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so two spins later (spoiler alert!):
Apart from the NOX suite they haven't flashed me this much since TDDU. It's not as straight hard rock as some reviewes suggested. Well maybe compared to the Gullvag trilogy it is, but those albums really were way more prog than yr average rockers. Not a lot of King Crimosn and Yes to be found here. Still a lot of Black Sabbath, though. But not like yr average doom troupes who claim to be inspired by them but mostly just play Sweet Leaf in a thousand variations over and over again. The Sabbathy parts on this record draws from Sabbath's more adventurous sides. With the lyrics printed on the sleeve I also noticed how much Into the Void there is in The Waning. There's even a little nod to their song Supernaut in Cosmoctopus which obviously I find very cool! Something I noticed first on TAIO goes even further here: the vocal melodies/patterns/lines. If anything has ventured into new realms the most in recent years, then it's the singing. Also an instant like is "The Hunt". Very Tull. Velvet Green and Fat Man come to mind. But hey, Iommi and Jethro Tull aren't exactly strangers to each other. And on this one Bent sounds like a very popular singer from a completely different musical area. Worlds colliding in a brilliant track. I wonder if anyone will find and point this out as well or maybe it's just me. And hearing that singing style over this Jethro-ish track put a stupid grin on my face. Yes it must have been very stupid because I felt my face physically. Oh and sitting outside in a park listening to a new MP album for the first time is quite something. There I was on that bench grinning like an idiot. Haha. I never found a lot of Led Zeppelin in Motorpsycho's music. But one part, don't remember what song atm, is very "No Quarter".
So it's all a rip off then, eh? NO WAY! These are just the elements that I found easy to grasp on first impression through familiarity. Oh this sounds like this! Oh I know that from there! The other 90% are as original as usual. Unless there's lots of stuff coming from places I'm not aware of. But if so someone will point those out. And Lady May draws from their own back catalogue. Isn't that the "Into the Mystic" hookline?
Anyways, it's big, it's grand, it's delicate (some parts remind me of those lo-fi bathroom recorded 90s EP moods which they haven't done a lot since), it's ballsy. Some riffs call for a very grim facial expression on stage. You know, those Hulk neanderthal riffs. But it's fun! Oh and it sounds amazing! Snah's guitar especially. Andrew Scheps & Motorpsycho is a perfect fit.
yadda yadda blah, time for a 3rd spin….
Ehm I wrote Snah's guitar sounds amazing but I can't be always sure if it's him or Reine… All the dings and dongs and gnarls and whooomps and whooshes sound so great! And so fresh! Classic AND modern. It feels like I'm 20 listening to a new record in 1978 (not that I was 20 back then…) by a bunch of highly skilled and energetic twentysomethings who are magically seasoned beyond young age in playing and songwriting and arranging rockin out and it still absolutely has a contemporary 2021 vibe.
According to liner notes it's been recorded in 2019?? 8O and some stuff (not pointed out exactly which) even in 2018.
Wow! This one is really good! I cannot say it better than Supernaut. There is so much on this album. First favorites are The United Debased and At Empire’ s End ( AADAP vibe in the verses).
Just wow
Still haven't listened to mine. Got it yesterday, and… just haven't found the time to really sit down, breathe, and listen. There is always this sort of trepidation with every new proper Motorpsycho album. Will I like it? Will it leave me unimpressed or even annoyed? Or will I love it?
Will I LOVE it? I want to love it.
SPOILERS AHEAD, READ NO FURTHER IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THE THRILL!
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First impression: Well, this is the corona-depression record, I guess. Because this is easily the most atmospheric MP record to date. And the record really has a depressive atmosphere (very fitting cover art too, a skeleton guy painting a picture of a naked lady sitting on a dead rat. Or frogs stabbed to death by cocktail drink accessories :cry: )
Sure some songs rock out, but they do so in a pretty lethargic and druggy way. Less prog on here, more focus on stoner and psychedelia IMO.
The song that really grabbed me on first listen was At Empire's End. Holy shit, that one hit hard. Alternating acoustic and heavy sections so elegantly, it's by far the most emotionally resonant song on here IMO.
The Waning also improved when in context of the full length version.
The Watcher also includes the music MP composed for the Pulsator movie. Creepy as fuck when combined with the Hawkwind cover.
This one will require a lot of listens. I suggest you all do the same and don't discard immediately just because it didn't click right away.
Guess I'll be giving it a few more spins asap.
ah yes, At Empire's End is the No Quarter-y one. Couldn't remember it before.
hmm… depressing? Funny, I don't feel this at all. Sombre here and there, but not more than on earlier albums. Lyrically it's quite serious, though.
Just this album and NOX and nothing else would be such a fantastic concert.
Oh, and Cosmoctopus Lurker is a riff-o-rama deluxe, especially the 2nd half. Damn it,
Snah and Reine just slay on that one. That one will be great live, I can see MP stretching
that outro into eternity :lol:
Wow. First spin – there is a lot to digest here, and I LOVE it! Can't wait to play this many more times over. The guys seem very much inspired here, and the record feels overall very well balanced. Great atmosphere, stellar riffs, brilliant acoustic tracks… we psychonauts are spoiled :lol:
For anyone (like me) who has not received the record and wants a preview you can stream At Empires End over on Rune Grammofon. Sounds great!
Spoiler alert!
Got my record today and had one spin. Promising. Very promising. Some quick impressions: The Waning part 2 instantly got me with the classic Bent groove. Great. Lady May was quite the surprise. Totally reminds me of CSNY. Lee Shore comes to mind, especially the vocal harmonies. Didn't expect that but I love it. The Watcher is a funny one. It's like they merged the original with Pink Floyd (Set the Controls …) and gave it their own spin. Nice. The Transmutation Of Cosmoctopus Lurker is an absolute belter. Lots more to unravel, but that will take some time. Can't wait!
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