kadavar is missing. Anyway, this is an awesome DVD and highly
recommended.. The Documentary has English subtitles which is great.. Fantastic work guys and gals…
Sendelica- Anima Mundi (FRG Records)
Sendelica,
the Welsh psychedelic space rock band, will have a new record out in early 2015
called Anima Mundi. It will be released on in many formats including, vinyl
(diff colours), CD, DVD and some sort of box set. The record features 8 tracks
and starts off with Craeft Worker. It starts off with some electronics and
synths before reverb guitar and rest of the instruments kick in. the programmed
drums gives it this strange artificial sound as the music floats and glides.
Quite a long psychedelic floating piece. I love the horn solo. Master Benjamin
is a more uptempo track that reminds me a lot of GONG when they are energetic.
Some really cool guitar, sax and just high energy space rock… Great long song.
The Pillar of Dehli is very spacey and I half expected Daevid Allen to start to
sing a duet with David Gilmour.. That is the vibe.. Azoic is a slow building
floating track that leads into the more rocking Baabek Stones which starts off
with a really cool wah guitar solo over what sounds like programed drums and
bass. A bit later the saxophone with a long delay comes in to take the track in
a different direction as the programed stuff ends briefly. The Breyr is another long track and has a
pretty heavy guitar and pretty much stays as a long guitar improv over the
other instruments. Some beautiful synths at the end of the track. Searohwit is
a dream piece and totally synth based and features some piano as well. The Hedge Witch ends the record in a mellow
way also and is mostly synth based. I was surprised that the record was so
electronic based but there is still some really great stuff here with lots of
different moods for everyone that likes spacey music.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Top Records of 2014
3rd ear
Experience- Incredible Good Fortune (Space Rock Productions)
3rd
Ear is an amazing band from the desert in California playing very heart felt
and intense Space Rock music. This record really blew me away when I got it at
the Burg Herzberg from Andi, courtesy of the band. A very special ritual was
performed with a red carpet as well and this really touched me but this is
about the music and the 4 amazing pieces that make up this CD and double vinyl
release. Fans of ØSC, Hidria Spacefolk, Mantric Muse, Ozric tentacles, etc..
will dig this band..
2.
Black Moon
Circle- Andromeda (Crispin’ Glover Records)
This record is just amazing and these songs have really captivated me. BMC have a unique sound that is really special to them. The way the songs work, the special vocals with amazingly cool lyrics and those guitar riffs and solos combed with killer bass and drums for long excursions. You just have to hear it…. If you like the old band Gas Giant and really jammed out psychedelic stoner space rock, this is the band…
This record is just amazing and these songs have really captivated me. BMC have a unique sound that is really special to them. The way the songs work, the special vocals with amazingly cool lyrics and those guitar riffs and solos combed with killer bass and drums for long excursions. You just have to hear it…. If you like the old band Gas Giant and really jammed out psychedelic stoner space rock, this is the band…
After this there are a just a lot
of great records and I can’t really order them after these.. all great..
3.
Ethiva- Ethiva
(Clostridium records) Fantastic Pink
Floyd inspired Spanish band.
4.
Marblewood- Marblewood Two members from Ginger (Switzerland) and an
amazing really jammed out classic rock band..
5.
Papir- IIII (El
Paraiso records) What can I say….. Their
instrumental prowess is awesome and I just get hooked and addicted…
6.
Organic is
Orgasmic- As we Speak of Space and Wisdom…. Amazing spacey instrumental music
by Kallie from the Grand Astoria..
7.
Agusa- Agusa
(Kommun2) Swedish folk melodies blended
into 1972 Canterbury scene..
8.
Bong- Stoner
Rock (Ritual Productions) when you just need to drone out to stoned oblivion….
9.
Fuzz Manta-
Stonewolf (Bilocation records) The best
album from Denmark in 2014. No more needs to be said.
10.
Wo Fat- The
Conjuring (Small Stone Records)…. Wow… this band just kills it once again with
amazing band interplay and killer guitar….
11.
The Gravitors-
Motherload ….. a band I think are overlooked when I look on the internet.
Fucking killer record….
12.
Seun Kuti and
Egypt 80- A long way to the Beginning (Afrobeat, very political)
13.
The Spacious
Mind- Greasy Green and the Stoney Lonesomes (Kommun2)
14.
Mos Generator-
Electric Nomads (more raw, jammy and awesome songs)
15.
John Garcia-
John Garcia
16.
Siena Root-
Pioneers (a move into Deep Purple territory)
17.
Brant Bjork-
Black Power Flower
18.
Causa Sui- Pewt’r
Sessions III (El Paraiso Records)
19.
Øresund Space
Collective- Music for Pogonologists (Space Rock Productions)
20.
Pink Floyd- The
Endless River
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
L’Ira del Baccano- Terra 42 (Subsound Records)
L’Ira
del Baccano are a new band from Rome, Italy. I heard of this band as the guitar
player Alessandro is the boyfriend of my friend Banessa a really cool local DJ
in Malmö. The record has been released on CD as well as double vinyl in three
different colours. The band plays really cool progressive spacey but very
tightly composed instrumental rock music. The opening track called the Infinite
Improbability Drive is split in to 3 parts. The opening sections start off like
some progressive metal but this does not last long before the track glides down
into a more spacey realm with cool space sounds and nice beautiful guitar
playing. The track floats along like this and then raises up with some
intensity after a while.
Part two starts with some intense stop start sections
and synth sounds before the direction the track will follow unfolds as the wah
guitar leads the way. A lot of time changes occur keeping the 9min track very
interesting. It ends very psychedelic like old Hawkwind before heading into
part 3, which starts off really mellow with a nice psychedelic tapestry laid
underneath with some glissando like guitar. Lovely bass playing and a nice
repeated guitar riff let you slowly glide away. Again, many themes are visited
before the bass takes the lead the guitar really takes off with some wild
intense guitar. Lovely 32min piece. Wow.. Sussurri is another 2 part song that lasts 11½
mins with some nice synth sounds as the other instruments glide into the mix.
Like Jerry also says this one reminds me of RUSH (the old stuff!) and I like
the guitar solo despite it being quite short. Volcano X13 is the last track and
also the longest at 14½ mins. This track is much like the other but has one of
the best guitar solos of the album. I wish they were a bit longer but lots of variety
and just an amazing vibe on this record. I would recommend reading my friend
Jerry’s review of this album as well as I more of less have the same view as he
does. Great stuff…
Les Lekin- All Black Moon Rainbow (Ozium Records)
Les
Lekin are a new band from Austria playing mostly improvised and instrumental
stoner doom rock with a lot of really cool guitar playing. After a short intro
piece the CD kicks in heavy with Solum, a long piece that sets the feel for the
entire CD.. heavy doomy rock music with a lot of intense guitar playing. Peter
is mostly just riffing and using some effects on this track but he really let’s
loose with some killer solos later on. Useless starts with just guitar and sets
a mood quite different from the opening track but the heavy bass is still
filling the space as they search for that moment to take it to another level
and man, he plays a great guitar solo as Useless merges into Allblack. The riff
that starts this one I have heard before and reminds me of Monkey 3. This one builds up in layers before peter
kicks into a intense wah guitar solo. This track is one of the highlights of
the CD. Loom starts with some intense guitar that sounds massive at loud
volume! The track is a slow stoney one with nice space blues like solo that
leads into the more doomy section and then slow spacey blues. Nice stuff.
Release is the final track and reminds me a bit of Colour Haze. Great record
guys…
Fans of Wight, Samsara blues
Experiment, Wo Fat, Monkey 3, My Sleeping Karma… will dig this band.
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