In March of 2015, Gong founder Daevid Allen passed away after a long battle with cancer, but he urged his bandmates to carry on even after he was gone, and they have done just that with a rejuvenated line-up for their 28th full-length album, Rejoice! I'm Dead. The 2016 version of Gong now consists of Ian East on sax & flute, Dave Sturt (Jade Warrior) on bass, keyboards & vocals, Cheb Nettles on drums & vocals, Kavus Torabi (Cardiacs, Knifeworld) on vocals & guitar, Fabio Golfetti on guitar & vocals, as well as guests Steve Hillage (guitar), Graham Clark (violin), and Didier Malherbehe (duduk). The late Allen even appears on vocals on one of the tracks here, just to let you know that even in death, he's still part of the equation.
Despite all the changes, Rejoice! I'm Dead is still a Gong album in feel, the bands penchant for psychedelic prog rock in full swing, though obviously with new blood comes new influences, as there's a perhaps more polished sheen here, but it's not unwelcome. "The Thing That Should Be" marries catchy pop with quirky psych for an instantly rewarding song, while the lengthy "Rejoice!" harkens back to the adventurous Gong of old, as psych, prog, and jazz-fusion collide, East's screaming sax dueling with a scorching extended guitar solo from Gong alumnus Hillage. Torabi's lead vocals are a joy to behold, and you can hear why he's so respected in his other bands, adding a new element to the Gong sound that will hopefully lead them for years to come. Crunchy guitars, effects, and sax collide on the quirky "Kapital", and keyboards make the first appearance on the album during the floating "Model Village", a mesmerizing prog/jazz/psych gem that also features some gorgeous sax & flute from East , as well as layers of intoxicating vocals. "Beatrix" is an odd little piece that features the late Allen speaking in French, and it's one of the albums tender moments, and a great tribute to their former leader, and leads into the mysterious "Visions", a chilling piece with glissando guitar, eBow, and sax all combining for some haunting sounds. This leads us to the albums longest track, the upbeat "The Unspeakable Stands Revealed", a joyous reminder of all that Gong is about, as jazzy sax, muscular bass, and layers of guitars take the listener on a grand, majestic journey, parts of it atmospheric jazz, others rocking prog, but all of it great. Images of vintage Gong or even Hawkwind pop up on the spacey "Through Restless Seas I Come ", and the band rocks out hard on the raucous finale "Insert Yr Own Prophecy", easily the most upbeat and lively song here and ending Rejoice! I'm Dead on a real high note.
I'm sure not many folks were expecting Rejoice! I'm Dead to be the successful return that it is, but with Daevid Allen's blessing, they took their grief at losing their leader and channelled it into putting together a new line-up and creating new Gong music that lives up to the legacy but moves on into new beginnings. Job well done.
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
1. The Thing That Should Be (03:34)
2. Rejoice! (10:17)
3. Kapital (3:21)
4. Model Village (6:43)
5. Beatrix (2:54)
6. Visions (4:29)
7. The Unspeakable Stands Revealed (11:49)
8. Through Restless Seas I Come (6:58)
9. Insert Yr Own Prophecy (9:36)
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