IAO CHANT FROM THE COSMIC INFERNO

2,5 stars.

IAO Chant from the Cosmic Inferno is the fourth full-length effort from Acid Mothers Temple, a unique long piece paying tribute to the legendary "You" album from Gong, Acid Mothers Temple being great Gong fans and even friends with their cosmic idols. (This album cover is inspired from "Camembert electrique" artwork).

It's quite impressive to hear a You replica and at first it's quite close to the original. The unique piece starts very strongly with the Master builder/"IAO" mantra singing, help by rich cosmic synthe effects and excellent galactic guitar. The main weak point -as usual with post 70's/current bands- is the drum, with its "big" sound. Too bad, cause the other instruments are really good.

Unfortunately, the intensity fails throughout the piece and this profusion of cosmic effects may become indigestible in the end.

This said, it stays a decent current following of "You", but if you don't own "You" by Gong, the priority is to get the (five stars) original than this quite pale copy.

This is actually a cover of Gong's "Master Builder" done as a memorial to Pierre Moerlin. The whole cd encompasses that one song given the overwhelming AMT treatment but actually going through a series of changes and developments making it one of the more compelling works this band has done. About mid-way through begins a plateau of sonic trance- inducingcomplexity that is shere ecstacy, lasting for over ten minutes; and then following a return to the chorus/chant resumes the pulverizing sonic exploration that turns the air into liquid and deconstructs reality!

If any band deserves the mantle of most uncompromising psychedelic band, I can't think of anyone that comes close to these guys. This is actually a cover of Gong's 'Master Builder' from their masterpiece 'You' album, done as a memorial to Pierre Moerlin recently passed away, the great Gong percussionist. This whole cd encompasses that one song given the overwhelming AMT treatment but actually going through a series of changes and developments making it one of the most compelling works this band has done. About mid-way through begins a plateau of sonic, trance-inducing complexity that is shere ecstacy, lasting for over ten minutes; and then following a return to the chorus/chant follows a spacey drifting eastern landscape with various interacting atmospheres topped with some amazing experimental guitar work which then resumes with the pulverizing sonic improvisation that turns the air into liquid and deconstructs reality as we know it. I was lucky enough to catch these guys performing and they closed the show with this set and I believe Kawabata Makoto truely made innanimate objects bleed with torture; one of the most devastating performances I have ever seen!