PSYCHEDELIC/SPACE ROCK

1. "Strength" (5:05) some of Eva's sultry pagan poetry played over Ozrics-infused funky psychedelic rock that sounds as if it were a cover of a classic 1960s pop song. Nice lead guitar solo from guest Tony Jagqar in the fourth minute. The presence of creepy Fender Rhodes and sitar add to the occult-esoteric mystique. A charming, promising, top three song. (9/10)

2. "The Hanged Man" (3:31) a percussion-entrenched instrumental that moves through two or three parts with layers of synths and heavily-treated piano washing over the top. (8.75/10)

3. "The Unnamed Arcane" (3:25) an instrumental that was resuscitated from the cutting floor of Tarot, Part I. (8.7/10)

4. "The Temperance" (4:26) another throwaway instrumental that they forgot to throwaway. (8.7/10)

5. "The Devil" (3:23) trying to inflect a little Zeuhl into the Canterbury soundscape? In the third minute Eva's spoken voice reverberates like a 1970s Elvira casting spells. (8.75/10)

6. "The Tower" (3:16) now back to the 1960s--like something from a female-fronted psychedelic rock band like the or Ultimate Spinach, It's A Beautiful Day, Pan & Regaliz, Carol Of Harvest, Earth And Fire, or perhaps Jefferson Airplane. (8.875/10)

7. "The Star" (5:00) a spacey New Age Gong or Steve Hillage song. Lots of Ozric bubbles, erps, stretchy weirditudes and oolite plurnies with and gentle keyboard and guitar apreggi floating around in and around the soundscape. A top three song. (9/10)

8. "The Moon" (5:54) Eva's vocoder voice with more soft-core Ozric-Gong-Hillage sounds built over a straight 1965 psychedelic rock foundation. (8.75/10)

9. "The Sun" (4:42) a decently constructed 1960s pop song with great bass play, Mellotron, and heavily treated (and nicely arranged) vocals from both Xavi and Eva singing in unison. Lead guitar in the fourth minute is performed by guest Tony Jagwar. My final top three song. (8.875/10)

10. "The Judgement" (5:56) sitar and acoustic guitars and dreamy ethereal female whispervocals dominate this simple almost-Prog Folk song. Sounds a lot like the music that Mediæval Bæbes' Katharine Blake continues to make. (8.875/10)

11. "The World" (7:12) another pointless, meandering, needlessly drawn out pseudo-POPOL VUH-like jam with strummed and picked acoustic guitars, sitar, treated piano, and heavily-reverbed female vocalese (mostly aaah's) that achieves non of the transportive/transcendent effect of Florian Fricke's ground-breaking band. (12.75/15)

Total Time 51:50

While still of excellent sound quality and very consistent in terms of sound and stylings when compared to Tarot, Part I, the music here feels more "supplemental," less developed, polished, and/or finished. There are far more minutes of instrumental music--a lot of it what feel like "background msuic" jams--and less of Eva's wonderful vocal stylings and arrangements. Where Xavi and Eva rushed to get this out to the public? Was this really the finished product they wanted to share with their admiring audience? After the delightfully high quality and consistency of Tarot, Part I--on which the band felt like it had grown (since their self-titled 2020 debut)--I had expectations for Part II that are here sharply disappointed.

B/four stars; a decent collection of what feels like unfinished psychedelic covers of classic 1960s hit songs.

Unlike 'Everyone Is Evil' which only had four tracks, this time around we have seven, with a total playing time of 136 minutes. OSC are widely known and regarded for their improvisational approach to music and the way they get together and jam their way through recordings which means that while their version of space rock is always instantly recognisable no-one knows where it is going to lead, least of all the musicians themselves. Opener "Skin Walker" is more than 25 minutes in length, and for the most part bassist Hasse Horrigmoe plays the same motif which allows everyone else to move away at tangents knowing the music is being rooted and no matter how far away they go they will never get lost. The drums sometimes stay with, sometimes rip into rolls, the guitars and keyboards are doing their own thing, but Hasse stays locked in with incredible restraint, and it is this which makes this such a stunning introduction.

Some tracks are guitar heavy, others very reliant on keyboards, but it is always OSC through and through, meaning that anyone into enthralling progressive space rock will find a universe here to explore and to drift away on. Very few bands manage to stay true to their roots through so many years, so many albums and so many changes in personnel, but Dr. Space (Scott Heller) has been the guiding force since the very beginning and long may it continue. Yet another wonderful example of free form progressive rock.

To be honest, even listening to this digitally it feels like a vinyl release in that this is music out of time, music which belongs firmly in the Sixties and sounds like it never progressed. Here Gerlini has been joined by Alberto Capelli (guitars), Stefano Gabbani (bass) and Andrea diLillo (drums) but it is fair and correct to say they are only there in a supporting role as this is all about dated keyboards and organs, with the Hammond front and centre. It is taking us back to a time where Brian Auger and George Fame were kings, and we even get a version of "Bumpin' on Sunset" which Auger made famous, while "Fanfare" could have been come straight at us from The Nice and the mighty Keith Emerson. Gerlini plays held-down chords with one hand and must also be using sequencers as there are often two layers of background while he is soloing with his right.

There is something very special about the sound of the Hammond, whether it is in prog, psychedelia or jazz, and in the hands of a master is a dominant force and there is no doubt that Gerlini is just that. There were some wonderful bands at the festival last year, as there is every year, but this recording leaves no-one in any doubt as to why London Underground were the headline.

That "Astral Entrance" is a younger sister of father and mother to 'Shine on You Crazy Diamond' in its keyboards and introductory guitars is more than notorious, and that its follow-up "Master of Sensation" is a cousin of 'Sheep', or that guest Brigitte Witt flirts in the "b) The Vision Burning" section of the fantastic suite "The Apocalypse" with the screams of Clare Torry in 'The Great Gig in the Sky', or the lilting "Mighty Echoes" visits at times the farm of the 'Pigs (Three Different Ones)', reaffirm the place where Eloy sought to reflect.

But curiously, and in spite of such omnipresent influence, Frank Bornemann's band managed to create a place of their own and sound like themselves, a little less energised and more spatial than their British references, with Detlev Schmidtchen playing a leading role in building immense cosmic atmospheres from his artillery of keyboards and synthesizers, well amalgamated with Bornemann's arpeggiated guitars and sustained solos, as in the sections "a) Silent Cries Divide the Night" and "c) Force Majeure" of the aforementioned "The Apocalypse", in the intriguing weightlessness of "De Labore Solis", or in the melodic agility of "Pilot to Paradise", a track that also surpasses the average speed that the mid-tempos impose on the work.

"Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes" is undoubtedly a very good album, the third to repeat the line-up that released the most relevant works of the Germans in their space rock vein. At the beginning of the 80's, Eloy underwent a new recomposition of its members (both Schmidtchen and drummer Jurgen Rosenthal left the band), and with that also a rearrangement in their musical approach for the subsequent "Colours".

4 stars

All three albums have been self-released, and I have not come across the others, but if they are anything like this I am quite surprised they have not been picked up before as here we have a band who are combining space and delicacy with over the top bombastic psychedelia in a manner which reminds me of Blue Cheer and certainly has me thinking the album was recorded no later than the mid-Seventies, as there is just no way it can be coming to us from 2021. It is over the top, it is huge, it feels like the band were killing it in the studio and just letting rip with whatever came to mind and to hand. Early Pink Floyd, Hawkwind, Monster Magnet, Blue Cheer, there is a lot going on here and it isn't always melodic with notes being dragged out of instruments and grabbed screaming into the ether. One can hear the sweat and intensity as they pummel through extended workouts like "Possession" which is sixteen minutes in length and contains both beauty and horror as they switch between ballad and gothic mentality with sweet keyboards and crunching guitars. The song is a workout both for listener and musician, and the way they switch between space rock and pop psych is a wonder to behold.

One can only hope we are going to hear more from these guys who are still active, as this is a blast.

The two sections that make up "PULSE" show the enormous quality and neatness of the trio that survived the bitter quarrels with Roger Waters, with the utmost care for instrumental details (although it is true that Gilmour's voice is perceived as a little exhausted at times), and that counts, as on the "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" tour, with a group of support musicians that enhance and help to sustain even more the lavishness and melodic richness of each performance.

Timeless band tracks like "Shine on You Crazy Diamond", the cosmic "Astronomy Domine", the disturbing "One of These Days" and its astral additions in the middle section, or the mega hit "Another Brick in the Wall: Part Two", intermingle with novelty pieces from "The Division Bell" like the bluesy "What Do You Want from Me", the heartfelt "Coming Back to Life" or the majestic "High Hopes", shaping the first section of the album.

The second section reproduces very faithfully the complete "Dark Side of the Moon", with the addition of the very good guitar solos by Gilmour and guest Tim Renwick and the notorious bass of guest Guy Pratt on "Money", the deep sax of another guest Dick Parry on "Us & Them", and the awakened and boxed guitar solo again by Gilmour on "Any Colour You Like", before the lunatic closing with the impeccably executed "Brain Damage" and "Eclipse"'. The encore was crowned by the delicate "Wish You Were Here" chanted by the audience, the unsurpassed guitar solo on the timeless "Comfortably Numb", and the vocal interplay between Gilmour and Pratt on the escapist and thunderous "Run Like Hell", to the general ecstasy of the venue.

"PULSE" was a renewed communion between Pink Floyd and their audience who, judging by the remarkable success of the tour, did not seem to attach much importance to the absence of the former leader.

4 stars

I consider myself a huge fan of Psychedelia, and for SUN DIAL to have no less than three studio albums in my "best of" Psychedelic list is impressive. Those include that 1990 debut "Other Way Out", plus his 1993 record "Return Journey", and my favourite from 2016 "Made In The Machine". I have half of his studio albums, and have given the other three records 3 stars including the one I'm reviewing today "Acid Yantra" from 1995. That year would prove significant for Ramon releasing not only this studio album but his first live record called "Live Drug".

Gary would then go on an extended hiatus as far as his own music goes and focus on other people's albums in his own studio before returning with "Zen For Sale" in 2003, eight years later! I feel that comeback album is better than this one, more inspired, although I am in the minority with those feelings. The biggest difference for me between "Acid Yantra" and the previous one "Return Journey" is that they have really slowed things down here, filling the album with distorted guitar expressions. Like I said, just not inspired in my opinion. I miss the energy of that previous record.

There's mellotron on a couple of tracks including mellotron flutes on the closer "Yantra Jam". "3,000 Miles Away" is my favourite. And it starts out spacey before reserved vocals, strummed guitar, bass and drums take over. A lot of attitude on "Bad Drug" not so surprisingly, especially with the vocals. "Fly Into The Sun" is another highlight with that relaxed guitar and percussion before it builds with distorted guitar and vocals leading. This is a good album, but it's hard not to compare it to his best, and I feel this doesn't measure up to those. A break was probably due anyways as Ramon had released five studio albums and a live one all in the first half of the 90's before that break.

Two species face extinction, one in the unfathomable depths of space, the other comfortable on its own world. A man and his daughter speed through space trying to outrun a missile, the deciding factor, which has more gas? A soldier is sent to a desolate prison planet to battle a beast with a very unique hunting style. It hunts through the multi-verse, killing not just on the planet, but on every possibility of the planet. Step inside....we've been waiting. -Spiral

In my exploration of the Spiral universe, it occurs to me that this is a body of work that is not adequately appreciated in its own time, but it is a remarkable American entry in independent music, an adventure that people are going to be falling into for many years to come. This is not music that will ever sound dated or be trivialized by ties to the vapidities of current culture. This is sound and storytelling that will be timeless, something even large and monetarily successful bands struggle to accomplish. Spiral will have the last laugh as their ATV disappears over the sandy dunes on the horizon of their Southwest home.

Assembled between 2011 and 2014, Bellicus was the first Spiral title to include Bill Hatfield who would become the fourth member of the group, bolstering the guitar firepower significantly. The album follows the wonderful Parasite's Guide to Rewriting History, and some of the sound similarities can be explained by the fact that the recording sessions overlapped for several releases from this prolific period of creativity for Spiral. Bellicus, at least to my ear, comes across as a bit more aggressive and crushing in several places, but both contain similar mood shifts and balance between light and heavy.

For the uninitiated, Spiral is a unique-sounding entry in the PA cannon, blending elements of psych-rock, heavy prog, doom-sludge, and stoner-conducive cactus rock. The tracks are meticulously crafted and often have elaborate conceptual stories and artwork, although they note that this album contains tracks not related to each other lyrically, though, musically, to me, they still feel like siblings. We again are treated to their style of repeating motifs and their one-two punch that is, one, the lumbering, crushing rhythm guitars in the heavy sections---here it sometimes feels like you've discovered some lost Sabbath instrumentals---with fantastic extended solos....to, two, the flip side of the coin built around Chris's keyboards, which on this album are some of the absolutely most beautiful passages Spiral has ever done. Their secret weapons Felicia Karas (violin) and Senda Shallow (voice) are utilized to gorgeous effect on this side of the Spiral coin. These softer sections are so mysterious and alluring, almost like siren song in the feelings they conjure. You find your mind drifting away with the auburn desert melodies only to be pulled back to explosive chaos soon enough.

I can't yet say what the Spiral masterpiece is because I still have many more albums to hear, but Our Final Days on Bellicus Prime has to be in the running. This is awesome, especially the two long tracks. The cover art, as always, is perfect for the material, Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes's painting, "Pompeii." Also, as a reminder for fans of Spiral, we did an in-depth interview with the band in 2012 in which they provided an enormous amount of cool history and info about their process. You'll want to search the site and read this if you are a fan of their music.

The first 7 minutes flow seamlessly through the electronic piano chords then they are joined by strings keyboard and a flugelhorn sound. This section reminds to the first tracks of BLADE RUNNER's soundtrack, but only for the mood and the horny sounds. The passages are typical of Biro's music and his style is recognizable also in the collaborations with Colin Bass.

The transitions are smooth and the various parts may underline different states of mind. It's a trip, not intended as an acid one, but as the title says, an introspective travel through different sensations and feelings. The jazzy section that start after minute 15 is particularily interesting also from a technical point of view. The chords and the melody is backed by a sequence of few notes. A repetitive sequence at the level of the best TANGERINE DREAM.

Apparently the suite may have been designed for a vynil, as around minute 20 there's a little pause and a change. There's a sort of transition, but this is clearly different from what came before. The structure is still based on a sequence, but the sounds and the mood aren't the same.

Also this part is very enjoyable- The sequence has iys own rhythm so the absence of percussion is not a problem. There are more strings in foreground until a sudden stop starts a section made of minor chords and synthetic female choir. When it ends, the chords become more dissonant and the fast notes loose any possible melodic aspect. Few minutes and a bass sequence takes the lead. The ambient is now darker synth percussion are added together with some background electronic noises.

At 3/4 of the suite where it's going is now unclear. Three bass notes bring it back to more familiar jazzy soundscapes. It's a very pleasant part, There's a very smooth transition to another sequencer based base which brings a nice chords progression in. Then only the sequenced base remains and slows down progressively until it stops.

But it's not the end. Now the thing goes ahead at low volume, with some electric piano chords above the basic sequence. It's like a little music box is playing. One minute more and it's done.

Briefly, this is the kind of suite that lets you be transported. The different parts are so well transitioned, apart of the break at minutes 19, that it's like moving across different places in a single journey.

Use good speakers. Headphones may be too heavy.