Germany seems to be producing some of the world’s top space and acid rock bands at the moment. Certainly the wonderful Electric Moon and its various offshoots have lead the way over the past few years, giving a wide catalogue of interstellar titles that have taken the blueprint from older bands and expanded it further outward.
“Oculatus Abyss” opens the album with swirling keyboard sounds over a heavy pulsating bass riff and a solid drum beat. When the guitar hits in it has an eastern feel and vibe as it floats around, conjuring images from distant lands as the rhythm pushes it forward. There is a touch of Steve Hillage to the sound of the guitar at times, but when the feedback kicks in we are into total freak-out territory. This is a big, powerful planet-sized opening track that begins your ride through the cosmos.
“Moon Loop” begins with a slower, more steady rhythm and the guitar playing spacious chords, giving a drifting feel to let your mind expand out into the beautiful beyond. Sebastian Vath’s guitar chords show a beauty and subtlety, while Max Leicht’s bass holds it all together as Steffen Schmidt’s drums slowly pick up momentum as the track’s planetary unfolding begins to slide on a solar wind. Some subdued Mellotron helps take the piece somewhere else as it lifts up certain sections of the eleven-minute song. “Sulfur” ends side one of the album, its Brian Eno-sounding synthesizer kicking in a powerful riff that would get freaks shaking their heads on the planet Mars. This is wonderful stuff and an adrenaline kick to get your spaceship smashing into hyperspace. Some saxophone wails over the top like an exploding meteor crashing earthwards while drums and guitar battle it out beneath, all adding to the heady cosmic cocktail that pulls you into a vast black hole that appears in your living room.“Time Lapse” starts side two with a more genteel vibe, and something that seems to give a nod to early Pink Floyd. For me, these quieter passages certainly expand the band’s sound and let the echoed guitar shine. This is the sound of a lazy summer’s afternoon sitting beneath a tree watching the sun break through the leaves overhead. Acid Rooster carries this sound off with aplomb, and when you give this a spin, just let this beautiful piece wash over you slowly and take you away to somewhere magical.
Next up is “Focus”, which starts with some melancholy sounding chords and a twittering synth sound that breaks like waves on a beach as the lead guitar plays a melody over the top. This is the sound of being in zero gravity while looking out of a portal into the blackness of space. Half way through, the song picks up pace and some lovely atmospheric King Crimson-style Mellotron hangs over the top of proceedings, adding a lush flavour to the piece. The last track on the album is “Äther”, which starts with chiming guitar chords that give it a Hank Marvin / Shadows from outer space feel. The rhythm is a steady one as the riff repeats over the top, again with some ‘Tron adding a subtle interplay around the other instruments, including Jan Werner’s twelve-string guitar. The album ends with big chords slowly melting into the cosmic void. I think this is a fantastic debut by a band I would certainly like to hear more of, and I think they would be great to see live (so please come to the UK soon). The whole album has a wonderful warm feel to it, but also one that takes your mind to other places as it winds its way around its six tracks.The album comes in two physical formats, a cassette tape and a limited reissue black vinyl (the first issue blue vinyl edition has now sold out). The LP comes complete with a poster and a download code, and the vinyl is a solid 180-gramme affair. Pick these up now before they are sold out and you have to start paying stupid amounts for them on Discogs and eBay, and you will be rewarded with some great music for your money.
-Gary Parsons-
