ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS

1. "The Ladder" (6:41) recognizable MOTORPSYCHO sound with lots of cinematic synthesizer inputs. Bent's voice (and effects on his voice) have sounded better. (8.5/10)

2. "The Flowers of Awareness" (2:14) electronic noises/sounds like something out of a film score or Tangerine Dream album. Cool! (4.5/5)

3. "Mona Lisa / Azrael" (12:15) opens very much like KING CRIMSON's "Epitaph"--even the lyrics have a content and mood similar to KC's early mystique (even if Bent Sæther's voice comes nowhere near to the power and presence of Greg Lake). Heavy use of Mellotron and tuned percussives is nice, but this is no Court of the Crimson King. Halfway through the bass signals a transition to a more CREAM/WHO-like section of high energy and high tension over which Hans Magnus Ryan's multiply-effected lead guitar spits and squeals. It's wonderful how the bass, drums (two drummers?!), and even keys build the volume and tension beneath. Now THIS is great prog! A sudden lull occurs before the band reignites the ignition for a more melodic instrumental push toward the finish. A difficult song to rate because the second, "Azrael" section, which I ADORE, is so much better than the opening "Mona Lisa" half. (22/25)

4. "Chariots of the Sun - To Phaeton on the Occasion of the Sunrise (theme from an imagined movie)" (22:22) opens with a slow, contemplative progression of synth- and synth-wash supported guitar chords strummed at a steady pace toward increasing strength and volume. The sudden and unexpected change to a minor key at 3:27 is the first "misstep" for me. Thereafter, the slow addition of other instruments proceeds: acoustic steel-string guitar, cymbals, bass, and voices doing wordless vocalese. Still nice, but not as great as the opening section. At the six-minute mark the Motorpsycho guitar-based heavy prog sound kicks in as a Kosmische Musik/Krautrock-sounding theme is established and plays out for the next four minutes--two guitars interplaying within the weave--before keyboard chords initiate a searing lead guitar barrage (that reminds me so much of PINK FAIRIES and KINGSTON WALL lead guitarists, Larry Wallis and Petri Walli, respectively). Nice section if not quite living up to the expectations for peak and crescendo that I'd imagined. At 13:37 we verge onto a different lane of the same highway as roadsigns and turnoffs are considered, but then, at 14:57, we do pull off into a peaceful country road to enjoy the golden oat, rye, and wheat fields waving as we motor by. Nice. Dreamy. At 17:30 as repetitive treated electric piano chords are joined by vocalese, I find myself thinking of The Flaming Lips and even The Beach Boys! This latter impression grows even stronger as we enter the bucolic psychedelia of the happy-go-lucky chord progression of the 20th minute (a reiteration of the opening guitar play only with more effects treating the guitar sound). Awesome! This to the end. A wonderful journey. Thank you Bent, Hans, and Tomas! One of my favorite epics of 2022! (44/45)

Total Time 43:32

I certainly have to hand it to these guys: their inspiration seems to have no bounds; they are always able to come up with wonderfully creative and inventive music, year after year, album after album. Always adventurous and experimental, these musicians seem fearless! I love that about them!

A/five stars; thanks to the wonderful masterpiece that is "Chariots of the Sun", this is a veritable masterpiece of progressive rock music.

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