Top 25 or so records of 2023

 Alphabetical order..... too hard to say a real order but one that I played the most as RRRags!!!  Totally killer record.  Acid King also just blew me away with their best album ever... Lots of great music and bands...  

ACID KING- Beyond Vision (US)

ACID ROOSTER- FLOWERS AND DEAD SOULS LP (AUSTRIA 2023)

AGUSA-PRIMA MATERIA (Sweden 2023)

ALBINO RHINO- RETURN TO THE CORE CD/LP (FINLAND 2023)

BLACK MOON CIRCLE- LEAVE THE GHOST BEHIND (NORWAY 2023)

CAUSA SUI- LIVE AT LOPPEN 2021 2LP (DENMARK 2023)

CHURCH OF MISERY- BORN UNDER A MAD SIGN 

DOCTORS OF SPACE- ASTRAL SESSIONS VOL 5 CD-R (PORTUGAL 2023)

DR SPACE- SUITE FOR ORCHESTRA OF MARINE MAMMALS CD (PORTUGAL 2023)

GIOBIA- ACID DISORDER LP (ITALY 2023)

GONG- UNENDING ASCENDING CD (UK 2023)

GOV´T MULE- PEACE.. LIKE A RIVER 2LP/2CD (US 2023)

GRAVEYARD- 6 LP (SWEDEN 2023)

HAWKWIND- DAYS OF THE UNDERGROUND 1977-79 BOX SET (UK 2023)

HAWKWIND- SPACE RITUAL DELUXE BOX SET (UK 2023)

Kanaan- Diversions Vol 2: Enter the Astral Plane 

KANAAN- DOWNPOUR LP (NORWAY 2023)

KG WEST - ANANDAPRIYA (SWEDEN 2023)

OZRIC TENTACLES- LOTUS UNFOLDING (UK 2023)

RRRAGS- MUNDI 2LP (NL 2023)

SACRI MONTI- LIVE SONIC WHIP LP (US 2023) 

SMOKEMASTER- COSMIC CONNECTOR LP (GERMANY 2023)

STONER- BOOGIE TO BAJA LP (US 2023)

SUNDIAL- MESSAGES FROM THE MOTHERSHIP LP (UK 2023)

ØRESUND SPACE COLLECTIVE- EVERYONE IS EVIL LP/CD (DENMARK 2023)

Kanaan- Diversions Vol 2: Enter the Astral Plane (Janssen Records)

Kanaan are back with Vol 2 and this LP features 4 diverse tracks. The title track is my favorite, a long 18min or so space rock like instrumental journey.  Awesome. Aura is a very short 2min synth piece to close the side. Side B starts off wild and crazy with a like free jazz like spirit called Blitz..  Rough Air, starts slowly but the Ingvald, kicks the pace up and off we go!!  A very Hawkwind like energy on this one with some intense drive and guitar and some added organ as well. It has a nice spacey come down at the end. Great band that are doing a nice job of providing the world with lots of instrumental mind music to just float away to and get lost. Cool people as well.. Enjoy..

https://kanaanband.bandcamp.com/album/diversions-vol-2-enter-the-astral-plane

Lamp of the Universe- Kaleidoscope Mind (Sound Effect Records)

Craig is back with the 13th full length record (there are also 3 split Lps).  It features 7 tracks that sound like LOTU!!! Surprise!  Ritual of Inner Light starts things off with a bit of a sitar drone and then the heavy bass line, chimes and follow. Dark, mysterious vibe but then a long ending with guitar solo, flute, etc.. great opening number. Golden Dawn, keeps the vibe mysterious and dark with a organ dominant track and loud drums! Codex Moon keeps the mood about the same but adds some hand drums, percussion as well but mid way thru, there is a nice new change in the keyboard and vibe as we head into the guitar solo section. Procession has a nice more psychedelic mix with effects and nice panning on the guitars. Nice… Life of the Severing starts with a cool wah guitar line that leads the song until the vocals start and returns between the vocal sections.  Like the vibe on this one!! Immortal Rites brings back the sitar and that otherworldy Eastern feel including the tabla drums.  This track reminded my wife of Marc Bolan. Transfiguration reminds me of another LOTU track, but I can not remember which one.  A more heavy brooding sound for sure. Great guitar solo on this track and good way to end the album. Enjoy..

http://lampoftheuniverse.bandcamp.com

ASTRAL MAGIC- Ad Infinitum (Astral Magic Music ASTRAL034)

This is the last release of the year for Astral Magic and quite a special one that features Bridget Wishart on vocals, lyrics and EWI (Like a wind synth flute like thing). It also features the great Vince Cory (Sonic Trip Project) on lead guitars on tracks 1-4. Lauri Kajander is on lead guitar on track 5. Anyway, Shine, which opens the CD is a nice uptempo space rock number with smooth vocals. Liquid Light starts with a lot of spacey synths and a bit of Vince before the very fast buried drums take off with a vocal mixed quite high in the mix.  Trippy…. Future Doors is another mid paced synth driven number, a bit more melodic and happy!  Planetary Intelligence is really spacey and a bit slower with some cool sounding synths and EWI from Bridget.   The title track is an 18:41 track with a lot of different parts. Cool song…. There are 2 bonus tracks as well from the rare lathe 7” that was released earlier this year.. A great release and limited to 100 copies.

http://astralmagic.bandcamp.com