Psychedelic Rock

Kadabra – Ultra Review

By Carcharodon on September 26, 2021 in Reviews, Psychedelic Rock, Stoner Rock, 10 comments

“I used to listen to, and enjoy, heavy psych a lot. I’m beginning to wonder, however, whether the onset of mid-life (not yet a mid-life crisis, please note —emphasis on yet) may have biologically hindered my ability to enjoy the genre. I keep picking it up for review, perhaps in the hope of recapturing some younger version of myself, and steadily continue to dole out 2.0s or 2.5s. And while a low score a day, keeps the Angry Boss Ape away, it’s not very good for the soul, you know? So, I approached Spokane, Washington’s Kabadra more in hope, than expectation, of finding something for me.” Olde world problems.

Psychic Hit – Solutio Review

By Huck N Roll on July 8, 2021 in Reviews, Hard Rock, Psychedelic Rock, 32 comments

“Summer is generally the time my musical tastes lighten up. It’s just not in my genetic makeup to blast funeral doom while sweating through a heatwave and running through the sprinkler. Summer is for barbeques and the party music that accompanies such (now, finally) socially non-distanced activities. Here that party music is generally throwback stuff, and that’s where Psychic Hit comes in. Their debut album Solutio is firmly rooted in 70s hard rock and metal, and these days even the most jaded of patio guests can get behind that stuff as long as it’s good.” So, so, Solutio.

Robots of the Ancient World – Mystic Goddess Review

By Carcharodon on May 23, 2021 in Reviews, Psychedelic Rock, 33 comments

“Sometimes a band name conjures a very specific image or reference before you know a single other thing about it. In the case of Portland, Oregon’s Robots of the Ancient World my mind went immediately to the slightly plump and rather ungainly automata portrayed in the distinctly average film, Hellboy II: The Golden Army. That apparently invincible army was sent to devastate humanity in payment for various slights our race committed against elves and the like. Scroll over to reality and another thing apparently sent to devastate humanity, Covid-19, was playing havoc with Robots of the Ancient World, almost ending their sophomore effort, Mystic Goddess, before it properly got off the ground. The five-piece entered the studio to record the follow up to their 2019 debut, Cosmic Riders, only for producer Jack Endino to fall ill, “wrecked from this weird flu from hell,” as Robots guitarist Justin Laubscher puts it.” Infected bongs and olde bots.

Book of Wyrms – Occult New Age Review

By Kenstrosity on May 4, 2021 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Psychedelic Rock, Stoner Metal, Stoner Rock, 9 comments

“In my review for sophomore effort Remythologizer, I criticized the band’s use of fluffy instrumentals, the lack of structure in their songwriting, and propensity to abandon their best ideas before they had a chance to bloom. Most of those detractors are absent from Occult New Age, and it makes a world of difference.” Diet of Wyrms.

Mythic Sunship – Wildfire Review

By Carcharodon on April 6, 2021 in Reviews, Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock, 18 comments

“Given the heavily jazz-influenced psychedelic free-form rock on show from Mythic Sunship, that they borrow part of their moniker from Coltrane’s 1971 Sun Ship. For me, there’s a fine line in avant-garde music—be that jazz, psychedelic rock or even the most progressive forms of black and death metal —between writing something progressive, challenging and interesting, and simply delivering what sounds like a noisy, unstructured jam session committed to record.” Spacey jam.

The Lylat Continuum – Ephemeral Review

By El Cuervo on February 15, 2021 in Reviews, Psychedelic Rock, Technical Death Metal, 11 comments

“This review is testament to the power of the pre-release single. I was immediately intrigued by the description “blending proggy death metal with psychedelic ambient breaks” and its atypical approach to death metal fulfilled this description. I specifically sought out the release in the promo swamp, dredging it up from between the smelly stoner doom and fetid black metal ordinarily infesting it. Denver’s The Lylat Continuum have brewed their potion for a number of years before releasing Ephemeral, their debut album, and it’s nothing if not inventive.” Hype and regret.

Villagers of Ioannina City – Age of Aquarius [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]

By sentynel on December 18, 2020 in Things You Might Have Missed 2019, Folk Metal, Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock, 53 comments

“Originally released on an independent label in 2019, I didn’t find out about the excellent Age of Aquarius until Napalm re-released it this year. I’m writing it up anyway because it’s one of the best things I’ve heard this year.” Time is fluid.

Dark Psychosis – The Edge of Nowhere Review

By El Cuervo on November 24, 2020 in Reviews, Black Metal, Psychedelic Rock, 12 comments

“In my year-end haze of short days, lockdown and work-related torpor, I peered nervously into the promo pool for something which may re-energize my sedentary life. An intriguing “experimental black metal” tag caught my eye and it was with this that I embarked on a review of the new album by Michigan’s Dark Psychosis. The Edge of Nowhere represents only their third full-length release since forming in 1999, and it’s a far cry from those black/thrash early days.” Nowhere fast?

Kimono Drag Queens – Songs of Worship Review

By Kenstrosity on November 4, 2020 in Reviews, Psychedelic Rock, Rock, 11 comments

“I was promised sludge. That’s not what I got. Not that I love sludge or anything, but I definitely wanted to know what sludge sounded like coming from a band named Kimono Drag Queens. But no. Copper Feast Records duped me. The shade of it all. Anyway, septet Kimono Drag Queens strut onto the AMG runway regardless, hailing from Sydney and slinging some hella psychedelic blues rock.” Kimono worship.

Molassess – Through the Hollow Review

By GardensTale on October 14, 2020 in Reviews, Occult Rock, Psychedelic Rock, 27 comments

“In 2006, siblings Selim and Farida Lemouchi started a psychedelic occult rock band called The Devil’s Blood. In 2013, it collapsed. During its existence, the band drew a loyal following in underground music. Its music balanced retro occult and innovative psych rock. Selim, guitar player and spiritual heart of the band, was uncompromising in his vision, resulting in shows that were as much Satanic rituals as they were concerts, including buckets of pig blood and candles all over the place. In 2014, after struggling with depression for much of his existence, Selim requested permission to die from his mother and sister shortly before taking his own life. 5 years later, Roadburn overlord Walter Hoeijmakers asked the former members of The Devil’s Blood whether they would be interested in creating a commissioned piece of music. Molassess was born.” Blood and life travel strange pathways.