The Cosmic Dead - Infinite Peaks (2024)

Infinite Peaks is the ninth album from The Cosmic Dead, and even if it's maybe not the highest summit in their discography (I'd say their previous two albums sounded more personal), its two long tracks of instrumental space rock are still a masterclass in sounding very far away and trippy and being as well very heavy and rocking hard. Good stuff !

The BC page.

 

Snakes Don't Belong in Alaska - Sounds of a Forming Planet (2023)

While Snakes Don't Belong in Alaska's previous album was more focused on their epic space rock / Hawkwind side, on Sounds of a Forming Planet it's their drone/doom element that is more stressed. The result is less "catchy", but excellent anyway, it takes longer to get into the songs, but repeated listens are rewarding. Strong stuff again.

The BC page.

 

Snakes Don't Belong in Alaska - Interstellic Psychedelic (2022)

In a better world I would have reviewed some Snakes Don't Belong in Alaska a long time ago, but a least their new album Interstellic Pysychedelic will be an excellent one to start with... Definitely influenced by the space rock of Hawkwind (especially the epic feel, the vocals...), krautrock, drone/doom, and probably what runs in the water in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (also inhabited by Mike Vest, also in a similar musical universe). Epic and trippy to say the least. Interstellic Pysychedelic confirms Snakes Don't Belong in Alaska is one of the best psych bands around.

The Bandcamp page.

 

Mienakunaru - Strato Arcology (2022)

Mienakunaru is a trio with two leading musician of the psych underground, from Japan the guitarist Suzuki Junzo (who sadly is recovering from a very serious accident), and from England the bassist Mike Vest, joined by David Sneddon on drums. If you're familiar with Mike Vest other bands you'll find yourself at home listening to Mienakunaru third albumm Strato Arcology (released by the excellent Riot Seanson Records), otherwise expect two long tracks of heavy psychelic rock, where trippy space rock combine with punk savagery. Powerful stuff! 

The Bandcamp page.

 

Richard Pinhas - Reverse (2017)

Reverse, is an album released in 2017 by French avant-garde guitarist and composer Richard Pinhas (known for his music with the band Heldon, but not only). Playing on the albumis an impressive crew of talented musicians : guitars  by Pinhas and Oren Ambarchi, drums by Arthur Narcy, bass by Florian Tatar, Masami Akita (yes the one doing Merzbow) plays analog synths, Duncan Nilson-Pinhas digital synths, and William Winant percussions. The result is a mix of prog/space/kraut rock, drone, and electronics. Droning guitars, free drumming, synth soundscapes, forming weird and futuristic trippy atmospheres. Awesome album, really recommended!

The BC page.

 

 

Amon Acid - Paradigm Shift (2020)

Unlike many psychedelic doom band Amon Acid (yes the name is more than a hint!) is not just slightly psychedelic, in fact on Paradigm Shift (released last year, their fourth album, I really have to check their back catalogue!) they are most of the time closer to Hawkwind than to Black Sab' or Electric Wizard, vintage synths included as well as the proto-heavy metal epic moments. They also bring a nice touch of krautrock at times. That's cool, and since the songs are nice and memorable, all this makes a really enjoyable album. 

The BC page.

 

Mainliner - Dual Myths (2021)

Mainliner is a Japanese psychedelic/free rock trio with Kawabata Makoto on guitar (he's Acid Mothers Temple leader) and two other experienced musicians from the Japanese psych scene (Taigen Kawabe on bass and Shimura Koji on the drums) eight years after the previous one Dual Myth is their new album, released by the awesome Riot Season Records. The four long tracks are on the most rocking, heavier, noisy and abrasive side of psych rock, for a very convincing result. Recommended!

The Bandcamp page.

 

Yuri Gagarin - The Outskirts of Reality (2020)

With The Outskirts of Reality, the third excellent album from Yuri Gagarin, the Swedish instrumental space rock quintet established themselves even more firmly as one of the best and most reliable dealer of heavy n' trippy rock goodness. From "QSO" the heavier and truly epic opening track to the more psychedelic ones, to the also epic, but more trippy, eponymous closing track, it's awesome from beginning to end. Mandatory listen for anyone into psych/space heavy rock.

The Bandcamp page.

Black Mountain - Destroyer (2019)

Destroyer, Black Mountain's fifth album (I liked them since their first, you should check their whole discography) is maybe their more "heavy metal" one, a kind of neo proto heavy metal crossed with space rock and stoner, think a mix of Black Sabbath (maybe in its Never Say Die incarnation), Hawkwind and Blue Oyster Cult. Black Mountain at their most heavy, epic and progressive. An excellent album with memorable songs, including a good ending with a nice David Bowie tribute (not a cover but indoubitably a tribute). Recommended!

The Bandcamp page.

Our Solar System - In Time (2016)

In Time is the third album from the Swedish prog/fusion/psych rock band Our Solar System, and I'd say it's their best. Two 20 minutes long tracks, mostly instrumental, different each from the other and both good. The first one, my favourite, is mostly sax and piano driven for the melodies, the sax playing a leading role, not just solos here and there. In the second track the guitar is the main melodic element. The album is of the quiet psychedelic kind, not buried under cosmic effects allover, but trippy anyway and the atmosphere created and the melodies are really enjoyable and not already heard countless times.  Good stuff.

The Bandcamp page 

Bardo Pond - Acid Guru Pond (2016)

Bardo Pond has now more than fifteen years and more than ten albums behind them, and they explored a wide variety of rock / psychedelic kind of music, from doom to grunge to noise to space rock. Acid Guru Pond as its title suggest is clearly a more psychedelic / space rock oriented album. Trippy guitars a bit of female vocals, slow paced drumming, flute, something that is probably a trumpet, a touch of noise / drone elements  orchestrated in five long tracks with the sophistication the band is used to. Sounds a bit like music from Mike Vest (yes this is really trippy / stoned stuff!), but with the typical Bardo Pound elements and style. The slow and repetitive elements is combined with a diversity of sound and a songwriting that gives each song it's own flavour (or colours since each song has the name of a colour). Quality stuff as usual from Bardo Pond.

The Bandcamp page.

Blown out - Jet black hallucinations & Planetary engineering (2015)

Blown out is one of the band with the guitarist Mike Vest from Newcastle upon Tyne (UK) who also plays in 11Paranoias, Bong , Lobster priest, Haikai no ku, etc. In Blown out you'll find the heavy and trippy elements that you find in every Mike Vest bands, taking the form of an instrumental space rock power trio. They released two excellent records in 2015 Jet black hallucinations and Planetary engineering, and I'll do one review for both because basically it's the same stuff. Heavy rock with a lot of psychedelic lead guitar with fuzz working with the drums & bass grooving rhythmic section. On these records Mike Vest shows once again that he's a major player in the heavy psychedelic scene with a strong distinctive style. If you're into heavy psychedelia you needs to listen to this. Stoner space rock at its finest. Strong stuff.

The Blown out Bandcamp page.

Major Kong - Galactic cannibalism (EP 2015)

Major Kong is a polish trio playing instrumental stoner / doom at its finest. They have the heaviness, the riffs and the grooves, plus a touch of space rocking and inspired songwriting to hold things together and guarantee an interesting listen. All that makes their new EP Galactic cannibalism a very enjoyable piece (four tracks, around 25 minutes) of heavy trippy rock. I also strongly recommend their latest album Doom machine.  

The Bandcamp page.

Yuri Gagarin - At the center of all infinity (2015)

Yeah you guessed it this is space rock. Space rock with a heavy rock / stoner flavour. But the focus is on the trip more than on the heaviness. Yuri Gagarin is a swedish instrumental quintet and At the center of all infinity is their second album (their first, self-titled, one  was already really good). Cool guitar work, a good driving rythm section, a bit of synth and effects. And they take you far away... and you will like it... and will ask for more. Really cool stuff, if you're into heavy psychedelia  and space rock there is absolutely no reason you wouldn't enjoy it.

The Bandcamp page.

Sundays & Cybele - Gypsy house (2015)

Sundays & Cybele is a japanese psychedelic band. Their music is rooted in 60' psychedelic / garage rock, and more specifically there's a strong Hendrix influence in the melodies and guitar playing. The closing instrumental reminds Can. But they're not just trying to recreate music of the past and the fuzzy tone of their guitar is not out of "space" in 21th century stoner / space rock. But, in addition to the high quality of the songwriting and playing, what makes them sound so unique is the singing in japanese, showing how fitting this language can be for psychedelic music.
Their album called Gypsy house (another nod to Hendrix!) was released in march by Guruguru brain, a yery good label specialised in japanese psychedelia. It is a very wel crafted and enjoyable album. Recommended!

The Bandcamp page

Naam - Vow (2013)

With The starchild Naam (from Brooklyn, NY) became another band that matters in the psychedelic rock scene, their sophomore records Vow, released last year by Teepee records, confirm their quality. and what's even best is that they are adding some more diversity in their music (with also a keyboardist).  sometimes Vow is more spacey, sometimes it's more rock, and some melodies and some vocal lines even reminds me of NIN. they bring some fresh air to the sometimes very predictable psychedelic style. and they do it with good tatse and talent. Vow is a really enjoyable album.

their Teepee records page

their Bandcamp page

Domovoyd - Oh, sensibility (2013)

Oh, sensibility, by the finnish quartet Domovoyd (released this year on Svart records) is an album in which I like to get lost into. it's a really trippy and addictive listening experience and that's why it made it into my best of heavy / psychedelic album for 2013. one of is strenght is also the originality of its take on the spacey psychedelic kind of doom. they play some occasionnal Sabbath inspired riffs butunlike many doom album it's not all about the riffs, the heavy trippy atmosphere it develops is more created by the thick layers of fuzzy and noisy guitars. the guitars bring some melodies but even more they bring an almost physical impression to the listener, somewhere between heaviness, noise and drone, but with some potent psychedelic effects. and the more you get into the album the more it progress from doom songs to trippy "noisescapes". and you get lost into it, in a smokey haze of guitar sound and hypnotic rythms.

try this sensorial experience on their Bandcamp.