Release Date: March 03rd 2023. Record Label: Subsound Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl/Cassette
Cosmic Evoked Potentials: Tracklisting
The Strange Dream Of My Old Sun
Genziana (Improvisation 42*)
The Electric Resolution
Cosmic Evoked Potentials
Eclipse Omega
Members
Ivan Contini - Bass
Sandro "Fred" Salvi - Drums
Alessandro "Drughito" Santori - Guitars
Roberto Malerba - Guitars/Keyboards
Review
Instrumental Psychedelic Doomsters L'IRA DEL BACCANO return with their new album of new material for the first time in six years with Cosmic Evoked Potentials. The band have taken on a broader Prog Rock sound compared to previous releases and perhaps become more focused on a trippy Psychedelic sound. L'IRA DEL BACCANO play a different multi-layered sound on this album that's helped along by Swirling Ambient Noises and Spaced Out Psychedelia.
If you can imagine members of RUSH, HAWKWIND and BLACK SABBATH joining forces then that's the best way to describe this album. The record is quite soulful and full of heavy progressive Doomed Out grooves which fully come into focus on the opening track The Strange Dream Of My Old Sun.
The song which is a ten minutes plus prog fuelled Doom/Stoner odyssey with L'IRA DEL BACCANO playing different levels of Psychedelic themes with a killer FUZZED OUT atmosphere. There's some cool areas of distortion being used on the track but it's the swirling Space Rock themes and Prog Rock attitude that allows L'IRA DEL BACCANO to be more melodic with their music. The creativity is impressive yet again as you think you've heard it all before with Instrumental Doom Metal but as with Clouds Taste Satanic, L'IRA DEL BACCANO find new exciting ways that brings a fresh unique sound and style to the genre.
Second song Genziana (Improvisation 42)* has a more world-weary and serious low-key attitude which allows the band to veer into areas of the Post-Whatever world with fascinating results. The song starts off slowly and moves at its own pace but that's a good thing as you'll begin to absorb the first-rate sounds the band have written for this track. Moving between the quieter themes or elements of their music, L'IRA DEL BACCANO slowly begin to play faster and heavier riffs that sees them play some of the best and most action-packed tracks on the album. This does feel like an ultimate jam session or riff-fest but this one has a sense of purpose especially when L'IRA DEL BACCANO go all out for a bold cinematic conclusion for the song.
The next part of the album sees L'IRA DEL BACCANO adapt a LESS IS MORE approach for the remaining three songs being more direct to the action though there's still a lot of cool PSYCHEDELIC and SPACED OUT music to get through.
Songs such as The Electric Resolution and Cosmic Evoked Potentials have the old-school L'IRA DEL BACCANO sound that I first heard on their 2008 landmark debut release. There's a lot of FUZZY guitars with a killer Prog Rock atmosphere with the band perhaps being more WEEDIAN driven on these two tracks. It is still L'IRA DEL BACCANO through and through with a catchy aggressive feel allowing the band the perfect opportunity to experiment or refine their own sound.
The final song Eclipse Omega runs under the three minutes mark and is more Post-Rock/Ambient driven to the rest of the album but it brings this album to an emotionally driven and satisfactory conclusion.
L'IRA DEL BACCANO put their hearts and souls into this release with stunning instrumental work and sublime SONIC sounds being heard throughout.
This is another masterful, brilliant and exquisite release from L'IRA DEL BACCANO that's helped along by first rate production values and some of the best SONIC experimentation you'll likely to hear this year.
Cosmic Evoked Potentials sees L'IRA DEL BACCANO moving away from their CULT UNDERGROUND STATUS to becoming one of the most important and essential bands of the Instrumental Doom Metal scene.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to and Angie at NRV Promotion and L'IRA DEL BACCANO for the promo.
Cosmic Evoked Potentials will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl/Cassette via Subsound Records from March 3rd 2023.
Links
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