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Thread: FEATURED CD: Motorpsycho - Here Be Monsters

  1. #1
    Moderator Poisoned Youth's Avatar
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    FEATURED CD: Motorpsycho - Here Be Monsters

    Today's feature is the latest album from Motorpsycho, 2016's Here Be Monsters.



    Review from Sputnik Music
    Review Summary: The Motorpsycho explorer unit reaches the late '60s...

    After almost three decades of multiple style changes and constant experimentation that brought to life roughly two dozen albums, each different from the other, Motorpsycho received the right recognition in their home country, Norway. They have become a museum exhibit, under the title Supersonic Scientists. In order to capitalize this milestone, the band have also released an eponymous anthology which features favorite cuts from their vast discography along with a book that will soon be available in English too. In between these events, a couple of awesome concerts have been held, both with Ståle Storløkken. One involved a choir, a huge pipe organ and took place in a church (no spoilers – check out En Konsert For Folk Flest) and the other at the Teknisk Museum for the centennial jubilee. The latter became the foundation of their latest LP, Here Be Monsters. Since Storløkken was unavailable to expand his initial contributions, due to other commitments, the guys were left to their own devices to finish the album.

    As a result of its live jamming provenance, Here Be Monsters is a significantly lighter affair, shedding some of the intricate or hard hitting elements that characterized their last few albums. One of the main influence is the late '60s psychedelia most evident on their H.P. Lovecraft cover, ‘Spin, Spin, Spin’, a beautiful tune that harkens back to the hippie movement and the Summer of Love. They have always had a knack for sun soaked pop tunes and this cover really suits their style. Although Motorpsycho consciously crafted a softer album, it doesn’t reach as far as Phanerothyme into psych pop territory, at times boasting a rather dark edge that unfolds on the final movement, the epic closer, ‘Big Black Dog’. Starting with mournful guitar picking and melodic dual vocals, it slowly descends into a paranoid journey where synthesizers take the lead. The chaotic intensity created backs the main lyrical theme, the long Arctic nights. Halfway, there are few moments of peacefulness, however, it dwells even deeper when the organ takes over. It shapes the sound, building again until it lets the guitars finish the track with hypnotic patterns.

    Traces of Behind the Sun are all over, mainly from its tender side, expanded on ‘Lacuna/Sunrise’, a gorgeous, laid back jam that shares a warm, deep bass line around which Pink Floyd-like guitars and keyboards bloom. Bent’s croon, often doubled by Snah, creates that lovely, friendly atmosphere, one of Motorpsycho’s trademarks. Meanwhile, the wandering instrumental, ‘Running With Scissors’ maintains that mid-Summer feel with acoustic strums, playful rhythms and chill solos, whereas ‘I.M.S.’ reprises some of those intense psychedelic moments. Borrowing some looping riffs from the acid rock sphere and abusing the high pitched bent notes, this warping tune completes the trip into the late '60s and back.

    Motorpsycho have leveled up since the release of Heavy Metal Fruit, an album that in my opinion revitalized their career, showcasing again a fresh approach to the compositions. They entered a prolific period during which some of their best works surfaced. Now, with Here Be Monsters the band has steered onto a slightly different path, reaching further back into the psychedelic age. The album ends up somewhere between their early '00s output and Behind the Sun, a landmark in their career for me (along with Phanerothyme). This lovely journey offers both lush and haunting moments without sacrificing any of the experimental edges or familiar sounds. It might not be as encompassing as the two LP above, yet they have done a damn great job. The trio’s golden moments are far from being over and I am curious to see where this direction leads to. - Raul Stanciu


    WANTED: Sig-worthy quote.

  2. #2
    "The trio’s golden moments are far from being over and I am curious to see where this direction leads to."

    Well . . .

    "After nearly ten years of making some of the most mindblowing, exciting and original music of our lives, Kenneth Kapstad and Motorpsycho have parted ways."

    http://motorpsycho.no/2016/05/so-the-wheel-turns-again/

    Bent and Snah are the songwriters, and it's not like they haven't been through this before, but Kapstad is a terrific drummer. As the review above mentioned, he really did revitalize Motorpsycho, and they've made some really great music together. Here Be Monsters is great. The mix of moods on it--from Bent's introspective, harrowing examination of depression in the title track to the tripped out, sun-soaked laziness of the album's opener--is fantastic.

    But they have started treading former grounds. "Here Be Monsters" doesn't sound all that different from the "Hell" suite.

    Change can be good.
    I want to dynamite your mind with love tonight.

  3. #3
    Traversing The Dream 100423's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by polmico View Post
    But they have started treading former grounds. "Here Be Monsters" doesn't sound all that different from the "Hell" suite.

    Change can be good.
    The best thing about this album, in my opinion, is that everything they had been trying to do since Heavy Metal Fruit (that album sounds like a new phase to me) came together in the most cohesive album they have ever done. It was like an old friend from the first listen and has continued to reveal new things through many repeated listenings.

    I hope they find their perfect fit for the drum throne soon.

  4. #4
    Oh yeah, don't get me wrong. I love the album, and it definitely feels like a culmination.

    It'd be a great entry point for anyone interested in exploring the band.

    Given the complete lack of response this thread is getting, though, I imagine there are precious few of those . . .
    I want to dynamite your mind with love tonight.

  5. #5
    Moderator Poisoned Youth's Avatar
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    Yes. Culmination is a great observation.

    I kind of figured there were more fans of this band but this thread has sunk like a rock over 3 days.
    WANTED: Sig-worthy quote.

  6. #6
    Well, I have the album. Thus far, it hasn't really connected with me as much as their prior ones (Heavy Metal Fruit, Death-Defying Unicorn). But I haven't really given it much additional time either, so it might yet be a grower...
    If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
    https://battema.bandcamp.com/

    Also, Ephemeral Sun: it's a thing and we like making things that might be your thing: https://ephemeralsun.bandcamp.com

  7. #7
    Irritated Lawn Guy Klonk's Avatar
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    I really dig this band. This one took some time, but reeled me in while on a long drive recently. 'Big Black Dog' is tremendous!
    "Who would have thought a whale would be so heavy?" - Moe Sizlak

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Poisoned Youth View Post

    I kind of figured there were more fans of this band but this thread has sunk like a rock over 3 days.
    I was listening to the Tussler soundtrack last night, and my wife asked me who the band was.

    "Motorpsycho? I thought they were metal."

    I responded sensibly saying they were whatever they needed to be at that moment.

    But maybe the lack of interest for the band has to do with the name. It does sound rather like a metal band. Factor in the Norwegian thing, and I bet a lot of folks dismiss them out of hand

    It'd be interesting to hear from some people who opened this thread and played some of the songs without having ever heard the band before. (I think that's the point of these "featured CD" things, right?)
    I want to dynamite your mind with love tonight.

  9. #9
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    The Tussler discs are surprisingly good

    I've been working my way through their discog and haven't gotten to this one yet. But this band is fantastic in basically everything I've heard. An all-timer for me.
    Critter Jams "album of the week" blog: http://critterjams.wordpress.com

  10. #10
    While I agree that Here Be Monsters marks the culmination of the band's current phase of music-making and I consider it exceptionally good, I don't think it quite reaches the heights of Behind the Sun. The latter features some truly inspired song structures (see: "Hell Pt. 4-6") and, as an aging hard rock aficionado, has a more strident and appealing energy (see: "The Promise").

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