Zone Six: Full Mental Jacket

Zone Six is German space rock band which formed in 1997 with the intention of making trippy, improvised rock music not conforming to conventional musical norms. Dave Schmidt, aka Sula Bassana, has been with the band since the beginning and releasing seven studio albums in the process, the latest being the 2023 release titled Full Mental Jacket. Bussana is a member of several other projects including Krautzone and Electric Moon, both reviewed on this site. Bassana also shows his skill at mixing and producing, the sound is clear and clean, the sounds given the space to breathe, coming to life with hypnotic flair. The first track “Slingshot� begins with rumbling effects and reverberating synths, along with a repeating guitar line that when you listen closely has a hypnotic, almost mesmerizing feel. It’s an immersive listening experience, very trippy, with intense walls of sound and quieter spacey interludes. The saxophone, courtesy of Gottfried Klier, is absolutely killer, leaving a lasting imprint with its ethereal and spacey vibes. The band take their time, letting the music play out in a natural way, and why not, considering the nearly twenty-minute running time. The title track is an intense, spacey freakout taking its cue from the mighty Hawkwind. I love the heaviness and darker tones in this one. The album ending “Chrono Trigger� features some superb tripped out guitar from Manuel Wohlrab. A cool ending to a fine album.

If space, electronic, and all-out trippiness hold your interest, Full Mental Jacket will be a safe bet. For me, it earns an excellent four stars.

A Sulatron Records release.

In the band are:
Manuel Wohlrab (guitars)
Pablo Carneval (drums)
Dave/Sula Bassana (bass, synth, organ)
Rainer Neeff (ghost guitars on “Slingshot�)
Gottfried Klier (soprano saxophone on “Slingshot’)

Track Listing:
1. Slingshot (19:54)
2. Full Mental Jacket (10:00)
3. Chrono Trigger (9:54)

Added: June 3rd 2024
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 422
Language: english

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