Hawkwind : "the Future Never Waits"

 

With 81-year-old Dave Brock as the sole surviving member of the band, I was not sure what to expect. Nik Turner is the member I am sure to miss the most, but it seems keyboardist Thighpaulsandra who has played with Spiritualized, is making huge contributions to the sound, as it is more focused on the space part of the space rock equation and rocking less. Though I am not sure how heavy I want an 81-year-old man to rock it. Brock answers this to a certain extent on "the End" . There is a more fuzzed out guitar tone that comes in though it is whisked off into the cosmos with the swirl of synths around it that are jostling for position in the mix. It did benefit when I put my headphones on, this brought up the bass in the mix, and things gained more beef. If you are a smoker of the weed, this would be an album to do that to. The bass and drums do their job of anchoring the song down. 

The 3rd song is named after " the Doors of Perception " author Aldous Huxley. I suppose it's his voice that is sampled for this trip into weirdness. If you do things like eat mushrooms or drop acid this would be an album to do that to. As would most of Hawkwind's catalogue, which this album makes me want to jump back into the earlier album I have not listened to in some time. The song take an odd jazz like turn. The narrative shifts to news reels of his death. They go even further into a jazz feel with "They are So Easily Distracted" which becomes actual jazz and not just a band influenced by it, with the more surreal sounds blowing like wind around it. They return to a more rock sound with "Rama". Brock's voice sounds good for his age. 

This album sounds great, but in terms of songwriting midway into the album is drifts off into jams. This still feels pretty true to who they are as a band and does not besmirch the legacy of their music. "Outside of Time" does eventually find vocals breaking the through the cloud of smoke, but they just kind of hesitate to really give things more structure. For me what makes the difference of a cool album versus ab excellent one is if they place more value on songs over sounds. This does happen but not consistently. When they head into a more rock direction with "I'm Learning to Live Today' , it's heading in a more effective direction. If it sounds like I am only wanting these guys to be a rock band, well that is because they are, and well I heard about them from Lemmy, but I dug the jazz parts just fine. Jam all you want with guitars and lock into a groove that is fine. 

The take you on a journey into the future on "the Beginning". The real question here is at 81, how is he doing these drugs. Listen to how the guitars are mixed on this one then tell me that he is not. After going into the future it ends up in the past with 60s folk-tinged psychedelic sounds. They stay on this hippier frame of mind on the last song. But it's a song not a jam. I will give this album a 9, it's a solid effort where they are at with one solitary member who is 81, but still jams pretty good. 

White Hills : "This Time"

This is the 4th in sa series of eps the band has released since Bandcamp was waving artists fees due to covid. These are unreleased song the band has in their vaults, but since it is the first time we are hearing it I am going to count it as new. The first song is the live track "Dead" .  It is pretty bulldozingly heavy. While these guys are not a metal band I think they could appeal to metal head when they turn up the volume with songs like this. They are a great live band , but live recording some times just hit you with a dense booming and not a great deal of clarity , which kind of happens here to some extent. They go into a Jimi Hendrix influenced blend of pyschedelic rock heavy on jamming out the guitar solos. It is not devoid of modern touch as samples are uses as a narrative.

"Turn & Turn" has more of the simmering space rock coming to the surface which seems to be the direction the band is leaning more toward. Lyrically this is the most politcal song I have heard from them, though he is not pointing finger to either side of the party lines, which I appreciate. The vocals are more spoken and it is not the best song I have heard from them, though it is not that bad and better than the radio rock of today even though it wanders off into a noisy jam . Then they shift gears once again. "S.A.S'  is an "Over the Hills and Far Away" like instrumental. The guitars sound great here, though it feels more like an interlude to me than a song that stands on it's own two feet.

I will round this down to an 8.5 ,as it might be a solid EP, I do not think it is on the level of "Electronic Time". I think if you are a fan of the band this is a solid effort that you will want in your collection . I think personally "Electronic Time" has songs that are more likely to have staying power on my iPod. I am going to continue working my way back through these eps , so keep your eyes peeled for those reviews in the coming days.

Pinkish Black : " Concept Unification"

The title track that opens the Texas duo's 4th album is both darker and more organic sounding than previous releases. More Hawkwind than Black Sabbath. The synth sounds carry an almost kraut rock drone. There is a harder drive to the groove of "Until". The vocals have a more defined croon than I recall hearing from them. They back off for a darker slink with "Dial Tone". Since darkness is such a large part of what I listen for , the fact that there is a less metallic intent to these songs, works for me. The synth frequencies can distort enough to get the point across in terms of dynamics . The more retro synth sound finds them cruising towards bong laden prog landscapes on "Petit Mal". As an instrumental it does have a cinematic feel, but I feel like his voice is so unique that I prefer when he is singing.

The album sounds amazing. All of the sounds are really dialed in and the mix finds them sitting where they need to be, though the vocals can fade into the wall of sonics the synths summon. "Inanimatronic" has more swirling ambiance. It is once again another instrumental, though this one doesn't resonate with me as much as the previous song, or perhaps I am not stoned enough. The album closes with the 12 minute "Next Solution". They switch over to a piano sound. Fortunately this one is not an instrumental. The song starts off with a more Nick Cave feel, before a dynamic shift finds them locking into a more space age groove. Where the other songs kept to the same throb this song takes more turns.

I will round this one down to an 8.5 and see how it sits with me. I am mainly rounding it down for the instrumentals which I think is time better spent with a more focused song. There were two bonus songs on the version of the album I got , but for the purpose of the review I am only counting the six songs that actually comprise the album, though I think the bonus tracks are stronger than the instrumentals.



5.3

 

Warrior Soul : "Back On the Lash"

When I was in high school I went to go see Soundgarden direct support for Danzig. While Soundgarden who was touring for "Louder than Love" was awesome the band before them was Warrior Soul. They seemed to be a bridge from glam metal into something more cerebral. I went out and bought "Last Decade Dead Century" the next day. So I want Warrior Soul to sound just as incredible as they did then. We go way back. I am aware Kory Clarke has drug the name around from various incarnations of this band and none of the members that played on the classic first three album still remain. But at the very least I expect them to be within the same sonic range as they were in 1990. Granted they were ahead of their time. They even played with the former Killing Joke drummer at first so when this album opens with the same style of punk infused metal as Killing Joke, this makes sense. Kory's vocals are more aggressive here not unlike something Jaz Coleman would do.

 It's when they begin to sound more like Faster Pussycat on "I Get Fucked Up" that I begin to question the direction they are now in. Though is this more passable than what happens on the song that follows. It's the title track that dashes my hopes as Kory's voice sounds fucking awful. I am not sure what kind of fucking producer let that fly. His sounds like god damn Lemmy jamming with the Cult. It sounds like he was losing his voice in the recording booth. "Thrill Seeker " is marginally better with a little more balls to the guitar. The riff to "Goin Broke Getting High" is heavier and makes more of an attempt to rekindle their former glory. The rust on Kory's raspy pipes, flakes off a little, but this is far from "Drugs God and the New Republic". The riffs continue to fall somewhere between AC/DC and the Cult on "Black Out". The vocals are more spoken here. The bass really drives this one. 

The very straight forward manner they constructed these songs, feel like there is little trace of the acid fueled sense of space age surreal sonics that colored there older work, with the chorus of "I 've Got the Rock" sounding like a Motorhead b-side. The lyrics are even less inspired so Kory has to take some of the blame for this. When he tries to go up into his higher register it's almost painful though the makes a more successful attempt on "Further Decay". "That's How We Roll" sounds more like the type of rock these guys were becoming an alternative to back in the day. It pains me to have to give this album a 6.5, but even then I feel I am being generous.It id inspire me to go back and revisit all the old albums to hear when this band ruled.


6

the Black Angels : "Death Song"

I first came across this band when their music appeared on the second season of True Detective. The opening track off their new album "Death Song" holds all the qualities that originally attracted me to their sound. It's dark and sonic with a exotic pulse. There is rawer rambling rock kick with a touch of western to "I'd Kill For Her ". The vocals are sung in tentative  tenor that reminds me of many of the psychedelic garage rock bands from the 60s. There is a more relaxed feel to the almost ballad "Half Believing" .  The drumming on "Comanche Moon" reminds me a little of Hendrix's "Manic Depression". The vocals are more languid as an almost Stone Roses like haze is cast over the collection of swirling sonics.

The comparison's the Stone Roses era of Brit Pop could still be drawn in regards to the groove propelling "Hunt Me Down". They admit to being dope fiends on "Grab as Much". This song does have a drugged sluggishness to it despite being somewhat upbeat. They come back stronger with the more honest and intimate drone of " Estimate". There is a more snake like motion to the more upbeat "I Dreamt". It comes closer to rocking out than some of the albums more drugged out earlier moments. The pace gets marginally brisker with another ode to drugs on "Medicine". The keyboards bring another shade from the 60's into what they are doing.

The vocals drop into a lower effected murmur on "Death March" . I like it a lot as is it's much darker almost to the point of sounding like some of Psychic TV's more death rock like moments. There is the lazy space dirge "Life Song" that ends the album by floating away with it. This album recreates a mood I haven't heard since I used to get stoned to the Stone Roses senior year of high-school,so I'll round it up to a 9.



9.

Hawkwind :" the Machine Stops"

Here's a rule... if you are going to throw around a band's name when it comes to influencing other artists you like , then you must review their albums when they are released or you are very simply a poseur. You don't have to like it. As not all band's can keep up the kind of streak that the likes of Bowie and Zappa had. Things have changed since their days Lemmy was in the band. The sci-fi element was not toned down, instead it was allowed to run wild. If you do drugs and are not doing them when you listen to this album, that needs to change. This concept album is based on the Em Forster book of the same name .The first actual space rock goes down on the second song "the Machine". At it's core the band's sound has retained it's roots and there is not threat of them isolating the cult following they have garnered over the years.

Of course Dave Brock is setting the controls for the heart of the sun on "King of the World" , the only other original member along for this rocket ride is Tim Blake, who also played in Gong. From the Nik Turner camp Dead Fred is aboard with violin in tow. "In My Room" is not a Beach Boys cover , but a song that starts off as whirling psyche rock before turning into rain sound effects. One of the more bizarre turns I have ever heard a song take. The song that it wanted to be certainly sounded pretty cool. "Thursday" wants to have a harder rocking to it's siren drone. If you think your indie rock band is "psyche" then you need to check your self and listen to this album because these drug sniffing dogs still have it. I can tell midway into this album it's blowing the last Pink Floyd out of the water even with half the production value. The brighter more upbeat vibe the beginning of "Synchronized Blue" goes for is not my favorite sound from them, but they do make an attempt to rock it a little harder, to the point of touching upon metal. They even get proggy and go off on a meandering keyboard solo.

Space rock might be the crown they wear, but it doesn't stop them from dipping into almost trip hop like beats on the more subdued"Hexagone" that finds the vocals tip toeing around a 60's mod melody that would go well with a cup of tea. Cosmic synths set the stage for "Living on Earth" that has one of the album's more interesting vocal melodies". The keyboards wander around over this song , but some how they jammy quality that it floats on makes it work. Jamming is what goes down particularly after the break at the four minute mark. They glide around the bubbly yet exotic path of the Milky Way on " the Harmonic Hall". This finds the band stepping even deeper into electronica. This song is more of an instrumental, with the breathy chanted vocals sounding more like another sampled layer.

They return to more straight up rock on "A Solitary Man". This song brings the band back down to earth, and perhaps too much so. It's not a bad song, it doesn't seem to play to the band's strengths. They do however shine on like the crazy diamonds they are with the up tempo dream bath of "Tube". This opus comes to a close with "Lost in Science" . It sounds like droids are robbing a bank before the band goes into their legendary brand of space punk. I'm not sure how much air play this will get from me since I no longer drop acid ...or do any drugs, but if I am going to relapse on the more mind expansive drugs then this would be on tap. I really like how they maintained their sense of identity while dabbling in newer sounds. I'll give this one a 10.

Mamiffer : " the World Unseen"

It's been a strange mix of reviews the past couple days so I am going to keep the weird going. Aaron Turner is more than likely glad he is not in a band called Isis these days. That name alone is click bait. This project is much different focusing on atmosphere with Faith Coloccia handling the vocals. Synth and piano takes center stage away from the guitar, which is often just left to ring out from the corners. It is pleasing to the ears though the ethereal nature of what they do requires a little more glue in the song writing department, just ask Sigur Rios or the Cocteau Twins. Thus making this an album that is more of  pleasant back ground music as it pulses in waves rather than giving you anything to sink you teeth in. So if you are waiting for a riff or a groove then you will be waiting for some time as they are not coming.

One question you might want to ask your when approaching this album is how many drugs do you do? Or do you like to listen to music before you go to bed. Both options are helpful. The middle section of the album might make you space out and forget this is playing while you float around the room. There are really only three movements of this album that feel like real songs. When I say this I get emails from the bands all the time complaining about how they were using real instruments so that makes it a song. Once you get more spaced out than Tangerine Dream, then you are dealing more in wavelengths than you are music. There are some nice fey dreamy moments on this album, when they decide to make them more like a song I really like it, not something I need on my iPod, but it works for what it is. The fact the album cover looks like space is very fitting.

"Domestication of the Ewe" is the next song that finds the vocals helping to congeal the space into something like a song. This is broken up into three parts so I think it was the second part that pulled me back in.  I normally rate albums using a formula of dividing the albums good songs by the total number of songs, this album defies that form of measurement, so I am going to go off of what percent of this album was I interested in it or did it catch my attention so based off that scale I think I can give it a 6. The beginning was strong and then when the vocals came back in toward the album's 3rd act my ears perked back up. If you are checking this out because you are a fan of Turners other work then refer to the second paragraph of this review as it's nothing like Isis , Sumac or Old Man Gloom.
Mamiffer "Parthenogenesis" from Daniel Menche on Vimeo.

Atavismo : " Desintegración " Album Review & " Kraken" video

This album by these space rockers launches off into the cosmos with a very "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" vibe creeping up, it's dark and trippy which are two of my favorite qualities in music, so lets see how long they can keep it going. Spain is dipping into some pretty good drugs on this one.  They retain this vibe by keeping the song instrumental and while they move onto the more folk side of Pink Floyd, like something from say "Obscured By Clouds" era for "Kraken". They back off even further and drift into a more hippied out vibe on " Oceanica" which towards the song's final three minutes begins to swell into something closer to post- rock.

They actually have melodic and thoughtful guitar work. The album sounds great from a production stand point.   Their is a darker prog rock feel to "Meeh", but it is a looser song though darker than the previous song.  This was first released on CD last year and this year is seeing the vinyl release of this album. These guys are great at what they do and if you are going to use Pink Floyd as an influence then they certainly picked from the best time periods to do so. It's a well played album that is easy on the ears and can be left on for long periods of time, as their songs sway with a very hypnotic drone, but still have dynamics and a destination.

I'll give this album a 9, while I love Pink Floyd there could to be a tad more balls in places for it to have the perfect sound for me, it would give some of the high flying drifts  past the doors of perception more glue and come across slightly less jammy, however this is what the band set out to do and they accomplished what they set out to do so you can only applaud them for that, while I enjoyed letting this album set the tone of the waning hours of the afternoon it's not something that would really sit well in my iPod, but I have a deep appreciation for what is going on here and highly recommend it to fans of psychedelia that want something a little darker than Beatles worship.

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Mogwai: " the Rave Tapes"

This feels like their stab at making a Daft Punk album as it's very synth heavy. The drugs have kicked back in for these guys for sure. The opener just kinds breezes in very unassumingly and twinkles it's way through the five and a half minutes of it's drone. Things shift into a more Air like sound with the angular moogs on "Simon Ferocious". They space out but dynamically don't dial it up, though a guitar solo simmers on the back burner of the mix. The songs coasts on the crest of a wave I rode on many times when I was doing drugs a would have been in awe of this song. Now its a more casual ...mmm thats alright.

The guitars bring a taunt creep to"Re-murdered" the stand off between the guitar and the synths is brewing. The keys win out in a Tron Odyssey like riff, dense fuzz coating the bass line. "Hexon Bogon" returns to more familiar dynamics. Sure there is still a thick layer of synths draped over everything but the playing is locked in and not made lethargic by this.

A more prog rock feel unfolds in the syncopation of  " Master Card". The synths round out the edges of the song. The bass line  transitions the song out of the section they were riffing on, but the dynamics here are not as sharp as some of the albums other moments.      


"Repelish" has a hilarious sample running through it of some sort of youth group freak studying the backwards masking on Led Zeppelin albums and it is spliced into the song in a way that does a call and response with the song. "Deesh" finds things getting a little darker, the guitar and keys float off into more uplifting melodies leaving the bass line pounding away by itself as a downer. Thing are brought way down to a ballad like place on "Blues Hour" and the rare vocals sneak in. It sounds like Elliot Smiths' lost jam with Daft Punk. The effects of the sedation lingers on in "No Medicine For Regret" . This would be the perfect music to go get high and stumble around amid X-mas lights or in the snow.

The album closes on the rippling drone of "the Lord is Out of Control" which has a strange harmonized robotic vocal.This is extremely easy listening, as I can leave this one on and fade into the background with it, so I'll round this up to an 8, but if you do drugs, then go ahead and round this up a full point.

Pinkish Black :"Razed to the Ground"

The Texas band comes back weirder with this one. The angular prog bass line of the opener starts the space rock off. I mean the term death rock gets thrown around at times with these guys but on this album I hear more cosmic stuff like Hawkwind. The vocal are more of a swirling galactic chant than the type of singing from the first album an the drumming is running in crazy circles all over the place. It's a sonic feast, but the song writing is then given room to wander into more of jams than actual songs.

"Ashtray Eyes" takes a good minute to land. The keyboard start building up the riff in the distance. This is way more Pink Floyd than I remember the last album being. It more Obscured By Clouds Floyd though, which is good as that was my favorite album to get high to back in the day. The vocals take on a more focused croon here, and we have the making of a real song. When the drum really kick into a groove , I am pretty sure its not metal but something of a more more perverse beauty.

There a more Killing Joke like stomp to "Kites & Vultures". This builds into drum spasms and the tribal throb marches on. Though this album is less metal it still carries an attack to it that would appeal to metal heads, especial those who like industrial. The title track carries the charge forward , the groove is almost more Tool like, the synth sound and darker vocals that bubble up from the nebulous realms create a hypnotic  tapestry of sound while forming a web-like song structure.

The bleak piano lines that open up " Bad Dreamer" create a lingering  mood  that almost feels more like an interlude,  as the crushing doom like bottom end doesn't smack down until two minutes later letting the piano trail in behind it.The baritone moan of the vocal heps create an almost Swans like mood. As the song goes into a more doomy place ,the vocals soar over it with a surprising amount of power.

"Rise" gets even darker with tribal pulse to the drums. The song kicks in and feels like a death rock version of Tool for some reason to me. The album close with the 11 minute "Loss of Feeling Loss" . It doesn't begin to bubble to life from it's dark depths until a minute and a half into the song. The song mainly drone on one pounding throb. Overall the band seems to be more focused on droning space rock, than the line the teetered towards darkness, but they continue to be great in the face of these changes, I would have preferred more dynamics from a few of the more droning moments so I will round this up to a 9, as this keeps the album being perfect, but it is still an inspiring listen.