Hibushibire – Magical Metamorphosis Third Eye

Riot Season

Back in a rapidly cooling and overcast UK November of 2023, Hibushibire released their third studio album Magical Metamorphosis Magic Eye and a welcome dose of lysergic colour it was as well.

Founder member Changchang, with new drummer / vocalist and bassist Aoi Hama and Tetsuji Toyoda respectively, once again sought the experienced hands of Acid Mothers Temple’s  Kawabata Makoto in the production chair, as they did with 2019’s excellent Turn on, Tune In, Freak Out. He also adds a bit of his signature acid-fried guitar to the album.

First track is “Orange Sunshine of Your Love Machine”, a busy little psych freak-out, and it won’t feel out of place to anyone familiar with the band’s previous offerings. The track has its roots in a split 7” Hibushibire recently shared with fellow Japanese act BLONDnewHALF and based on this it’ll probably be worth checking them out as well.

“We Won’t Go Back To The Past” is apparently a cover of a French psych pop band from the ’70s; no idea who to be frank, but not to worry, it’s a very nice slice of almost-shoegaze. Reminds me a bit of Asobi Seksu to be honest, with Aoi Hama’s shimmery overlayed vocal harmonies really standing out.

Next up is “Death Surfing USA”, but this is no Beach Boys cover; we’re in full on blitzed-out, ear-drum-melting, psych-out territory here. Sounding very much like a simultaneous battle of the bands between The Heads, AMT Cosmic Inferno and Boris at their noisiest, it’s a very enjoyable if short interlude before things slow down somewhat with the fourth track on the album, “Tomorrow Never Ever Knows”.

This as you may have guessed IS a cover, and a brilliant one at that, of the Fab Four’s psychedelic masterpiece. Again, Aoi Hama’s wonderful voice takes centre stage, weaving around some wonderful sitar and a steady loping drumbeat before breaking away into a gorgeous guitar solo that takes inspiration (Changchang’s own words) from Steve Hillage.

These first four tracks form side one of the vinyl version of the album. Side two is devoted to the twenty-minute epic that is “Ayahuasca Witch Abduction”, which starts with some floaty acoustic guitar overlaid with fluttery female vocals before things get more electric, more urgent, but also more SPACED-OUT.

The music continues to build, both in intensity and speed, till around the ten-minute mark it has created a standing wave front, a peak, from which it inevitably collapses upon itself into a slower, more blissful, bonged-out section, Changchang’s melancholic vocal refrain sweeping over all. This wave too collapses into another even more cosmically rapturous section, evoking Warrior On The Edge of Time-era Hawkwind or early Pink Floyd. The final coda of the track is a fuzzy distorted solo that builds then fades away. Awesome stuff.

All in all, a brilliant album and well recommended to any psych heads out there. Bring your stash!