Gas Giant- Earthward Ascend (Self Released)

Well, as you most know, I used to play in the Danish band Gas Giant.   They guys are still around and working on some archive releases but this is a new Dutch band. I was in contact with them saying that they should choose another band name but oh well. You can choose what you like. 

Anyway, I have been following them and they just released a few weeks ago this 5 song EP on bandcamp.  Liquid Core start things off with a sort of old school Obsessed like Doom rocker. Really nice psychedelic guitars in the mid section.  Electric Maze has a vocal like Fu Manchu at times and feel but slower and heavier until they decide to groove and rock out!! Kingdom starts with a heavy wah guitar and they kick into the groove and take off…  Gritty sound on this track and some intense guitar parts. Enlightenment is slower and doomy with some dark nasty guitar riffs. Powerful sound.  Venus ends this EP and starts slow and stoney with a longish guitar solo part. They totally rock out at the end.  Nothing like the Danish Gas Giant but some kick ass stoner rock with lots of cool guitars.. I dug it….

https://gasgiantband.bandcamp.com/

Sula Bassana- CV Sessions (Sulatron)

The virus pandemic has given everyone a good reason to make music, since we are all locked up..  It has been a while since Dave released something under this name.  This digital only (at the moment) release starts off with A nice Constellation of Planets.  A deep bass synth, a drum machine and some spaced out sounds sets the course for deep dark space. The bass synth slowly mutates into a sort of lead synth as the sound get more freaky and hypnotic. More layers are added as the track goes along. Trippy stuff..  Wtf? A repeated vocal sample, spaced sounds, sampled table like drums, deep bass synth and off we go.  The effected vocal is trippy. Love that analog bass..  Wollschweber features some guitar to compliment the slow dark mood of the bass synth.  Short track. What is Reality also features guitar and the mood is grim, like something bad is going to happen.  Ruins of Civilisation is a very long track and has a drifting feeling with the music coming in waves over the main bass line. Also a quite dark menacing creature lurks in the corner and smiles.  The guitar line brings him a bit of happiness. The mood changes when the more new age synth kicks in and everyone is happy again.  Hypnotic and a long journey into the unknown.. What can you say??? Dave is amazing and super talented.. A killer trip…. Take it…. You can purchase this now on CD (April 2020). The CD features 4 additional tracks This will also be out on vinyl on Pancromatic, Norway later in the year. 

https://sulabassana.bandcamp.com/

Sky Cries Mary- Secrets of a Red Planet (Trail Records 022)

I was really surprised that this band had a new record. My friend Keith was a big fan of this band. The band have a very special style and still have both male and female vocals on a set of very emotional tracks. This is the bands first studio album in 11 years!!  It features 5 long tracks, each around 10mins and one shorter track.  Some of the stuff is really spacey at times and a mixture of cool electronics, guitars, effects, spoken words or sung. IT is a band that is quite hard to describe actually.  It only features one original member though and Ben, who has also played with the band in the past.  Psychedelic music for the 21^st century??

1       Waves Of Mourning  7:31

2       Die Of Laughter         12:35

3       Intermezzo        3:50

4       Trapeze Dancer         11:45

5       Drunken Pilot   9:23

6       Born From My Mouth       9:14

https://www.facebook.com/Sky-Cries-Mary-123870971023913/