ILION

French power-trio Slift's 2024 release, Ilion, is a mesmerizing concept album that takes listeners on an interstellar journey through the rise, fall, quest for a new home, and eventual rebirth of humanity. As a worthy successor to their previous album, Ummon, Ilion, not only builds on its predecessor's foundation but propels the band's musical evolution into uncharted realms.

The album opens with the title track, setting the tone for the cosmic odyssey that awaits. This opening piece starts softly and crescendos to a supernova of sound, immediately immersing the audience into the expansive narrative that unfolds across the album. The track's gradual build-up, accompanied by the trio's explossive instrumentation, serves as a captivating introduction to the collective themes of the album.

Slift's evolution from Ummon is marked the intensified sonic dynamics found in, Ilion, The album's exploration of heavier guitar sounds, at times bordering on the realm of metal, adds a new dimension to Slift's musical palette. The incorporation of these heavier elements enhances the album's emotional impact, creating a experience that resonates in both palpable and auscultative sensations with the cosmic themes explored in the album's concept. A notable highlight is the vocal performance of Jean Fossat, whose voice seamlessly adapts to the album's new dynamics. Jean embraces an angry-punk-rock-astronaut persona, adding a rebellious edge to the overall sound. His vocals become a vital component in conveying the emotional depth of the cosmic tale, providing a raw and authentic layer to the narrative. These elements conspire to create an overall sense of urgency to the story subject's plight throughout the tale, but particularly in the opening sections.

Ilion stands as a testament to the band's artistic evolution and commitment to pushing the boundaries of their own sound. At 79 minutes, no moment feels wasted, no movement outstays its welcome; as is often the case with albums in this time frame. From the opening supernova to the final echoes of rebirth, the album is a cosmic rollercoaster that demands to be experienced. The thematic depth of Ilion is evident as the band skillfully weaves a narrative that travels the vastness of space and time. From the soaring highs to the crushing lows, the album mirrors the epic scope of its subject matter. Each track unfolds like a chapter in an intergalactic novel, inviting listeners to lose themselves in the story of Slift's musical universe. With its heavier guitar elements and expansive sonic landscapes,Ilion arrives as the pinnacle of Slift's discography, solidifying their place in the paradigm of modern space rock, and a true masterpiece of the modern progressive rock scene.

Expanding the limits of stoner rock and taking it into the vastness of space, the final frontier like an episodic Star Trek journey into the unknown, the power trio SLIFT has continually been improving upon its unique concoction that borrows an ingredient or two from various strains of acid rock, psychedelia, space rock and the world of stoner rock / metal for eight years now. Having only formed in 2016, the band has unleashed a new expansive stylistic approach that ambitiously has reached into the world of progressive rock with its latest installment of the SLIFT canon called ILION.

One of the staples of the modern Toulouse, France underground, SLIFT featuring Jean Fossat (guitar, vocals), Rémi Fossat (bass, vocals) and Canek Flores (drums) has become one of those bands that has managed to retain the immediacy of its raucous garage rock days only now infused with the savoir-faire of a seasoned prog band on its latest album ILIION. Presumably the title is a reference to the ancient Greek city set to the 21st century and the ultimate adventures into the galaxy and beyond narrating the decline of humanity and the imminent rebirth as our species ventures out into the limitless expanses.

SLIFT's musical palette has expanded this time around with the addition of three seasoned performers adding the saxophone, synthesizer and what they refer to as heavenly vocals, the extra icing on the cake that takes ILION light years away from the previous 2020 release "Ummon." That release established the band in the greater world of modern heavy psych and general and pointed to the stars for new paths that once forged has culminated in the birth of ILION, the band's most triumphant release yet. While only featuring eight tracks, the album's playing time is expansive as its ambitious nature by creeping past the 79-minute mark. This is one for the most dedicated sonic explorer whose attention span can endure a majestic journey of this nature but highly rewarding for those who buckle up their seatbelts and take this rocket ship into the depths of space.

Starting out with the 11-minute title track, SLIFT displays its sophistication without hesitation as the musicians take the familiarity of the heavy guitar, bass and drum garage rock heft into more atmospheric realms. While the musical style continues what the band has established on its previous releases, the compositional fortitude has undergone a serious evolution in expansiveness and nuance as the tracks meander from the established guitar rock heft to soft sensual spacey moments reminiscent of 70s Gong or Pink Floyd. While the playing time may seem unfounded, it actually allows the compositions to pulse and flicker and seep slowly into your soul without feeling rushed. This is an album that requires patience as the repetitive nature of riffs and passages are designed to cast a hypnotic spell rather than bedazzle the senses with technical ingenuity.

SLIFT has crafted an amazing work with ILION. This album may be long but encapsulates a wandering journey through the myriad styles of space rock, heavy stoner rock and futuristic prog. Think of what King Gizzard & The Wizard Lizard would sound like if jamming with Elder, Goat, King Buffalo and Earthless and you can get the gist of how SLIFT has slinked into a new chapter of their colorful career. Don't let the freaky astro-aliens puking red spaghetti on the album cover throw you off. This is top notch space rock of the ages with more than enough creative mojo to justify the album's 79-minute run and that's saying something for yours truly who often shies away from album's over 45 minutes these days. Exemplary work here!

The Toulouse-based psych-rock trio that debuted in 2017 releases their fourth album.

1. "Ilion" (11:08) one of the best heavy psychedelic songs I've heard in a long time. I love the near-Gregorian chant group monotone vocals when they start. More layers of vocals--now screaming and harmonizing--join in during the second minute and then the shouting ones take over. A great instrumental passage starts around 2:30 with awesome searing guitar solo(s) (not sure if there are two tracks of the guitar or merely a strong echo/delay effect being applied to it). Great sound! The vocals are back with all layers working, chant and scream/shouts until the sixth minute when another more KINGSTON WALL-like instrumental passage takes over. Great walls of sound! Things begin to slow down and deconstruct at the end of the sixth minute, leaving an ominously atmospheric PT- like section of multiple synths weaving together like a HANS ZIMMER soundtrack (Interstellar). This is also awesome! On to the ninth minute--the 8:22 mark--when one of the Fossat brothers enters to emit his battle cry. Then a solid wall of heavy Post Rock sound starts up with drums, bass chords, and tremolo guitar strumming their fury (or adrenaline hype) until 10:20 when there is a let up--as if the has reached the mountain top--where the scream/shouting vocalist reenters to claim his victory. (19.75/20)

2. "Nimh" (9:38) bleeding over from the previous song, the chords have changed and drums and bass backed down a bit, but M. Fossat is still finding it necessary to scream/shout his impassioned gospel. It's tense, intense, and powerful, if not as melodically- or harmonically-rich as the previous song. Another stripped down, more pregnant than the other softer passages, and eventually, in the sixth minute, releases its pent up energy with full, sustained orgasm, leaving in its wake a very quiet, spacious empty-cave-like passage in which Clemence Lagier issues her "Heavenly Vocals." Sinister-feeling snaking synths beneath Clemence appear and soon reveal a very heavy monstrously-plodding section over which M. Fossat screals and then fills with his screaling guitar to the song's end. (17.875/20)

3. "The Words That Have Never Been Heard" (12:32) starts off with ticking sounds, joined by a faster clipping sound, before all hell breaks loose with a KITCHENS OF DISTINCTION-like pattern and a little Fossat screal. In the second half of the second minute the song moves into a different variation of its sound and a new motif: one with some awesome bass play and guitar chords matching M. Fossat's "distant" and a little-less-insistent scream vocals. A brief pause in the middle of the third minute unleashes a more intrusive vocal verse, but then the music goes a bit more techno with screaling guitar chords being slashed away in the background while multiple synths weave their melodic magic within and over the top. Man this amazing bass player (Rémi Fossat) and drummer have a great rapport! Guitar arpeggio riff is matched by "Heavenly Vocals" over the top in the eighth minute. Then, at the end of the eighth minute, the music backs off except for an excellent fast-paced percussive track over which M. Fossat starts to shout. So cool! This lasts a bit before the rest of the band rejoins with the Kitchens of Distinction sound palette. At 11:00 the band moves back into another quiet, spacious passage with only sustained guitar notes playing a slow arpeggio to the song's end. (23.75/25)

4. "Confluence" (8:37) bass synth drone and synth water-trickling rhythm track carry over from the previous song before reverbed sax and guitar join in, playing slow, rather sad and plaintive melodies, note by note, as if in their own private lonely universes, even after the hard-charging bass and drums step in at 1:20. Around the 2:00 mark the guitar and sax begin to come to life a little more--and then a synth horn joins in to harmonize with the reverbed sax, note for note, until the guitar chords start to come crashing in mark like falling rocks at the three-minute mark. Again I hear KINGSTON WALL as well as great Post Rock riffs in the mix at this point. At 5:15 Jean Fossat leaps off of the cliff with some serious guitar soloing. A slight break in the middle of the seventh minute is followed by some viciously epic guitar shredding over the next minute. Marveilleux! The song then ends with just guitar feedback. Brilliant! (19/20)

5. "Weavers' Weft" (9:41) opening more like a Viking Metal song with more male chorus chants over steady plodding processional-like music--the shout/screaming voice of M. Fossat taking over in the third and fourth minutes. The music then shifts into greyhound racing mode at 3:42 over which a repeating guitar strummed poser chord progression recurs with lots of space in between as the bass and drums play frenetically. At 5:20 we stop, recharge with choral and screaling vocals leading the band back into a heavy motif, but this time slower. At 6:04 this slowed down plodding heavy wall of sound becomes more DEVIN TOWNSEND-like in its pacing while the choral men chant in their monotone style only, this time, in a far higher pitch than their previous choices. Simple but oh-so-heavy SWANS-like guitar, bass, and drum Post Rock ensues as the vocals stop. At 8:12 there is a KEVIN SHIELDS-like bending-guitar chord between SWANS-two chord bashes that eventually becomes more sedated triplet chords from high on the guitar's fretboard. This is the end. (17.625/20)

6. "Uruk" (9:55) arpeggiated guitar chords become small chords while drums and bass thrums support choral vocals that sound like they come from some Scandanavian Psych rock band. The whole sound palette almost harkens back to some of the more trippy band/albums of the late 1960s. The middle of the song follows the guitarist's four-chord progressions (they change a couple times). Awesome drumming on display here! Distant reverbed vocals are screamed from way back during the seventh minute--M. Fossat holding shockingly long notes! Things break down to guitar's three-note four-chord progressions accented by matching cymbal taps, going very quiet in the ninth minute, and then the full band bursting back out into full volume at 8:20. Man! I love this drummer! At 8:45 the lead guitar and sax start screaming at one another with wicked ferocity! But they do not sustain it, instead they let the band slowly deflate or decompress their instruments to let the song end. Wow! (17.75/20)

7. "The Story That Has Never Been Told" (12:35) this one opens up like a spiritually-based German Kosmisches song but then goes the way of a SONAR-like Math Rock song for its second half. It's cool, and masterfully performed, just not the kind of piece that keeps me engaged like some of the other more-sophisticated constructs on the album. (21.75/25)

8. "Enter The Loop" (5:03) another trippy heavy prog psychedelic/stoner rock motif that the band "gently" pummels into our brains--though this sound palette contains a little more industrial sounds. (8.875/10)

Total time 79:08

Like many other reviewers, I am blown away to constantly have to remind myself that all of this sound is coming from just three guys (using, of course, lots of effects and multiple tracks as well as a few guests). Reminds me very much of Finland's great Kingston Wall in that way.

A-/five stars; a refreshingly creative minor masterpiece of finely crafted heavy prsychedelic rock. Highly recommended to any and all self-attested prog lovers.