Psychedelic Rock Appreciation

Bacchanal

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So partly spurred by recent request, and partly by seeing some amazing psych bands over the weekend I have decided to start a proper psychrock thread. In fact I'm I'm totally honest I have far more interest in the stuff that I'm going to rant about here than any sort of dance music!

Have gained some wisdom over the years here about the classics, but there seems to be little talk about contemporary psych, am I a lone voice in the wilderness or does anyone else have suggestions for recent wonderfulness?

So at the weekend I saw Monkey3 who are a nicely shiny Swiss group, they build songs around great repetitive hooks and balance atmospherics with proper rock riffs. http://www.myspace.com/monkeythreecom
In my mind they're quite closely related to 35007 who sadly no longer exist. They were however a bit more sparse and spacy (except on their early work!) http://www.myspace.com/35007loose

I'm also partial to a bit of more 'far out' stuff like Earthless. Now I'm not sure I've ever sat and listened to them at home but live they are an astounding experience. Basically they write the bare bones of songs and then improvise great 25 minute jams, pushing and pulling tension as the string at the heart of it all unravels. Seriously heavy psych http://www.myspace.com/earthless

Then there's more 'classic' and less mindbending stuff like Colour Haze who probably fall roughly under the psychedelic umbrella... beautiful music http://www.myspace.com/colourhaze

More old-fashioned sounds still out there from groups like Farflung who are locked into that old West-coast sound http://www.myspace.com/farflung
or Litmus, who are like an evil Hawkwind whose sole purpose is to strip you down to component parts and sell your mind for scrap http://www.myspace.com/litmusspacerock

Also good are Ancestors, who are a bit of everything but can be pretty heavy. Most striking thought seeing them live was that 'you know the bits where it sounds like Pink Floyd should go heavy...' well they do, try The Ambrose Law http://www.myspace.com/ancestorsband

Bum, forgot Wooden Shjips, seriously retro and very mellow http://www.myspace.com/woodenshjips

Now if only there was some sort of amazing outdoor festival that only had this newish lot of psychedelic bands on the bill, and free headsweets on offer :ibiggrin:

Oh and as there was talk of big psychedelic doom riffage here's a couple of 'curveball' suggestions:

Yob, only band I'd really describe as psych-doom http://www.myspace.com/yobdoom

Esoteric, mental just mental http://www.myspace.com/esotericuk

Yeti, who seem to be impossible to track down but have an album called Volume Obliteration Transcendence that's pretty good.

UFO Gestapo, psych-sludge heheheh http://www.myspace.com/ufogestapo13

So hope you enjoy some random psychrock selections, and hopefully you have some bands for me to check out!
 
Yes good thread.... I love this stuff shall check out some of your recommendations for sure. The band that immediately springs to mind is Om, not sure what counts as psychedelic in this context but they definately manage to get some sort sorcery into their sound:



And then there's Shrinebuilder:



who are some combination of people from Om, Kyuss, and Neurosis I think, have just got the one self-titled album out. I guess in the vein of people like Colour Haze there's Yawning Man, Spiritual Beggars, Sir Lord Baltimore, etc who I think are all pretty good but I personally wouldn't associate them with psychedelia.

On the doom front I would recommend getting stuck into the Southern Lord catalogue which is full of gold, but again not really what I'd call psychedelic.

For something from a more funk related background, I would strongly suggest the Wizards of Ooze, very tight musically and dripping in bizarre synths and effects - especially their third album Almost...Bikini. Here's a track they had on one of the Amorphous Androgynous' Psychedelic Bubble comps which gives an idea of how bizarre they are:

 
Sure I guess Om are psychedelic in a way, if you like them try Aquilonian, similar vein.

Missed out on seeing Shrinebuilder this weekend cos they were in the US and unable to fly over. It's Scott Kelly from Neurosis, Dale Crover of the Melvins, Wino of a million bands including the Obsessed and Spirit Caravan, and Al Ciscernos who plays with Om and was in Sleep.
Should be one of the most immense supergroups of all time but hasn't quite lit my mind on fire like it ought.

Some of the more sparse deserty stuff is pretty trippy in my book. Have you heard Toba Trance by los Natas? Amazing album.
 
Sure I guess Om are psychedelic in a way, if you like them try Aquilonian, similar vein.

Missed out on seeing Shrinebuilder this weekend cos they were in the US and unable to fly over. It's Scott Kelly from Neurosis, Dale Crover of the Melvins, Wino of a million bands including the Obsessed and Spirit Caravan, and Al Ciscernos who plays with Om and was in Sleep.
Should be one of the most immense supergroups of all time but hasn't quite lit my mind on fire like it ought.

Some of the more sparse deserty stuff is pretty trippy in my book. Have you heard Toba Trance by los Natas? Amazing album.

Ah OK not sure where I got Kyuss from then... yea I see what you mean with the desert stuff, I' ve just never thought about it like that I s'pose. I think I tend to associate psychedlia more with folky twanging and droning sitars, etc but it's horses for courses I guess. I'll check out that Los Natas album though - cheers.
 
Wow, a whole bunch of psych rock I've never heard of!

I'm saved. :Smile3:
 
How about some psychedelic metal ?

Sanctuary - Long Since Dark



It's been long since dark

Sitting here bathed in the moonshade
Underneath a willow'tree
To stare above, the sky is burning
The diamonds dance in nocturnal symphony
What does it mean? How do I fit into the scheme?

Why is there dark sky above, what does it veil?
Is there a purpose to the point
Beyond the norm we hail?

Reflecting on my future to come
Underneath the crescent moon
Long since dark, and my thoughts are flowing
And deeper still, beyond the cloak of unknown
Relentless drone, why was I put here, left alone?

Why do I hunger to know what will I gain?
Is there true wisdom without end
Or will I find just pain?

How many times do we take for granted
Simple things that make life sweet
Enraptured by material longings
We miss the point, we need to know, to see
Beyond your being, and in the void lies the meaning

Just as the dark sky above had spoke to me
The answer came so clear, then vanished
For a moment I was free

I am free Send "Long Since Dark" Ringtone to your Cell
 
Os Mutantes are brilliant. Played a Brazilian friend some Os Mutantes. Great to see the expression on his face :Grin:
 
Big up Black Mountain's second album, called In The Future. Have mentioned it elsewhere recently, so forgive any repeats. Spacey stoner prog rock with psychedelic cherries on top. Ish. Great individual tunes, and works really well as a whole journey too. Might not be weird enough for you lot, but I loves 'em.

This is the song that got me started;


This is probably the most obviously psy.


A bit more straightforward, but has an awesome riff.


The hypnotising Bastards Of Light from the three-track limited edition bonus CD, which is absolutely worth paying the extra for if you're interested. The break in the middle is a total heart-squeezer.
 
That they are, sadly they seem to play really rarely, and mostly in Switz.

When did you see them?


They played at Hellfest 2010 and I think they are playing Hellfest 2012 aswell, which I'm very tempted to go to aswell.
 
Monkey3 is so sweet!!!! what I've been looking for :Grin:

ooh and they are swiss! might have to see if i can catch them before I leave france!
 
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