Release Date: July 22nd 2022. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Transmission From Mothership Earth - Tracklisting
Highwired – 4:08
Transmission From Mothership Earth – 4:07
Wilted Flowers – 5:15
Melt Your Head – 4:14
Warzone Speedwulf – 7:17
I Got So High – 4:45
Existential Blues – 5:20
The Four Horseman – 3:14
Members
Eddie Glass - Vocals/Guitar
Tom Davies - Bass
Michael Amster - Drums
Review
Legendary Stoner Rockers Nebula return with their new album Transmission From Mothership Earth and continue the seedy journey heard on 2019's Holy Shit. Nebula draw upon their main strengths of being one of the mainstay underground bands of the last 30 years. Adopting a more FUZZ ROCK attitude compared to Holy Shit but still allowing themselves the opportunity to bring a more surreal Space Rock narrative which has been dormant for the last few Nebula releases.
The music is constantly evolving and changing which you can hear and wholly appreciate on the excellent opening song Highwired. Loud Psychedelic Jams merge with FUZZ based Cosmic grooves with Eddie's undeniable vocals having a Garage Rock approach. The song becomes ever so immersed with 70's based Psych/Space Rock with the trippy use of soundclips and glitches that accompany the later stages of the track.
Second track is the title track with Transmission From Mothership Earth having a Monster Magnet style influence throughout pretty much everything on this track but Nebula goes to seedier places that Monster Magnet haven't visited in the best part of two decades. A seedy and delirious song that has a raucous attitude with it's free flowing style of Garage based Psych Stoner Rock. The lyrics are quite out there with the music being quite adventurous with the guitars moving between areas of 70s Psych Rock and 90s Desert/Stoner Metal.
Third song Wilted Flowers is a hallucinogenic and proper "WEEDIAN" take of the finer and FUZZIER elements of Stoner Rock/Metal. A kick-ass and vocal performance from Eddie takes centre stage from this song with the music being distorted in all of the right places. Swirls of Psychedelic Noises appear and you feel you're back in the classic heyday of the 90's Stoner Rock scene. The music is aggressive with Nebula becoming more of a Garage/Fuzz Rock back towards the later stages of the track.
Fourth song Melt Your Head carries on the laid back and FUZZ ROCK attitude of the album but with Nebula adding a SONIC EXPERIMENTATION vibe that ultimately moves further into AMPLIFIER WORSHIP or LOW & SLOW territory. The glitches are an added bonus with Eddie's easy going vocals allowing Nebula to breathe new life into their creative vision. Parts Hawkwind and Monster Magnet may slightly influence this track. However, this remains Nebula's show and they revel with their distorted Garage/Fuzz Rock vision which allows this track to be one of the heaviest, seediest and best tracks on the album.
Things go slightly crazier and demonic with the standout track on the album as Warzone Speedwulf is NEBULA at their most flamboyant and dangerous best. A more aggressive and fast-paced sound with gloomy eerie vocals coming in and out of focus. The music is perhaps on the more experimental side with Nebula playing different styles of Psychedelic Rock that even see a sludgy atmosphere to appear in places. The song and production of the album is stripped back for a "less is more" which works surprisingly well with the style of music that Nebula plays on this album.
The remaining 3 songs of the album I Got So High, Existential Blues and The Four Horseman allows Nebula to go even further with their newfound style of Distorted Psych Stoner Rock. The sonic experimentation perhaps goes even further on I Got So High and The Four Horseman but Nebula never forgets who they are. As they play some classic NEBULA grooves along the way. The music maybe distorted and ever so twisted. However, this album allows NEBULA to be themselves with the album containing their legendary classic trademark sounds played to absolute Psychedelic Perfection. With some of the songs containing wonderful sing-along choruses especially on I Got So High.
Nebula may not get the same love or recognition as the classic bands of the Stoner Rock/Metal scene. However, these guys deserve to be mentioned alongside them and Transmission From Mothership Earth only proves that point.
Transmission From Mothership Earth is another outstanding album from Nebula.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo
Transmission From Mothership Earth will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds from July 22nd 2022.
Links
