Darxtar: Aged to Perfection (2012)

Swedish band DARXTAR has a history going back to the start of the 1990's and was initially a band that sought to revive space rock as it was made in the 1970's, with Hawkwind as a distinct and stated influence. A total of seven full length studio productions have seen the light of day since then, of which "Aged to Perfection" is the most recent. An album seven years in the making which was released by Swedish label Transubstans Records in the spring of 2012.

One aspect of this disc that is a striking feature right away is the lack of distinct references to Hawkwind's brand of space rock, and in particular the 70's sound that was so inspirational in the early stages of Darxtar's history as a recording artist. The harder edged riffs, pumping bass and spaced out, energetic or intense atmospheres of early Hawkwind are just about non-existent. As far as resemblances go in that direction, they are closer to what Brock and his crew explored on "Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music", although without any direct references as such. Just about the only instance where we're treated to a sound and atmosphere comparable with the early ideals of Darxtar is on Tired Nature, and even there the classic space rock style is explored in more of a careful and subdued manner.

Title track Aged to Perfection crystallize the extreme of what this album is all about I guess. A composition based on a basic acoustic guitar and vocals arrangement, careful and dampened in expression, surrounded by a careful arrangement consisting of rhythms, futuristic sounds and fleeting violin textures. And while the core foundation of the following compositions all deviate from this one, the surrounding arrangements are of a fairly identical nature throughout, in construction as well as intensity.

As this disc unfolds, associations to Pink Floyd starts appearing pretty soon. The subdued, careful nature of the themes and arrangements and the effective use of darker textures increasingly points in that direction, with In Time as the most distinct example. But a take on their sound generally void of any major dramatic excursions, stark contrasts and majestic soundscapes. Think mellow late 70's Pink Floyd, flavoured with gentle ethereal violin textures and just as gentle futuristic synths and sound effects. And with a nice and efficient use of organ backing textures.

For final piece Fiska På Grasmattan Darxtar pulls out in a slightly different direction again though, ending this disc with an epic length, improvisational affair. Again a construction that merits descriptions along the lines of careful and gentle, with a steady repeating rhythms foundation and dampened more or less fragmented instrument constellations employed in a creative and less structured manner on top.

In sum this makes for a production that explore the gentler parts of the space rock subgenre. An almost lazy, slightly detached overall sound, where the edges are as soft as the contrasts and the arrangements are dominated by nuanced effects of an ethereal fragmented character rather than a majestic and dominating presence. An album that invites and inspire to careful and deliberate reflection of an introspective kind rather than whisking the listener away on adventurous journeys into inner or outer space. An album that merits a check by those who feel that mellow space rock sounds like an interesting product to investigate.

My rating: 68/100
Track list:
1. Aged to Perfection
2. In Green Heat
3. Mörkret 2
4. Tired Nature
5. Some Things
6. In a Time
7. Moving Along
8. Fiska På Gräsmattan

Odyssey: Abysmal Despair (2012)

Swedish trio ODYSSEY was formed back in 2010, and have apparently made quite a name for themselves in their local live scene. "Abysmal Despair" is their debut effort, and one that has been described as eagerly anticipated by quite a few people, also outside of the inner circles around band and label respectively. The latter which is Transubstans Records, a label specializing in artists with somewhat of a vintage oriented hard rock or art rock sound.

In the case of Odyssey we're dealing with a slight derivation from the norm for this label however. While it's relatively easy to hear that Odyssey is yet another band that do know their Black Sabbath as well as hard psychedelic rock from the 70's, these traits are not truly dominant aspects of their repertoire even if  present in one shape or another throughout.

Instead I'd pull in punk and hardcore as more important aspects of their music, alongside grunge. In the case of the former two I guess post punk should be mentioned too, as the compositions at hand did give me a few associations to a band I guess many hard rock fans and progressive rock fans alike aren't too familiar with, which is New Model Army. Not in sound as such however, but to a certain extent in approach.

The basic element of Odyssey is the bass guitar, providing thundering, energetic and massive textures throughout. In a manner that made me think about good, old Nuclear Assault actually, albeit not quite as frantic as this old hardcore-tinged thrash act was back towards the end of the 1980's. Heavy, energetic drum patterns emphasize the high energy and high impact base sound of the band quite nicely, and does so in a fairly refined manner, at least refined enough to avoid any direct hardcore and punk comparisons.

The guitars have more of a dual, or perhaps triple, role in the proceedings. Sabbath-tinged riffs with nods in the direction of both grunge and garage rock represents one part of the role filled by the axe, the second one is to provide melodic and mostly repeated overlays with a closer relation to 70's hard psychedelic rock, and occasionally we're treated to some twisted blues inspired soloing too. But we're also given the occasional staccato riff barrages that have a stronger resemblance to early 80's hardcore and the UK punk movement in here, alongside occasional added noise elements thrown in for good measure.

But the punk and post punk associations are rather minuscule in the instrumental department, as they are just a few among several details that appears throughout each and every song. An element more thoroughly executed in this manner are the lead vocals, aggressively shouted more often than not, and only in rare moments of gentler tranquillity are we treated to a singing voice. Shouting is the norm, and fairly aggressively at that.

Which brings me back to punk, post punk and grunge. Odyssey's debut is a production I'd describe as a likely end result if a band like Soundgarden had been asked to incorporate some punk and post punk aesthetics to their music. With the aggression of the punk movement honed in on the vocal department, but retaining the more refined metal orientation as far as instrumental performance go. Add in a somewhat lo-fi production and what might be described as a garage rock general approach and I believe most grounds have been covered.

The end result is a heavy hitting, high energy and aggressive slice of metal that does reach out to territories not commonly explored by other bands. It's more basic in sound than actual performance, and the shouted vocals adds a primitive edge to the proceedings that does cover up instrumental performances and arrangements that are rather more developed. The basic sounding production another masquerade that hides a lot more than it reveals in that department. An album recommended to fans of aggressive, dark metal in general, and for some reason I have a gut feeling that quite a few Motorhead fans might have a soft spot for this album. Otherwise I'd guess that fans of aforementioned Nuclear Assault might be a key audience for this band alongside those who think that Jesus Christ Pose represented the ultimate achievement of aforementioned grunge stars Soundgarden.

My rating: 73/100
Track list:
1. Pyramids
2. Wicked Witch
3. Abysmal Despair
4. Keloma
5. No Fucking Way
6. Wolfspit And Witches Breath
7. This Ship Is Sinking
8. Darkred

Sergey Rybytskyy: New Vista (2012)

SERGEY RYBYTSKYY is a Ukrainian composer and instrumentalist who cites artists like Marty Friedman, Jason Becker and Tony Macalpine as some of his main influences. Besides classical music that is. "New Vista" is his debut album, and was self-released as a digital album only through the CD Baby website in the spring of 2012.

And it is something of a Gordian knot Rybytskyy presents on his initial journey into the world of recording artists. He's not a guy limited by perceptions about stylistic expressions for starters, and accurately classifying him within a specified stylistic expression is just about impossible. For better or worse I guess, depending on point of view.

Those fond of classical music in general and chamber music in particular will enjoy most of the numerous tracks brief in length, and in particular the minuets and waltz he have chosen to include. Utilizing keyboards I presume, but still managing to convey a true feeling of classical music on these occasions, albeit in more of a contemporary instrumental coating.

Those who enjoy harder hitting, neo-classical metal will get their share of music to enjoy too however. Title track New Vista, JVP, Chameleon, Profound Influence, Deliverance and to some extent Marathon all explore this approach to a lesser or greater extent, with plenty of neo-classical runs, harmonized guitar and keyboard constructions and the occasional shredding exercise incorporated into fairly engaging and well constructed packages. Although in the case of the latter of these, Marathon,  a recurring hair metal oriented theme is something of a mood dampener. And it should also be noted that the keyboard is given just as much space on most of these excursions as the guitar, and that a symphonic backdrop if not present will always be close by. As such these are full fledged compositions to a much greater extent than mere instrumental showcases, and while this will expand the scope of this album quite nicely some dedicated guitar enthusiasts may not find this aspect to be quite to their taste. There's also room for pieces with more of an emphasis on mood and atmosphere on this production, best represented by Weariness. A slower paced, mournful construction that evokes a feeling that fits it's given name very well indeed.

I've broadly divided the tracks on this album into separate categories. These divisions aren't due to extreme differences and borderlines cast in stone however, as a close inspection of this production will reveal something of a uniform atmosphere throughout and that some compositions corresponds better within the specified categories than others. Rybytskyy appears to enjoy mixing elements around a bit, and gives the impression of being an artist that doesn't care too much about honing in on any detailed specified genre of music.

I do suspect that a key audience for this album still will be a crowd with a certain taste for neo-classical, guitar dominated music however. And in particular those among them who also find classical music and symphonic art rock to be music generally sorted under an interesting description. A decent and promising debut album all in all.

My rating: 70/100
Track list:
1. Prelude
2. New Vista
3. Minuet C-Moll
4. J V P
5. Weariness
6. Minuet D-Moll
7. Chameleon
8. Profound Influence
9. Waltz a-Moll
10. Deliverance
11. Marathon
12. Minuet F-Moll

Rak: The Book of Flight (2012)

Multinational, Switzerland based outfit RAK is the creative vehicle of Marc Grassi (music) and Dave Thwaites, and was formed back in 2004. The band released their debut album "Lepidoptera" later the same year to critical acclaim, and their live support of it has been described as a successful one. "The Book of Flight" is the band's second full length production, and was released in February 2012.

And it is a fairly compelling sophomore effort they have made themselves, an album that will find a strong appeal amongst followers of symphonic progressive rock. That this is a conceptual creation is usually an advantage among followers of this type of art rock, and any CD that kicks of with a song clocking in at 17 minutes is bound to raise interest in itself. That the following three pieces all clock in at epic length another positive aspect for quite a few I surmise.

But framework aside, the music itself is fairly intriguing too. It's easy to hear that the main composer in the band is the keyboardist, as quite a lot is based around the tangents for this band. Wandering piano motifs and an organ backdrop or more or less mainstay elements throughout, and soaring keyboard solos can be found aplenty. The guitar has more of a supporting role when not soloing, usually delivering harder edged, dark toned and dampened riff constructions that contrast the tangents quite nicely. Steady and often fairly sophisticated rhythms complement the dominating instruments quite nicely throughout. And the different instrumental elements are utilized in an efficient manner. Each part of this conceptual creation have multiple themes, with a nice and logical development to each of them. And they complement each other fairly well to. Sparse sequences that use guitar and piano only are used to good effect, gentle vocals and piano sequences too, but the most common mode explored and the one followers of symphonic progressive rock most likely will appreciate most are majestic, richly layered arrangements dominated by multiple keyboard textures where the guitar adds the darker tones needed for that really grandiose atmosphere to appear.

Well made and well produced, and with some surprisingly well placed effects. The dissonant instrumental textures used on The Deception elevating this particular piece to a higher level a prime example in my opinion at least. But there's one aspect of this production that limits my enjoyment, which is the lead vocals. Dave Thwaites has a fairly uncommon vocal style, at least in my experience, and I suspect that his choice of tonal range and delivery both will be a feature that will, so to say, make or break this disc. Those who enjoy his lead vocals and are generally fond of contemporary symphonic progressive rock will regard this album as a strong one, while those who don't, those sensitive to lead vocals in particular, might find them too be too distracting. I'll readily admit to being in the latter category in this case.

Overall this makes for a fine piece of symphonic progressive rock, and as long as you don't have a problem with the aforementioned vocal style this conceptual creation should be a nice addition to your collection. Especially if you enjoy fairly complex, contemporary sounding music of this kind explored within epic length compositional frameworks.

My rating: 67/100
Track list:
1. The Ascent
2. The Breakthrough
3. The Book of Flight
4. The Deception
5. The Descent
6. The Great Machine

Sonisk Blodbad: Dark Spring (2012)

Multi-national band SONISK BLODBAD started out as a Norwegian duo that made their debut with the single "Blue Room" in 2011. Since then they have expanded in members and nationalities both, and it is as a foursome they released their initial album "Dark Spring" in March 2012 on what appears to be their own label: Inner Robotic Records.

The music of Sonisk Blodbad comes in two different flavours if this album can be trusted as evidence: Either dark and ominous or sad and mournful. One exception aside the style is an electronic one, with ambient and cinematic as descriptive keywords. Not ambient as in Gandalf and Vangelis, but rather ambient as in the complete opposite of what these artists normally produce. Vangelis has touched upon similar atmospheres on occasion admittedly, first and foremost when he crafted the soundtrack for Blade Runner, but Sonisk Blodbad's excursions are of a substantially different nature even so.

The opening four pieces are the darkest one by this outfit, at least so far. The resonating, oscillating and otherwise computer and machine like sounds of "Sonisk Blodbad" not directly so perhaps, but due to a swirling recurring sound that made me recall classic computer game Paradroid I got the dark mood by association on this one. But from "Somewhere Along the Line" through "Det Er Ingen Teatertriks" we're treated to a trio of tracks that embrace the dark side of ambient oriented electronic music. And brilliantly so I might add. The most impressive amidst these twinkling black gems "Koffår Svikta Du", a remixed version of "Varför Svek Du" that appear later on. This remixed edition opens with the subtly fluctuating light toned synth motif of the original piece, slowly invaded and taken over by a succession of darker, twisted and eerie sounds that manage to create an almost frightening atmosphere. Despite nothing really dramatic taking place. An unnerving audio experience if you like, and as far as ambient music goes this is stuff that will inspire to nightmares. The brooding, mournful creations before and after are perfect companion pieces to such an excursion, encapsulating the opening half of this production in an almost oppressive yet compelling dark electronic coating.

Title track "Dark Spring" kicks of a somewhat less intense part of this production, where minimalistic constructions that are less oppressive and somewhat lighter in spirit are given room. Not that any of them are bright and positive, but the mood associations are limited to those of sadness and mourning now, at least to my ears, and the brooding, ominous undercurrents and effects are used less extensively if at all. Easier to enjoy compositions, and easiest of them all, arguably, is the remixed version of their previous single "Blue Room". In this version sporting dance friendly rhythms and a distinct development towards a 1970's inspired psychedelic rock expression as far as style is concerned. But this track is the exception on this half of "Dark Spring", the other pieces more distinct and thorough exercises within a minimalistic context. The tile track itself is an interesting one, a subtly fragmented sad cinematic journey backed by light toned bird-like sounds. But also a creation that given a lighter tonal range and violins rather than synthesizers most likely would have been experienced as vibrant and joyful.

If you're in the mood for an album of mostly dark ambient music, ranging from the sad and mournful to the ominous and somewhat oppressive mood-wise, Sonisk Blodbad is a band to get more familiar with. And their debut "Dark Spring" is a quality evidence of just how far removed from new age electronic music can be whilst still maintaining a cinematic, mostly melodic expression.

My rating: 85/100
Track list:
1. Sonisk Blodbad
2. Somewhere Along The Line
3. Koffår svikta du? (Remixed)
4. Det er ingen teatertriks
5. Dark Spring
6. Varför svek du?
7. Blue Room (Remixed)
8. Cold Winter

The Vorticists: Show (2011)

US band THE VORTICISTS became a firm entity in 2009 according to their bio, and are based out of a corner in the state of Indianapolis called Bloomington. With a stated desire to reach outwards from there. In between playing live this five man strong unit also found their way into a studio in 2011, resulting in their debut album "Show". An album that, true to the spirit of many other recent bands, have been released on the Bandcamp website.

And if Lady Luck aids these guys and they work hard at it, they should manage to build up a fanbase large enough for the world to take notice of them too. Because this first production of their is a production with many fine qualities to it, and is an album that should have a wide appeal. If only people would take the time to give it a spin that is. Which appears to be the main challenge for an increasing number of artists these days, as the sheer variety and quantity of music out there is almost staggering.

Musically The Vorticists is best described as a psychedelic rock band I guess. Their compositions tends to be gentle of nature and expression, with careful piano and guitar motifs as the dominant instrument details. With effective use of vintage sounding synthesizers as the main additional flavour. But most of all this is a vocals dominated production. Verse and chorus sequences are the stars of the show, so to speak, and while the instrumental sections are employed both cleverly and given ample space too on occasion, this is an album that hone in on the lead vocals and vocal passages as the vital parts of the proceedings.

And they do so in a manner that gives me associations to Radiohead first and foremost. The the gentler parts of Paranoid Android frequently comes to mind, paired off with a mood not too far away from The Beatles when they were at their most mellow. Flavouring the proceedings throughout are occasional lapses into slightly harder edged passages reminding more of 70's art rock band Ambrosia and the occasional nod in the direction of Pink Floyd when the arrangements briefly develop into layered, somewhat grandiose constructions. But most of all this is a dampened, careful album. Fragile and melancholic, with few or no traces of aggression. But what we are served frequently throughout are resonating, echoing and otherwise psychedelic instrument details. Never extreme or even close to becoming so, but applied with care and an emphasis on subtle eerie moods rather than freakout ones. Nothing that will scare away any mainstream oriented listeners, unless they find late 60's Beatles to be intimidating of course.

Structurally this band does add a few bells and whistles however, and while not in as dramatic a manner as them, avid listeners will probably get the odd association to bands like The Mars Volta and Gentle Giant along the way here. But the quirky features are explored in the same careful manner as the rest of this production. Careful, gentle and dampened are keywords to describe this disc. But that doesn't mean that this is a band that sticks to material of a slow and ballad oriented nature. Faster paced and compact sequences is just as much a part of this act's repertoire as the dreamladen ballad oriented passages, and many of the compositions include them both.

I'd suspect that a likely audience for this production would be people who enjoy the likes of late 90's Radiohead and late 60's The Beatles more than anything. While not that similar to either, The Vorticists is a band that in sound and style combine elements from both, with a careful psychedelic flavouring applied and a certain focus on arrangements of a dampened nature and melancholic mood.

My rating: 78/100Track list:
1. See Me
2. Paradox
3. Searching
4. Organism
5. Life
6. Lush
7. Cubes & Waves
8. Cannonball
9. Dreamride

Impulso de los Sonidos Inconscientes: Mente y Gravedad (2012)

Argentinian band Impulso (full name: Impulso de los Sonidos Inconscientes) was formed back in 2008, initially a trio who blended structured composed songs with improvisational performances live as well as on their initial demo tape that was released in 2009. In 2010 they expanded to a quartet with the inclusion of vocalist, keyboardist and flautist Emanuel Pin, expanding their stylistic borders and possibilities. Soon after they started to work on the material for their debut album "Mente y Gravedad", the end result released as a free download in the spring of 2012. By that time the band was again reduced to a trio, as Pin decided to leave the band.

And in what appears to be the sole production of this band as a foursome, they deliver just over an hour of rather diversified music. Words like retro and vintage are essential features throughout, and a certain love for bands active in the 1970's is needed to be able to enjoy this item. The band themselves cites bands like Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple to be some of their major sources of inspiration, and personally I do think they should add Black Sabbath to that list too, as some parts of their album fits rather smugly into a Purple Sabbath description.

But while they can be majestic sounding with a harder edged yet melodic take on vintage hard rock, this is merely one of many features that are recurring traits of this bands repertoire. Psychedelic flavoured instrument motifs is another distinct feature, it won't take long before the style heavy psychedelic comes to mind when exploring this initial effort of theirs. Utilized as careful, subtle additions to their songs more often than not, and given somewhat more room when they hit off in longer, more elongated escapades of an improvisational nature like on La Puerta de Tannhäuser and Correr.

An additional aspect of this bands repertoire that rather quickly surface is a certain affection for jazzrock too, and on a number of occasions they invite their listeners to reflect upon just how minor the differences between psychedelic rock and jazzrock really are. Later on gentler passages more distinctly jazzrock in character than merely oriented towards that expression appears too, as the initial occurences of this trait most likely will leave a few wondering whether this aspect of their sound is incidental rather than planned. Finally Impulso also include the occasional nod in the direction of symphonic progressive rock and folk rock too by way of keyboards and flute respectively, and in the later stages of this production we're served some rather tasteful passages there the latter has been incorporated into their dampened excursions into jazzrock territories, and to good effect I might add.

The overall experience is of a band varied in style, with a distinct emphasis on a retro-oriented overall sound. A band to seek out by those who enjoy Black Sabbath and Deep Purple just as much as King Crimson and Pink Floyd, and it will most likely be an advantage if you enjoy a bit of jazzrock and psychedelic rock too. A fine debut album by a talented band.

My rating: 77/100
Track list:
1. Perdido
2. La Puerta de Tannhäuser
3. Respirar
4. El Tiempo Aca
5. Correr
6. Dos Gatos Negros
7. Obertura Clerica
8. Sonrieme Unclelito
9. Catalina Maple
10. Tema Furioso Que Esta En Mi
11. El Loco de Chacabuco
12. Las Canciones También se Enojan

Zone Six / Vespero: The Split Thing (2012)

A truly international production, "The Split Thing" is an album divided between German space rock veterans ZONE SIX and Russian space rock band VESPERO. The former a rather loose band constellation with a history going back to the late 90's and with 8 CD and CD-R releases to their name, the latter a more structured group with a history that started back in 2003 and a total of 7 full length productions to their name. And in spirit with the international context of their joint effort, this CD was released by Swedish label Transubstans Records in the spring of 2012.

After investigating this production a bit, it is clear that we're dealing with two bands complementing each other fairly well in this case. They both share certain features: Both bands are all instrumental on this occasion, their compositions have a strong improvisational trait to them, and both bands are undeniably space rock in sound and style. But with some differences in expression that adds a nice touch to this disc.

Vespero are represented by three tracks that each clock in well before the 10 minute mark, and their excursions are marked by defined alterations in sound throughout. Rather than merely developing from one theme or lead motif over to the next one, this is a band that explore a theme or an idea, steadily developing it, and then moving on to the next one if they have an approach at hand that fits into the overall context or utilizing ambient interludes as they occasionally do to good effect on a few occasions. Otherwise their expression is one that employ the lighter parts of the tone range extensively, where careful guitar soloing combine with keyboard and organ motifs, while the flute is given room for details of a more careful nature. A dampened but tight rhythm section beneath cater for pace and intensity nice and efficiently. Generally Vespero choose to develop a theme from a slower careful start towards an energetic, high impact final phase prior to shifting themes, or to conclude the piece in question. Well made and well performed music through and through, lighter in tone and spirit than many other space rock bands but without ever loosing touch with the rock part of the proceedings.

Zone Six' contribution marks a distinct difference right away, as this is a monster excursion clocking in at just over 24 minutes. And unlike Vespero, Zone Six has the approach of one steadily developing theme towards a final conclusion. In the initial phase of their track here they have an intermediate phase where the first approach defragments and they jam along a bit until heading off into a new direction, this one sticking until the end. They don't utilize the more distinct shifts of their discmates, instead opting for a more directly improvised solution. Zone Six also employ a darker, gritter and harder edged sound with less room for keyboards, dominated by dark toned, compact and fairly gritty guitar riffs and backed by a rhythm section with a distinctly massive footprint. Synth effects and resonating guitar details cater for the space part quite nicely, and their gritty sound won't leave anyone questioning their rock credentials.

Of the two I found Vespero to be slightly more interesting on this occasion. While I generally enjoy Zone Six overall sound better, their piece here gets to be somewhat too long and uniform to make a markedly strong impression: Good quality space rock but without any elements to it that elevates it above similar efforts by others. Fans of the style and this particular expression will of course love this epic length space romp, and it isn't lacking anything in quality as such. Vespero's contributions are somewhat more varied in scope and expression, and they also leave room for finer details to appear. This adds a somewhat more refined feel to their undertakings, as well as arguably broadening the overall appeal ever so slightly.

All in all a good album for fans of instrumental space rock of the improvisational kind, and with two bands sporting somewhat different approaches to this type of music the scope and variation is broader than what standalone band productions of this kind tend to be as well. A good quality production that should please both avid and more casual fans of this style.

My rating: 75/100
Track list:
1. Vespero: Nüllus
2. Vespero: Clouds
3. Vespero: Lifeless Pillars
4. Zone Six: Babapapatantramanta

Various Artists: Trail Records - Five Years in Space 2007-2012

US indie label TRAIL RECORDS was formed back in 2007, and have since then delighted people in the know and a few lucky reviewers with two or three annual releases of psychedelic and space rock of the finest quality. Most of them compilations or reissues of albums that should have been better known when released first time around, but also with a few releases from better known bands and the occasional original production. All albums given a superb remastering by Trail Records in house expert, and supplied with original artwork that holds the same high standard as the music itself. The end result are CDs that documents visually and musically that this is art, in stark contrast to the bland audio entertainment and superficial image branding major record labels have tried to get consumers to buy in the last couple of decades. To commemorate their 5 year long history as purveyors of high quality psychedelic music, Trail Records have assembled what appears to be a promotional disc. "Trail Records: Five Years in Space 2007-2012" is the name of the entity, and it would appear that this production is not available as a regular commercial product. So if anyone wants ton get a copy of their own, you'll probably have to contact the label directly and ask if it is at all possible.

What we're treated to here is one select track from each of the label's releases, plus one track from a forthcoming production. And for fans of psychedelic rock and space rock this compilation is a treat, I can't imagine anyone who regards themselves as fans of these stylistic expressions that won't be captivated by at least a few of the tracks here. And I'd guess that quite a few would regard this as one of the most superior compilations in their collection.

Kiuila opens the ball with dampened, elegant psychedelic rock of the mystical variety, complete with tribal rhythms and eastern haunting instrumental motifs. Vespero continues with a piece just as elegant, this one an improvisational affair sporting echoing guitar licks, droning and surging keyboard effects and ethereal female vocals, transporting us carefully out into the beauty of outer space somewhere. Siddhartha continues the journey in space with their somewhat more mysterious, Eloy-tinged creation Black, and then Sky Cries Mary relocates us to a suitably appropriate dance floor on a nearby space station with their particular brand of dance friendly, accessible, melodic and energetic brand of psychedelic and space-drenched pop/rock.

Beyondomatic then transports us into a calmer locale with Starbong, providing pleasures of a lighter and more ethereal nature. Eastern Syndrome takes over the task of providing a soothing atmosphere with their darker tinged brand of mellow, melodic rock utilizing gentle psychedelic and space-tinged instrumental motifs to emphasize their melancholic general nature. Ole Lukkoye comes next, and now we're taken into a nightclub in space somewhere, with a relaxed, lazy atmosphere dominating the proceedings. Sky Cries Mary then returns for a dreamlike, hypnotic trip into the ethereal spheres again with their splendid live version of the lazy, melancholic Rain.

KRTL is given the task of waking the spacefaring party goers from their slumber with their energetic drum and bass patterns as the firm foundation in their brand of space rock, transporting us down to Earth again where we're taken on a trip In the Labyrinth, apparently a wooden area populated half and half by Celtic and eastern mythological creatures. And in a small, dark corner of the forest we encounter Barrett Elmore, whose story The Nixie is a dark-toned and haunting one that most likely will give some associations to a specific set of doors. A Chemical Breeze transports us away from the mystical realms again, with a majestic rise back into outer space, although this final part of the journey so far has a few bumps prior to reaching whatever location we're headed towards.

Oh well, I might not be much of a storyteller, but I do hope that the few paragraphs above have given a brief and hopefully positive impression of the twelve tracks that populate this sampler from Trail Records. And if anyone should be in doubt: This is a disc that comes as highly recommended as all other productions from this fine, indie label, a venture that hopefully will supply a steadily increasing audience with their fine quality productions for a good few number of years still. A fine sampler from a fine label, whose emphasis on art on all levels have been and still is impressive on all accounts.

My rating: 82/100
Track list:
1. Kiuila: Dle Yaman
2. Vespero: Figures
3. Siddhartha: Black
4. Sky Cries Mary: Want
5. Beyond-O-Matic: Starbong
6. Eastern Syndrome: Getto Over Vltava
7. Ole Lukkoye: Sleepy Herbs
8. Sky Cries Mary: Rain
9. KRTL: Soda
10. In the Labyrinth: Muscarin Madness
11. Barrett Elmore: The Nixie
12. Chemical Breeze: Chemical Breeze

Yggdrazil: Settimo Grado di Separazione (2005/2012)

YGGDRAZIL was, or perhaps still is, an Italian band, whose sole release so far is "Settimo Grado di Separazione". The album was originally self-released back in 2005, but has now been reissued by fledgling Italian label Psych-Up Melodies.

And it is a fairly challenging production we're given the chance to re-experience on this occasion. Not that the music is extraordinary inventive as such, but it has been made and produced in a manner that will make it a taxing experience for most listeners.

Basically there are two different aspects to this bands compositions. On one hand you have relatively dampened, melodic sequences, where a mildly resonating light toned guitars caters for the main thematic aspects, supported nice and steadily by bass and drums, where especially the former may take on some intricate and energetic runs time and again. The other half of this bands stylistic expression resides well within the metal universe, featuring quirky, dark toned riff constructions of a kind and character that should please fans of bands such as Tool.

What sets this band slightly apart, other than this Radiohead meets Tool kind of dualism, is frequent use of psych-tinged guitar details and a somewhat original compositional approach. This is a band fond of twisting and turning the compositions throughout, often making it hard to keep track of the proceedings, and this CD will take both time and dedication to get familiar with due to that. Especially as they also alter and twist the instrument palette in the vocal passages. And when the vocals both in delivery and mix have been given a rather dominant position, keeping track of ever altering instrumental manoeuvres at the same time as a lead vocalist with a distinctly insisting presence that has been given a placement in the arrangements is vying for your attention, then loosing track of events is something that is bound to happen sooner or later. It's only when you get to be highly familiar with this production that I guess you'll eventually discover how much or not you actually like it, the first few runs through it will eventually be an exercise in keeping track of developments more than anything.

At best this is an intriguing band however. The loose fragmented dampened piece Lizard, that eventually settles into a build-up for the following intense piece Gig, is among the finer experiences on the CD. And final track Separazione, where Yggdrazil calms down ever so slightly their ever twisting and turning compositional development, showcase the band at their arguably best.

The end result is a somewhat chaotic, psychedelic-flavoured production that I guess will be mostly of interest to fans of Tool and to some extent Radiohead, at least those amongst them who tends to enjoy fairly intricate and challenging musical endeavours. Existing fans might also note that this reissue sports just over 30 minutes of additional material. These are low-fi, low quality recordings however, and as such mostly of interest to avid fans who'd like to listen to more material from this band no matter the quality of it.

My rating: 69/100
Track list:
1. Conception of Time
2. Lizard
3. Gig
4. Every Man
5. By My Time
6. Specular
7. Separazione
8. Outtake 1
9. Outtake 2
10. Outtake 3
11. Outtake 4

Et Rop På Hjälp: Hur Svårt Kan Det Vara?

Swedish band ETT ROP PÅ HJÄLP was formed sometime around 2009, and have apparently been something of a feature on the Swedish live circuit. At least their debut album has been described by some as eagerly awaited when it arrived in late winter 2012, courtesy of Transubstans Records.

Be that as it may be, but it is a blazing romp of a debut album they have made themselves. As usual with artists signed to Transubstans their expression is a vintage oriented one, with a hard, compact bass guitar the central recurrent feature throughout. Most often combined with compact guitar riffs, the combination of the two clearly indicating that Black Sabbath has been an influential band for this foursome. Their choice of expression is one somewhat lighter and more uplifting in character however, personally I'd describe this as a blend of The Who and the aforementioned Black Sabbath, but of a generally uplifting, positive and vibrantly energetic nature. With steady and frequently sophisticated drum patterns catering for the rhythms department this is a tight and high energy total package, with excellent powerful lead vocals as an additional asset.

But there's a bit more to this that isn't captured by the above description, namely a substantial element of psychedelic rock. Light toned psychedelic guitar details appear on regular occasions throughout, and when the band hits an elongated instrumental feature psych-dripping guitar solos and extended runs are never far away. In addition, either the verse or the chorus part of each of the songs tends to incorporate a fair deal of psychedelic details. That the majority of the songs also incorporate tempo and intensity alterations does give this bands repertoire a distinct flavouring of progressive rock, and that they occasionally will hit off on a Santana-flavoured run strengthens this impression quite a lot.

By and large I found this album to be a truly strong and vibrant experience. That I understand the mostly acidic comments made in the lyrical department obviously an advantage, but even if disregarding that element this is a strong production I imagine should have a widespread appeal. A disc that comes highly recommended to fans of heavy psychedelic 70's rock first and foremost, and in particular to those amongst them who also enjoy listening to vintage Black Sabbath.

My rating: 93/100Track list:
1. Den Siste Altruisten
2. Den Europeiska Löken
3. Ärendet
4. Sagor (Och Ingenting Annat Än Sagor)
5. Vänförfrågan
6. Tvål & Alkohol
7. Följ Mitt Liv
8. Ett Rop På Hjälp
9. Josef K

Burning Saviours: The Offering (Förbannelsen Part II) 7'' (2012)

Swedish band BURNING SAVIOURS was formed back in 2003, and for the next five years they were an active live and recording unit, with three full length albums to their name prior to splitting up in 2008. Two years later they reformed however, now sporting a revised line-up. Since then they've been working with a project called "Förbannelsen", with a planned set of thematically connected 7 inch vinyl singles. "The Offering" is the second of four planned parts of this endeavour, and was released by Night Tripper Records in the summer of 2012.

A-side The Offering is a nice composition. A mid-paced affair with a snail-paced chorus, featuring a few instrument details borrowed more or less directly from what is likely a main source of inspiration, namely Black Sabbath. Apart from these instrumental touches the overall sound is one that owes quite a lot to Iommi's classic foursome from the 70's. Up to and including the nice, blues-oriented guitar solo. But the end sequence is another story entirely. Tied in with the lyrical topic covered I presume, we're served a dampened, delightfully ominous sequence where glockenspiel and a light-toned clean guitar jointly manage to create a brooding, fearful atmosphere. Haunting stuff, and highly effective to boot.

B-side Spirit of the Woods is a shorter, compact affair. Another composition made in the vein of 70's Black Sabbath, albeit not sporting any direct references as such apart from the overall sound and vibe. An elegant drums and bass standalone theme is a nice touch on this one, used three times in total and each of them as a transitional phase. To good effect I might add. A nifty combination of melodic soloing on top of wandering riff patterns and fragmented soloing on top of impact riffs another feature worth mentioning.

The vinyl single itself is, take note vinyl enthusiasts, literally a heavy package. The single itself a heavy slab, and contained within a stiff cardboard cover with beautifully printed artwork. When I was in my teens I used to buy protective plastic covers for such productions, so that I could attach the cover to the wall, displaying my precious works of art for whoever dared to enter my teenage cave. 25 years ago this is one of the album covers I would have displayed, and with a certain sense of pride I believe.

My rating: 70/100
Track list:
1. The Offering
2. Spirit of the Woods