Release
date: February
7th
2020. Label: Riot
Season Records.
Format: DD/Vinyl
Saturn
-
Tracklisting
Lifeship
Saturn
Nuclear
Fuel
Slide
Way
Centuries
Members
Drums
- Graham Thompson
Alto
Sax - Karl Conrad D'Silva
Bass/Guitars
- Mike Vest
Review
Saturn
is the debut album from Psychedelic Rockers OZO and is a very hard
album to describe. As at its core essence is an experimental Jazz
based atmosphere blended with Psych Rock, Doom, Noise Rock, Krautrock
with Sonic Experimentation to match. It’s purely an instrumental
album but one that doesn’t shy away from being hugely experimental
and unconventional at the same time. Which isn’t surprising
considering the folks behind this project – Graham Thompson, Karl
Conrad D’Silva and Mike Vest who are members of the following bands
- Members of Ballpeen, Tong Po, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaind, Vanishing,
Drunk In Hell, 11Paranoias and BONG.
Opening
song – Lifeship – is a Psychedelic and Nightmarish take on
Experimental Jazz based Rock with OZO creating an almighty loud
sound. The song is quite addictive and moves into many different
directions. The saxophone provides most of the Jazz based grooves
with Graham and Mike providing a more Experimental Psych/Krautrock
outlook with elements of Doom appearing here and there. It’s not
the easiest thing to listen to and you need to be in a certain mood
to listen to the album. Though it’s quite exciting when OZO go full
flow and play a heavier and direct style of music.
Second
song – Saturn – carries on the heavy psychedelic trip from the
opening song but AMPS it up for an epic thirteen minutes or so.
Everything is played looser, heavier and faster with more focus on
heavy grooves than the Jazz style tendencies of the opening song.
This song reminds me of another Mike Vest project – Blown Out –
in many ways. I thought OZO would struggle to play this style of
music for this long but it’s superbly weird, confusing and
entertaining at the same time. The band almost lose control and focus
in the middle but they manage to include a different style of music
that gains back your attention with interest.
Third
song – Nuclear Fuel – is another progressively long song running
past the eleven-minute mark. Things become weirder and heavier yet
again with OZO focusing more on their Psychedelic Rock and Jazz based
influences. I must say this is my favourite song off the album. As it
has a more conventional “Hard Rock” structure compared to the
other songs on the album though still highly experimental as well.
The distorted psych grooves add a calmer exterior in places but OZO
don’t like to be playing the style of music for long and it carries
on moving into many different directions.
The
final two songs – Slide Way and Centuries – are both shorter
songs but still carrying the same psychedelic trappings of the
previous songs with Centuries being another standout song on the
album. So expect more heavy psychedelic weirdness that will have you
questioning your sanity.
Saturn
can be called an Avant-Garde album. It’s quite different to what’s
currently out there and maybe Saturn will take time to find an
established audience. It’s quite a brave album for OZO to come out
with for their debut record. It pulls no punches with it’s
different style of music and I applaud the band for being different
and thinking outside of the box.
The
production is excellent and the album does have a classic seventies
feel to it which allows Saturn to sound more organic than I initially
expected. I’m not surprised that Riot Season Records are releasing
Saturn. As that great label is the perfect place for the “Outcasts”
of Psychedelic Rock Bands and OZO is no exception. It’s a marriage
made in heaven you would say.
Saturn
is too far out in places and quite hard to listen to at times.
However, it’s never boring and makes for a superbly entertaining
album that will surprise you in many different ways.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks
to OZO
for the promo.
Saturn
will
be available to buy on DD/Vinyl via Riot Season Records from Feb
07th
2020.
Links:
