Phased - A Sort Of Spasmic Phlegm Induced By Leaden Fumes Of Pleasure
"A Sort Of Spasmic Phlegm Induced By Leaden Fumes Of Pleasure" gets my vote for one of the best album titles of all time and this album is pretty damn good as well. The band is called Phased who in its ranks has members from Switzerland, Finland and Sweden making this band a truly multinational group. The album is released on the German psyche, doom label Elektrohasch who has some of the most amazing and varied bands you will ever come across and Phased are no exception. Their sound is a organic mixture of Sabbath, Hawkwind, Nebula to more doom laden stuff like Sleep, there is also a hint of The Melvins and Monster Magnet thrown in for good measure. The band is a very psychedelic one with sounds ranging from fuzzy stoner rock grooves to trippy, psychedelic sound experimentation's.
"Spasmic Phlegm..." starts off with what I assume is a Apollo-era mission control radio sample before a classic stoner, groove laden riff kicks in. This sets the tone for the rest of the album but they are at their best when they merge some way out jamming with a precise psyche rock vibe like in "Rim Shot to Infinity" which is about as mind-bending as you can get. With droning riffs that slowly build up pace as the song progresses, with something that sounds like Bongo's but I could be wrong on that and rippling underwater synth noises which I think are provided by Scott Heller of the "Oresund Space Collective" who turns up on a few other tracks on the album. "Nachspiel Revisited I & II" has a "Spine Of God Monster Magnet vibe to it and is more on the ambient side of things. "The Osteopath" throws some humor into the mix, the track is about transforming into some sort of therapeutic doctor or something. "Maelstrom" has pure classic psyche rock written all over it, I wish Nebula were still capable of coming up with songs like this. "I Come Toulouse" adds some extra atmospherics to the album but the album is not short of those at all. The album actually gets more ethereal as it progresses and in some ways heavier too. "Tip of the Sky" is more straight ahead fuzz rock but one thing is for sure, guitarist/vocalist Chris Sigdell, bassist Chris Walt and drummer Marko Lehtinen follow in the footsteps of other classic power trio bands but to their credit, they know how to write sometimes real catchy songs and they also know how to rock.
While the songs seem to be based around unstructured jams, there is also a continuity to the songwriting and performance. One thing has to be said at this point, I have given up trying to find a 100% original band within the stoner/doom genre, lets face it, its all been done before and it will be done again another million times but what is great about Phased and this record is the way its played with undeniable passion and style. Its a easy CD to listen to but at the same time, heavy and extremely trippy. This is music played by psychedelic, stoner, doom fans made for psychedelic, stoner, doom fans and they are proud to admit it, that honesty and integrity comes across on the album. If you have never heard Phased, its about time you did.
"Spasmic Phlegm..." starts off with what I assume is a Apollo-era mission control radio sample before a classic stoner, groove laden riff kicks in. This sets the tone for the rest of the album but they are at their best when they merge some way out jamming with a precise psyche rock vibe like in "Rim Shot to Infinity" which is about as mind-bending as you can get. With droning riffs that slowly build up pace as the song progresses, with something that sounds like Bongo's but I could be wrong on that and rippling underwater synth noises which I think are provided by Scott Heller of the "Oresund Space Collective" who turns up on a few other tracks on the album. "Nachspiel Revisited I & II" has a "Spine Of God Monster Magnet vibe to it and is more on the ambient side of things. "The Osteopath" throws some humor into the mix, the track is about transforming into some sort of therapeutic doctor or something. "Maelstrom" has pure classic psyche rock written all over it, I wish Nebula were still capable of coming up with songs like this. "I Come Toulouse" adds some extra atmospherics to the album but the album is not short of those at all. The album actually gets more ethereal as it progresses and in some ways heavier too. "Tip of the Sky" is more straight ahead fuzz rock but one thing is for sure, guitarist/vocalist Chris Sigdell, bassist Chris Walt and drummer Marko Lehtinen follow in the footsteps of other classic power trio bands but to their credit, they know how to write sometimes real catchy songs and they also know how to rock.
While the songs seem to be based around unstructured jams, there is also a continuity to the songwriting and performance. One thing has to be said at this point, I have given up trying to find a 100% original band within the stoner/doom genre, lets face it, its all been done before and it will be done again another million times but what is great about Phased and this record is the way its played with undeniable passion and style. Its a easy CD to listen to but at the same time, heavy and extremely trippy. This is music played by psychedelic, stoner, doom fans made for psychedelic, stoner, doom fans and they are proud to admit it, that honesty and integrity comes across on the album. If you have never heard Phased, its about time you did.
1. A Surreal Deal
2. The Osteopath
3. Tip Of The Sky
4. Rim Shot To Infinity
5. Maelstrom
6. I Come Toulouse
7. Nachspiel Revisited I & II
8. The Need
Elektrohasch Records
Reviewer: Ed
Feb 23, 2010
Feb 23, 2010
Next review:
High On Fire - Snakes For The Divine
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