Norway's psychedelic/prog/stoner trio Motorpsycho are back with another spectacular double album, and final entry in their 'Gullvåg Trilogy', this one titled The All Is One. Bent Sæther (lead vocals, bass, guitars, keyboards, drums), Hans Magnus 'Snah' Ryan (lead guitars, vocals, keyboards, mandolin, violin, bass), and Tomas Järmyr (drums) have once again given us a sprawling epic that almost defies categorization, but lovingly touches on so many styles that it's impossible not to get completely sucked into every little musical bit on this lengthy album. Here on The All Is One you'll get plenty of lyrical references to all the screwed up things happening in the world these days, housed within some pretty amazing arrangements that utilize all we love about progressive & psychedelic rock. The soaring title track kicks things off with nimble guitar lines and glorious Mellotron, while "The Same Old Rock (One Must Imagine Sisyohus Happy)" has some great hard rocking riffing and certain passages that bring to mind vintage Yes. In fact, those legendary progressive rock icons also come to mine on the driving prog gem "The Magpie", complete with acrobatic drumming, Mellotron, synths, lean bass lines, and boatloads of looping lead guitars. The centerpiece of the album of course is the five part, 40-minute "N.O.X.' suite, which is dynamite as you would imagine, though why they chose to spread it out over the 2CDs is somewhat puzzling...a problem that digital listeners won't have to worry about though. The first part, "Circles Around the Sun" has a haunting, chilling vibe to it, almost like a leftover from King Crimson's In the Wake of Poseidon or Islands album, while " Ouroboros (Strange Loop )" allows for some extended jamming, Ryan's guitar solos especially savage. "Ascension" reminds of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and "Night of Pan" sees the band go off into space rock territory (Hawkwind meets Tangerine Dream) with some creepy soundscapes and synth explorations. This gargantuan epic concludes with the second part of "Circles Around the Sun", complete with heavy rhythms, blazing guitars, synths, and layers of lead & backing vocals.
After the short ditty "A Little Light", the acoustic guitars and Mellotron come out for "Dreams of Fancy", Sæther delivering a strong, hook laden vocal, the song sounding like something that wouldn't have sounded out of place on Genesis' Trick of the Tail. "The Dowser" is another brief, yet lush piece, soft vocal expressions and tranquil guitars slowly simmering along, and "Like Chrome" closes the album out with a touch of bombast, chiming electric guitars, intricate bass, and Mellotron providing the bedrock for what is a quirky, catchy song that also rock out in spots.
With a career that's over 30 years old and 20+ albums to their credit, Motorpsycho are a band that have very quietly built up a strong legacy. For those who haven't yet taken the plunge, there are plenty of places to dive in, but I'd recommend this latest trilogy as a good starting point, The Tower, The Crucible, and The All Is One.
Track Listing
01. The All Is One
02. The Same Old Rock (One Must Imagine Sisyphus Happy)
03. The Magpie
04. Delusion (The Reign of Humbug)
05. N.O.X. I: Circles Around the Sun pt.1
06. N.O.X. II: Ouroboros (Strange Loop )
07. N.O.X. III: Ascension
08. N.O.X. IV: Night of Pan
09. N.O.X. V: Circles Around the Sun pt.2
10. A Little Light
11. Dreams of Fancy
12. The Dowser
13. Like Chrome
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
