HIBUSHIBIRE - Magical Metamorphosis Third Eye (Album Review)

Release Date: November 24th 2023. Record Label: Riot Season Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Magical Metamorphosis Third Eye - Tracklisting

Orangesunshine Of Your Lovemachine

We Won't Go Back To The Past

Death Surfin USA

Tomorrow Never Ends

Ayahuasca Witch Abduction

Members

Tetsuji Toyoda - Bass/Bass Synthesizer/Vocal (Mermaid Mountain)

Aoi Hama - Drums/Suntur/Vocal (Cat Tongue Queen)

Changchang - Guitar/Acoustic Guitar/Guitar Synthesizer/Bouzouki/Electronics/Vocal (Melting Eye Spectacle)

Review

Magical Metamorphosis Third Eye is the new album from Japanese Psych/Space/Prog/Stoner Rockers HIBUSHIBIRE and sees the band return with a different line-up compared to their 2019 acclaimed album "Turn On, Tune In, Freak Out". This album sees HIBUSHIBIRE use themes such as Occultism and Mysticism though it's also about other things the band likes such as UFO's, Pyramids and Psychic Phenomena according to the press release. HIBUSHIBIRE play a never ending style of classic freakout psychedelic guitars throughout the album. Add elements of 60's/70's based Psych Rock, Cosmic Rock and Prog Rock which airs a cautious rebellious feeling within the quieter moments of the album before a frantic and aggressive seedy underbelly of Krautrock and legendary Japanese Psychedelic beats.

Opening track Orangesunshine Of Your Lovemachine is a catchy and chaotic style of Experimental Psychedelic Stoner Rock with frenzied guitars and jagged drumming that allows the vocals to drift off into multiple different directions. 

HIBUSHIBIRE do feel more creatively closer to certain landmark bands of the 1960's Rock scene such as The Beatles, The Byrds and The Beach Boys on the superbly mellow second track We Won't Go Back To The Past which showcases a different style of music from HIBUSHIBIRE. 

Third track Death Surfin USA matches the crazed glitchy and distorted Psychedelic sounds from the excellent opening track which draws upon THE WHO in the heavier destructive moments whilst still retaining that quality Japanese Psychedelic Freakout sound. The later stages of the track are wonderfully aggressive with HIBUSHIBIRE playing without a care in the world at times but there is METHOD TO THEIR MADNESS allowing the band to play with a sense of reckless abandonment but still retaining a cool sounding experimental groove.

Fourth track Tomorrow Never Ever Knows is driven by that Occultism and Mysticism influence mentioned previously with heavy frantic and sleazy trippy guitars perfectly balancing the 1960's Psych Rock Dream and then turning on it's head with a seedy almost sounding Doom Rock sound. The vocals have a certain conceptual feeling and flow to them but it matches the heavy rock attitude that HIBUSHIBIRE play within the background. There's moments of Psychedelic based Middle Eastern instrumental flavours that work amazingly well with the more riff-centric attitude of the album. 

The final song Ayahuasca Witch Abduction is an epic twenty minute plus song where HIBUSHIBIRE play everything that's been heard previously on the album but on a more grander and progressive scale. Ambient sounds, Jazzy beats and glitchy sound effects have an almost true life LSD feeling where I felt like I was being transported to another world at times. The instrumental work is confusing at times and with the vocals moving from one different tone to the next, the first few moments can be quite jarring at first. 

However, when HIBUSHIBIRE settles down into play a more cohesive and creative musical journey and that's when the real magic happens. Trippy extended instrumental Psych/Space Rock jams with the seedy underbelly of 1960's and 1970's RAWK & ROLL being given that Japanese Freakout makeover then HIBUSHIBIRE are KEEPERS of their own CREATIVE DOMAIN with a non-stop style of experimental and psychedelic breakdowns and frantic Cosmic activity that makes you wanting to hear more.

Magical Metamorphosis Third Eye is perhaps the freakiest and most far-out album of the year with HIBUSHIBIRE releasing a highly unconventional releases that twists the creative fabric of what is impossible within the Psychedelic/Space Rock scene and sound so devastatingly original within it's own right.

Then again am I really surprised with this great album being released by the always amazing and ever reliable Riot Season Records. Which is perhaps the perfect record label for the seriously weird and wonderful bands of the Underground Rock Scene to call home. And that's another great reason why to check out this brilliantly inventive album from one of Japan's finest Psychedelic/Space Rock bands. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe 

Thanks to Riot Season Records for the promo.

Magical Metamorphosis Third Eye will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Riot Season Records from November 24th 2023.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

HIBUSHIBIRE UK Tour Details

Over the moon to announce the new HIBUSHIBIRE ‘Turn On, Tune In, Freak Out!’ album is now released by Riot Season on May 10th 2019.

Not only that, but the band are flying over for a full UK tour to coincide including appearances at two of the UK’s most respected festivals Focus Wales and Raw Power Festival

The full UK schedule is as follows

15th Birmingham @ The Sunflower Lounge

16th Wrexham / Focus Wales 2019 @ The Parish

17th Nottingham @ JT Soar

18th Edinburgh @ Henry's Cellar Bar (with Dead Otter)

19th Glasgow @ Nice N Sleazy (with Dead Otter)

21st Newcastle @ Trillians Rock Bar (with Dead Otter)

22nd Bristol @ The Lanes (with Dead Otter)

24th Manchester @ The Star & Garter

25th London / Raw Power Festival 2019 @ The Dome, Tufnell Park

The album will be available in two vinyl variants, neon orange or classic black vinyl, and there will also be a limited run available on cassette via sister label Swap Meat Records.

We have a short promo video for the tour here : https://youtu.be/0P1XyuYTGnM

And a full nine minute long promo video for album track ‘Blow! Blow! Blow!’ here : https://youtu.be/EJ3WFhBq2xA

You can buy the new album here via Riot Season Records.

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp

HIBUSHIBIRE - Tune On, Tune In, Freak Out! (Album Review)

Release date: May 10th 2019. Label: Riot Season Records. Format: Cassette/DD/Vinyl

Tune On, Tune In, Freak Out! – Tracklisting

1.Ecstasy Highwaystar

2.Blow! Blow! Blow! 09:47

3.Overdose, Pussycat! More! More!

4.Rollercoaster Of The Universe

Review

I always find albums like HIBUSHIBIRE new album Tune On, Tune In, Freak Out! very hard to review. As they’re a variety of different styles that can be very hard to describe. You have elements of Space Rock, Psych, Noise Rock, Doom Rock and even Stoner Rock. The album is quite an intense and progressively heavy album and moves along at such a frantic pace that you can’t help admire the skills and musicianship that the band have put into this album.

The album contains four songs and lasts for around thirty-five minutes or so. Psychedelic/Space Rock Bands from Japan always tend to be on the more experimental and crazy side of life and HIBUSHIBIRE are no different. Obviously Riot Season Records have to be the label releasing this album as they have quite the reputation of releasing albums that fit out the normal musical spectrum.

Opening song – Ecstasy Highwaystar – is a four minute plus opus where the music comes thick and fast from almost every direction. The heavy and fuzzy guitar tones soon give way to a more crazed psychedelic space rock sound and leaves you wanting more. The song can be quite intense at times but also quite addictive as well with the swirling seventies style noises being played in the background.

Second song – Blow! Blow! Blow! – carries on with the strange Psychedelic Rock riffs but on a more epic scale with the song lasting near ten minutes. HIBUSHIBIRE have more time to play with here and they play a more jam-based style of music and create one of the albums standout songs. The song does feel it’s been broken down to individual chapters as the song can be heavy one moment and quiet laid-back the next before the band speed things up again for an epic finish.

Third song – Overdose, Pussycat! More! More! – as the title suggests is perhaps the seediest sounding song on the album. As the song embraces the dirtier side of seventies Psychedelic Hard Rock and allows HIBUSHIBIRE to have some wicked fun with the song especially with the riffs and trippy vocals.

Fourth song – Rollercoaster Of The Universe – is perhaps the main attraction held on the album. As this song runs for over seventeen minutes and HIBUSHIBIRE will take you on a complex and very surreal journey into the realm of Heavy Spaced Out Rock. This song is a masterclass of Psychedelic Rock as the band create a song with many different styles of music all joining together for a truly hypnotic journey. This song will actually make you Tune On, Tune In and Freak Out.

The production is excellent with the album managing to convey a fresh modern sound whilst embracing the style of seventies classic hard rock. Overall, HIBUSHIBIRE have created a work of art with this album. Tune On, Tune In, Freak Out! is a must have album for all dedicated fans of Psychedelic Rock.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Riot Season Records for the promo. Tune On, Tune In, Freak Out! - will be available to buy on Cassette Tape/DD/Vinyl via Riot SeasonRecords from May 10^th 2019.

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp