Palace of Swords - S/T 7" + CD-R

Reverb Worship (RW 278)

Palace of Swords is an experimental electronic ambient project based in Aberdeen, Scotland and led by Peter Lyon. I was first introduced to them through Fruits de Mer Records (once again!), when their Neu! cover "Lila Engel" was included on the superb Krautrock tribute compilation Head Music in 2012. Palace of Swords have released a couple of hyper limited CD-R EP's on the amazing Reverb Worship label, who have now also started to put out 7" singles which is great!

This white-label, white vinyl 7" includes two remixes. On the first side (marked with A) we've got a very hypnotic and minimal "Echoes from a Distant Star" re-mixed by Joe Foster, the legendary producer and co-founder of Creation Records, among other things. There's not that much happening except for a simple, repetitive synth pattern and some electronic background noises, but the vibe is very cool. "Ringstone Round" on side AA has been remixed by another Reverb Worship artist The Hare and the Moon, and I like this version a lot. There's even some human voice in the pretty adventurous mix. This is still rather minimal, peaceful ambient music. This track was previously known as "The Castle Spectre" and die-hard Fruits de Mer collectors like myself have heard it on their exclusive The Crabs Sell Out / The Crabs Freak Out compilation.

The 7" comes with a CD-R that has the two single tracks ("Ringstone Round" is extended here) plus three other tracks. "We Are the New Hyperboreans" has a very cool title I think and is remixed here by Midwich Youth Club. Pretty trippy electronic music! The same goes with "Aesthete Cured" (Snide Rhythms Re-mix", but this relays more on beat and melody. "Live at the Aberdeen Witch Trials 1597" (Future Disguiese Re-mix) is a very weird, psychedelic and experimental track that also has very suitable spoken-word samples. All in all, this is an interesting and mind-altering release so check it out if you can still find a copy since there are only 100 of them!

www.facebook.com/Palace-of-Swords-208750835810091

Lunar Miles Band: Souls from the Moon EP

Self-Released

Lunar Miles Band is a new heavy stoner rock group from Lappeenranta, South Karelia, Finland. They were formed in 2014 by guitarist/singer E. A. Miles with drummer Mike Stetson and bass player Ade Venäläine. This is their first release and the band has also been active on the Finnish heavy stoner/hard rock/doom live scene playing gigs with bands like Seremonia, Earthbound Machine, Deep Space Destructors etc. This CD EP includes five original tunes written by E. A. Miles and rocks pretty hard. Groovy, heavy riffs, tight rhythm section, suitable, a bit harsh but melodic vocals and punchy, good sound so all in order here. Personally, I would have used some more effects, especially on the vocals that are now pretty clean. Musically this is pretty usual heavy hard rock / stoner rock and not really that spacey or psychedelic, and there are no actual guitar solos which always is a bummer for me particularly in this kind of music. The songs still are interesting enough so not bad. I think I can hear some Monster Magnet in there but perhaps also some grunge or something. They already have a new three-track EP in their Bandcamp site and it's also available on tape. I'm not sure if you can purchase this first EP since it not even listen on their Bandcamp site but you can always ask the band!

www.facebook.com/lunarmilesband

Surya Kris Peters: Status Flux

Electric Magic Records

Surya Kris Peters is a cosmic solo project by Samsara Blues Experiment guitarist/vocalist Chris Peters from Berlin. He uses lots of synthesizers, Fender Rhodes, electric organ, guitars, Irish bouzouki, sitar, harp, reed organ, gong, Tibetan singing bowl, bohran and rhythm machines etc. to create peaceful, meditative and deep "music for the higher spheres", as he truthfully describes it. Status Flux was recorded occasionally during 2014 and 2015 and is the first album by this project and so far only available digitally from Electric Magic's Bandcamp site. The album includes eight instrumental pieces that soothes your soul and rise your spirit up into the sky and space. Some of the tracks have obvious Eastern vibes, and I like the way Peters combines electronic music with ethnic, acoustic instruments and guitars. The longest piece is called "Passage to Another World", and that's a very suitable title. I really enjoy the tranquil, evocative and transdimentional mood on this release. You just need to lay down, close your eyes, and let the music carry you to other, new and wonderful places in the multiverse. This is a great way to relax and regain your strength in this way too stressful, busy and chaotic world of ours. If you like this album, also check out his previous acid folk solo project Soulitude that can be found at Electric Magic's Bandcamp site as well.

electricmagicrecords.bandcamp.com

Men from S.P.E.C.T.R.E.: Claw

Stoned Karma Records (SK006CD)

This is the fourth album by this very cool, groovy, soulful and funky psychedelic garage rock band from Switzerland. I don't sadly own their previous albums, but this new one released by Germany's Stoned Karma Records makes me feel like living in some weird, lysergic 60s B-grade secret agent / sci-fi movie. And I love the vibe! Track titles like "Take Me to Your Leader", "Planetarium Part I & II" (including cool spoken samples), "Dive into the Mathmos" and "Holy Smoke" probably give you and idea of the mental state these guys are in... The band is: Mario Janser (electric organ), Gerry Germann (guitars), Robert Ebler (percussion), Stefan Saurer (drums) and Rolf Keller (bass). Their superb instrumental music really has a strong 60s vibe, but the sound quality is modern and excellent. I really like the ultra-cool Hammond organ, fuzzy guitars and steady rhythm section, and the percussion player takes the groove to another level. These talented guys know what they can do with their instruments. Most of the eight songs are rather fast and make you want to dance (or chase the bad guys/escape the bad aliens etc. depending on what level you are on), but there are a few slower ones in there as well for a good balance. I am often reminded of Finnish band The Hypnomen, they must have some similar influences. Claw isn't hyper spaced-out or trippy, but it certainly has a strong psychedelic mood. I really can't tell what the highlights are since I like all the tracks very much. The album is available on vinyl, CD and as a download from their Bandcamp site and I think you own it to yourself to get a copy.

men-from-spectre.allyou.net/4012262/press

Dunst: Archimedes Waffen

World in Sound (WIS-3026)

This is the second album by German psychedelic stoner rock heads Dunst. The members also have other interesting projects like Vintage Cucumber and Weedruid, so check them out too. Archimedes Waffen was released on vinyl last year, but is now also available on CD. The album features seven long, instrumental, atmospheric and adventurous tracks of great progressive, psychedelic stoner rock in the vain of Colour Haze, Samsara Blues Experiment, My Sleeping Karma (just listen to the first two tracks) etc. Some of the more mysterious, mesmerizing tracks, especially the excellent "Dhimahi Prachodayat" and "Agathe & Saturnia" also bring to mind the first album by Liquid Sound Company. The album was recorded in Berlin in 2011 and features mostly just guitar, bass and drums, but one guy is listed on vocals and effects as well. I can hear some sound effects/keyboards, but no actual vocals. "Hammerhigh" is one of the most energetic tracks and reminds me of Karma to Burn. This is very enjoyable stuff and a great album as a whole, also what comes to production. I like the way these guys play, and they have good taste in music style, so why don't you have a listen as well!

www.facebook.com/dunstdunst

Monster Magnet: Cobras and Fire (The Mastermind Redux)

Napalm Records

I really loved what the North American stoner rock gods Monster Magnet did with their latest album Milking the Stars: a re-imagining of Last Patrol. That was a re-make of their latest studio album Last Patrol originally released in 2013. You can check out my review over here. Now they have done exactly the same, more psychedelic, alternative universe treatment for their 2010 album Mastermind and the results are stunning. Compared to the the original album, there are now only ten tracks instead of twelve, the track order is almost completely different and the titles are now often slightly changed. The band obviously had lots of fun doing re-writing,  re-recording and re-arranging and making most of the songs pretty different in structure and mood. This sounds like a brand-new album and a really great one too!

The old  "Dig That Hole" has turned into "She Digs That Hole" and starts off the album in a great, dirty way.  "Watch Me Fade" was originally just a bonus track, but here it's the second song and I really like this organ-driven, garage rock styled version of this rather melodic track. "Mastermind '69" is really psychedelic and hypnotic now with all the sitar, organ and fuzzy guitar... I love how the track grows and blows your mind. Another, even more trippy highlight is the over 9-minute-long "Cobras and Fire (Hallucination Bomb)" that's pretty atmospheric with some Mellotron, acoustic guitars etc. Excellent! The peaceful, dreamy and chilled-out version of "Gods and Punks" now entitled "Gods and Punks and the Everlasting Twilight" sounds rather different here without any drums or heavy rhythm guitars. "The Titan Who Cries like a Baby" has been shortened into "Titan", and this is very atmospheric, a bit spooky, almost ambient stuff with piano, orchestration and weird sound effects... "When the Planes Fall from the Sky (Sitar and Psych Version)" rocks out in the heavy, doomy Black Sabbath style like it used to, and this is perhaps the least altered song but still more psychedelic. The Temptations cover  "Ball of Confusion" is fast, pounding, heavy space rock in the vein of Hawkwind, so of course one of my favorites... I guess this is sort of a replacement for the fast rockers "Bored with Sorcery" and "100 Million Miles" on Mastermind. The instrumental "Time Machine" cools things down again with piano and peaceful guitar sounds and effects. The album is finished with the long "I live Behind the Paradise Machine: Evil Joe Barresi's Magnet Mash Vol. 1", and things get really psychedelic and weird now... What a trip! This album is a must-have for all Monster Magnet fans and works really well on its own, so you don't even need to have heard the original Mastermind to dig it. The album will be out next month, personally I can't wait to get the limited red 2LP version with a cool slipmat!

www.zodiaclung.com

Seven That Spells: Superautobahn

Sulatron Records (st1508)

Seven That Spells is a Croatian band that started out over ten years ago a bit in the stoner rock vein but soon got weirder and more experimental when they discovered Acid Mothers Temple and played and collaborated with them for a while. AMT have definitely been a big influence lately, but STS still have gone deeper into a direction of their own. They flirt with krautrock a lot, but in reality they make much more noise that ten kraut bands put together! Their sound can usually be described as a psychedelic, hypnotic and chaotic wall of sound. Their progressive/regressive music is usually mostly instrumental with just some mantra-like chanting and stuff like that. This particular album is their eleventh and originally released on CD in 2012 and now sees a limited vinyl release on Sulatron. Kawabata Makoto from AMT is playing some freaky electric guitar like only he can, and there is also some sax and even piano on the album, but mostly just guitar, bass and drums.

There are three long tracks on the album. The first two have been edited for this vinyl issue. "The Wall" starts off with some complex, energetic poly-rhythms and chanting.  Later on some chaotic guitar terror is added on top to a create effect. "Pyramid" sounds at first a bit like 90s King Crimson, but has lots of wild, noisy guitar on it too. "The Colossus" is the longest track at 21:43 and perhaps the most pleasant to the ears, although the guys really start to freak-out towards the end... Some free jazz vibes in there as well, I guess. The last minutes are very peaceful, thank God! This album will remove the wax from your ears and blow your mind, guaranteed.

www.7thatspells.com