SEASONS OF SPACE - BOOK #1

And now in 2017 Russian space-kraut prog rockers MAAT LANDER are continuing the story of their main protagonist. Announced as a series in fact, what the album title is going to reveal. This is based on an eccentric, fictional, mystical affair, maybe you can also call this a modern myth. It started in 2015 when Maat invented and created his own universe. Meanwhile he has the courage to travel across. And the band invites us to escort him, through the insane world of their space adventurer. His experienced staff, consisting of the psychonauts Ilya Lipkin as well as Arkady and Ivan Fedotov, will lead us through all highs and lows, twists and turns. Promised. Hereby we are confronted with intelligent gas-shaped lifeforms and other creatures ... but don't worry, lift-off asap!

As the songs are nearly clocking at 80 minutes in total, the vinyl version, released on the German label Clostridium Records, goes without the last three tracks. Or the other way round if you will, this are bonus tracks when it comes to the CD release. Where hereby, pointing to the debut, the extended The Birth Of Maat's Galaxy comes as a live version, recorded in Abstrakhan. Maat's excursions are mellowed with some short Galaxy Passage interludes exclusively built by acoustic guitar and synths. As it goes with such adventures in general, even be it physical or mental, you will be faced with dangerous moments full of courageous moves. In the same way as calming floating parts then again, when moving from one point to the other. Hence you won't die of boredom.

Exemplarily the hypnotic Crimson Turtles comes with tricky multi-tracked guitars which are looping as well as soloing. Surely an album highlight, concerning the dynamic gradually increasing into a rather furious fast-paced issue. The bass lines predominantly sound like electronically generated, appealing nevertheless. The Constellation Of The Mirror Fish shines due to its mellow spacey flow. And surprisingly the guitar entertains in a jazzy manner during Fields Of Serenity, or a trumpet appears on the meandering Maat's First Mistake. So this is not old school space rock, never ever. Just a very unique outfit with entertaining compositions, where the provided atmosphere is melancholic and somewhat aesthetic, fairly eclectic. With their sophomore studio album Lipkin and the Fedotov brothers ultimately have bundled together, very impressing. I'm sure Book #2 is already in the making.