Son of a Witch- Commanded by Cosmic Forces (Kozmik Artifactz/Death Time Records)

This was released in Brazil in 2019 and only this year by Kozmik Artifactz in Germany on vinyl with a CD as well.  I quite liked some of their first album from 2016 so it was interesting to hear the new one. It features 6 tracks in about 50minutes.  After an intro, the Black Clouds of Lie kicks in with some heavy doom straight off.  Some really powerful vocals by King Lizzard.  The track really kicks off at about 3.5 minutes and after another heavy section the band space out with some cool guitar and bass-drums and then they hit the high tempo stoner rock groove. Killer track. Breathe Dust slows things down a lot. Some long delays on the vocals, which I like as it makes it more psychedelic.  The track changes a lot and becomes more melodic as it heads to the end but not before returning to some epic doom. Idol of Marble starts slowly with the bass leading the way and you keep expecting them to kick into some super heavy doom but they sort of stay in this interesting bluesy slow glide.  Dry Leaves brings the heavy back on this quite emotional track. Melting Ocean closes out this diverse doom rock record.  Great effort guys. Obrigado…..

 

https://kozmik-artifactz.com/

https://sonofawitch666.bandcamp.com/

Head in the Clouds (Frutis de Mer Records- Strange Fish 18 )

This is quite the massive compilation featuring a lot of folks that have not been released on Fruits before as well as some of your usual faves.  IT is being released as a double LP or double CD (with extra track).  It was going to be too expensive to put out a 5LP box set, sorry folks. This is all original material except the Maat Lander track (one of my faves on here) and a nod to the old Berlin school or electronic music. Most but not all tracks are exclusive to this release. Jah Budddha, Craig Padilla and Marvin Allen, Trace Imprint, Saturn’sAmbush, Jack Ellister, Anton Barbeau, Exedra, MAC of BIOnighT, Under Golden Canopy, Son of Ohm, Brenden Pollard, Jay Tausing, The Lost Stoned Pandas, Vibravoid, Sula Bassana, Helicon Wave, Blue Lilly Commission, and Black Tempest.. A lot of groups.. Many hours of synth space outs for long trips on winter nights…. It should be noted that there is no music shared between the LP and CD so to get the full 5hrs you need to buy both!!!  See below for details and also the web site link.  Not sure what tracks were my fave but I really liked the Maat Lander and Vibravoid contributions. 

LP1 side 1 

1 Jah Buddha - Direction Berlin (12:53) 

2 Craig Padilla and Marvin Allen - Aquatic (7:44)

LP1 side 2

1 Trace Imprint - Flow and Connect 

2 Maat Lander - Ocean Of Tenderness (originally by Ashra) 

3 Saturn's Ambush - Van Allen Belt 

LP2 side 1

1 Jack Ellister - Der Schiffer (2:33)

2 Anton Barbeau - 'Berlin School Of Doubt' (6:38)

3 exedra - Exoplanet Transit (5:58)

4 MAC of BIOnighT - Scars (6:45) 

LP2 side 2

1 Under Golden Canopy - Under Golden Canopy (10.33) 

2 Son of Ohm - Pixies (11:49) 

CD1 

1 Craig Padilla and Marvin Allen - Weathering The Storm 

2 Brendan Pollard - Sequenzerzeit (10:02)

3 Jay Tausig - Triangulum (20.42) 

4 Mac of BIOnighT - Manmade Horrors (6.55)

5 The Lost Stoned Pandas - Track One (Metal Mickey mix) (4:42)

6 Jah Buddha - Wall Of Blissando (11:25)

7 Vibravoid - Im Zentrum Des Kosmos Ist Ein Auge Das Alles Sieht (10:35)

CD2 

1 Trace Imprint - ...As We Walked Under Water (4:17) 

2 Sula Bassana - Shushie's Reise (21.29) 

3 Craig Padilla - Galaxia (10:42) 

4 Helicon Wave - For Edgar (8:35) 

5 Blue Lily Commission - Half Asleep At The Blue Gates Of Evening (19:14)

6 Black Tempest - The Sun Rises, The Sun Sets, The Moon Shines (8:18) 

http://www.fruitsdemerrecords.com/clouds.html

Sundial- Mind Control Deluxe Edition (Sulatron 2020)

Sundial released this album about 8 years ago on another label.  This is what you can call a deluxe version that includes an entire new album of material, some of which is archive and some are from the same era as Mind Control. The double CD version includes 2 tracks not on the 2LP version.  There are also two bonus tracks on the regular LP as well. It is quite a cool package and if you liked this album before, you will really like it now.  On this record they returned to work with the producer (Hugo) that they worked with on their Debut album, Other Way Out.  While I did not hear so much of that sound on the original album, some of the bonus tracks for sure sound more like that era, which was nearly 30 years ago now. Wow.. Love Sundial.. Still a creative force today!! Limited to 500 copies. The band and full track list is below. 

Gary Ramon (guitars, vocals, mellotron, mini-moog, arp, hammond organ, drums)

Scorpio (bass guitar, 6-string bass guitar, moog taurus 3 bass pedals)

Conrad Farmer (drums)

Joolie Wood (violin, melodica, flute, bass recorder)

Cleo Ramon (moog source)

Tracklist- Original Mind Control album (Disc 1): 

Mountain Of Fire & Miracles 09:21

Radiation 07:38

Burned In 01:44

Mind Control 08:53

Last Rays Of The Sun 03:53

In Every Dreamhome A Heartache 06:29

Bonustracks compared to first vinyl version:

Seven Pointed Star (short version) 02:51

World Within You 04:29

Tracklist- Flashbacks from the Aether (Disc 2): 

Lost and Found 04:07

I Can Tell 06:33

Liquid Grey 04:00

Seven Pointed Star (full version) 03:06

Fire From Heaven 02:42

Mask Of Dawn (part one) 05:41

Siren Song 03:18

1018a 04:03

Radiation (early mix) 07:39

Mask Of Dawn (part two) 06:33

CD-Bonus Tracks:

Burned In (alternative take) 05:00

Spiral 03:32

 

http://sulatron.com

White Manna- Arc (Cardinal Fuzz Records)

White Manna are back with a new record.  Their last record really blew me away and I think it was perhaps their best ever… This new one, I was not sure what to expect but man, the band have take their psych up another level, again.  The first two tracks remind me a lot of 1970-1971 era Hawkwind but with a 2020 twist!!!  Next is a track with an interesting synth line but they eventually take you to a different universe. There are a bunch of short songs 1-2mins on the record that try to connect your brain back to reality after they blow your mind with each new track.  Sometimes it felt like some of the stuff did not fit together in their cosmic mix but overall this is some serious acid music to transport you to another planet!!! 

http://CFUL.bandcamp.com

http://whitemanna.bandcamp.com

Motorpsycho- All is One (Stickman Records)

What can I say, wow….. Motopsycho have entered into a super creative phase the last 5 years, making the most diverse and best music ever. With this release the band have given us basically two albums. Side A and D are made up of shorter 3-6 mins songs while side C and D are each over 20mins and quite intense mindfuck tracks. They remind me a lot of Magma at times as the band continues to push themselves into new territory.  A lot of violin but also plenty of mellotron on these jammed out tracks and strange vocal arrangements like nothing they have tried before.  What a record. Phew….

http://motorpsycho.no

Electric Moon- Live at Freak Valley (Sulatron st007/Rock Freaks)

Electric Moon played a highly regarded concert at Freak Valley last year that was also filmed by German TV.  Anyway, the CD is released on Sulatron and includes the full concert plus a bonus track recorded for the German TV during their interview section called Der Mondsenator auf dem Weg zur Erde.  While, this record is not going to break new ground the band give the fans exactly what they want, a heavy spaced out psychedelic rock show.   IF you are a fan of Electric Moon’s live albums and there are lots of them they deliver the goods. You get what you expect to get from one of the major bands on the psych circuit. Few are as productive or sell as well as Electric Moon. Take a trip…. Limited to 500 copies.

http://sulatron.com

Stonegazer- The End of Our World (Artifact 89CD)

I had never heard of this Finnish stoner rock band who seem to have been around since at least 2012 but the more I hear this record the more I get into it. They have two guitar players but there are not many guitar solos, just heads down kick as stoner rock riffing most of the time. The singer, I really like, and he reminds me of someone but I just can’t place it. The title track starts things off with a mid to fast pace.  Short ripping solo and then back to rock! Vapor Trails starts a bit slow and doomy with just bass and drums before the main riff kicks in. This one is a builder!! Automomy busts out of the gates fast and furious. Heads down, bang away! At 2:40 the track takes a left turn and slows but the groove is cool.  I was just waiting for a ripping solo but it never came. Leviathan starts with a section with only vocals, drums and bass before the steady riff joins and the track develops in this more slow and moody track. Bring down the Rain also brings down the intensity with the slower pace and a bit bluesy at times but it builds up with some intense drumming at the end.  Fool Moon starts off slow and bluesy as well and this track features a nice guitar solo. A great groove develops on this track. The final track is called No Grace to Fall From and also a slow to mid paced track and a great wah solo and passionate singing. Wow.. This album grows on you. Finnish Stoner rock… Kiitos..

http://facebook.com/stonegazer

https://kozmik-artifactz.com/

Shem- No Songs, just Sound (Clostridium Records )

I have never heard of this band. This CD just appeared in my mailbox. Seems the band are from Stuttgart and this material was recorded in August 2017 and the rest is live from Nachtsicht Festival 2018. The band are a five piece- drums, 2 guitars, bass, and synth-sax player. The CD is pretty long at over 70mins and only 6 tracks. Finistére starts with a long spacey intro and then the groove kicks in at about 4mins and off the band goes as the energy builds. A melodic guitar line is repeated and modulated over time as it is pretty hypnotic. Some spacey synth sounds get scattered across the soundscape as well but there is not a lot in the mix. Felt like the track was ending at 14mins but then it starts to build up again with one wah guitar and one more heavy riff.  Konvoi starts with a mid pace and one slow heavy repeated riff and a more melodic guitar. I miss some real guitar solos at times, it is mostly melodic lines for one guitar and riffs for the other. Säure cuts in quite dramatically after the last track, which did not do much for me. This one has a darker mood to it and a heavy sound overall but the mix is not as good.  The solo guitar takes a few more chances but is mixed low compared to the heavy one.  At 5mins they go into a sort of reggae like section and the heavy guitar plays some nice spacey stuff. Eins starts also moody and spacey with a slow build with some spacey synth appearing again.  The track eventually builds up with a hypnotic drum and bass and a good energy. You can hear the synth pass through the sound every now and then as the guitars  deviate a bit from the theme here and there.  By 12mins the track is dying down and returns to its spacey beginnings a bit and the synth takes the lead for the first time.  Fünf is another mid paced track with a driving bass line and spacey guitars mixed a bit in the back and the synth doing some drones that draw your attention away.  Good energy.. Encore ends this album and is the most psychedelic track.  Check em out, if you like psych jam band stuff..

http://coldvalleycultists.de

http://clostridiumrecords.de

http://shemtrails.bandcamp.com

The World is our Lobster (Friends of the Fish CD9)

This is a new compilation CD sent out to Fruits de Mer club members.  It features mostly tracks taken from albums that have been released or not by Fruits de Mer. Only the Stray Owls track is totally unreleased.  I have never heard some of these bands (Silver Vials, Vilse I Pannkakan, James McKeown, The Sugarman Band, Scott William Urquart) and others have several songs or releases on the label like Stay, Superfjord and Cary Grace.  Anyway, this is a killer compilation. We were listening on the patio at beer o’clock the other day and it just took us away to another place. Superfjord provide perhaps the best track  Psychic Lemon’s track, Seeds of Tranquility is so brilliant. Fans of the label will for sure love this.  It is a great compilation. 

http://fruitsdemerrecords.com