Germany's Samsara Blues Experiment are back with their fourth full-length release for Electric Magic, titled One With the Universe, and the trio of Christian Peters (guitars, vocals, synth), Hans Eiselt (bass), and Thomas Vedder (drums) have once again delivered a stunning platter of psychedelia, krautrock, prog, and good old fashioned '70s styled hard rock. As you can see, the band have only cranked out five new tracks here, but with all topping the six minute mark and two going over ten, these are lengthy pieces that allow the band to stretch out into all sorts of musical adventures. The opening behemoth "Vipassana" starts things off in fine fashion, an extended jaunt of lumbering, heavy psychedelia, the riffs big, the drums pounding, and the ominous synths floating, while "Sad Guru Returns" packs quite a punch with some crushing stoner/doom riffs and booming bass. The bluesy, psych drenched "Glorious Daze" will take you all the way back to 1969, Peters' hazy vocals and Indian raga tinged guitar lines seemingly like some lost recording from Woodstock mixed with some jazzy keyboards from the Canterbury scene. The 15-minute title track is as colossal as its length, the alluring bass lines bobbing up and down between steady drum beats, fluttering synths, and meaty guitar riffs, the atmosphere majestic yet ominous, with Peters eventually exploding into a scorching Hendrix inspired guitar solo utilizing fuzz, wah-wah, and Univibe effects. "Eastern Sun & Western Moon" closes things out in eerie prog/space rock/doom fashion, the band channeling Live at Pompeii era Pink Floyd mixed with some vintage Pentagram, as Peters' vocals come very close to the legendary Bobby Liebling and the band churning out massive riffs and ominous synth passages.
With a slight bit more of a prog vibe than previous releases, One With the Universe is no less heavy, just an added element that once again gives Samsara Blues Experiment such a unique sound. If you can imagine Hawkwind, Jimi Hendrix, Pentagram, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Orange Goblin, and Soft Machine all thrown into a blender, it might come out something like this. Brilliant stuff!
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
1) Vipassana (10:43)
2) Sad Guru Returns (7:55)
3) Glorious Daze (6:01)
4) One With the Universe (15:02)
5) Eastern Sun & Western Moon (7:37)
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