MOTORPSYCHO

The already-prolific and inexhaustibly eclectic studio output of Norwegian band Motorpsycho gets expanded by their 2025 self-titled album, a bold release that works as somewhat of a statement for the duo and their creative intentions in this decade of shifting trends and musical oversaturation. The exuberant mixture of styles on this double album is impressive to say the least, with the songs' styles ranging from fancy and ecstatic psych-pop numbers to sprawling jazz-infested krautrock monoliths of music, all part of a frantic and unpredictable musical world that lies somewhere along the lines of King Gizzard, The Mars Volta, King Crimson, and Led Zeppelin, yet always remaining true to the Motorpsycho aesthetic and usual sonic onslaught. Beware that the band's mixture of psychedelic, progressive and indie rock is quite dazzlingly eclectic as much as it can catchy and upbeat.

And not only this, but the music on here has been exclusively written by the two core members Bent Sæther and Hans Magnus Ryan, with a cast of guest musicians contributing to the record still, which probably makes this one of the most self-affirming and representative albums of the entire Motorpsycho catalog. Shorter songs inhabit the space between the three major pieces, which are all quite majestic - opener 'Lucifer, Bringer Of Light' is a quirky psychedelic roundabout, with its pop-like structure and repetitive rhythms over which the band experiment. This is definitely a heavy-psych piece working as a krautrock soundscape, followed by several shorter songs, some of which are heavier, others are a lot of fun, but throughout all of these, the dizzying hard rock soloing infiltrates so swiftly the bold and futuristic spacey soundscapes that the duo of Sæther and Magnus craft. The instrumental interlude 'Kip Satie' gives way to the epic and sweeping 'Balthazaar', one of the most expansive and sonically rich compositions on the album, soon enough followed by the big, progressive suite 'Neotzar', which is where the band allows some fusion to infiltrate the song's build-up and deliver one of the most demanding and inspiring performances of the year, without a doubt. Three more songs finish off the album, much in the same vein as the preceding tracks, but not as tremendously cathartic. But one thing is certain here - Motorpsycho's self-titled album is a wonderful creation of sprawling, epic psychedelia, progressive to the core and impenetrable at times, with just the right amounts of experimentation and fun.

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