LEVIATHAN

4.5 stars. Man was this worth the wait. I had the previous release from 2007 which combined their debut album with an EP and thoroughly enjoyed it but man Sigurd Luhr Tonna the brains behind this project has topped it with "Leviathan". This Norwegian has many guests helping out like on the previous recording and they are all from Norway I believe. Some guests I recognized are WOBBLER's Lars Fredrick Froslie on mellotron, and two members of SEID in Jorgen Kosmos on vocals and Lars on piano, synths and mellotron.

"Leviathan Suite" is the almost 14 minute opener and it will go down as one of my favourite songs from 2014. A real cool sounding intro here as we get this deep and dark atmosphere with various sparse sounds coming and going. It's early FLOYD-like and we get some guitar 2 1/2 minutes in followed by drums and a full sound, vocals follow. A calm with the sound of waves 4 1/2 minutes in as reserved vocals join in reminding me of FRUITCAKE. Female vocals follow in this spacey section as they take turns with the male vocals until 7 minutes in when mellotron and a spacey sound take over. Just gorgeous 9 minutes in and to hear this vintage sound in 2015 is incredible. It's building after 10 minutes until they are rocking out before 11 minutes. Nice. Vocals and that earlier theme is back until we get an almost SABBATH-like rhythm with organ after 12 1/2 minutes. It's spacey late to end it.

"The Colour Out Of Space" has this drum driven intro as we have some energy here. I like the background synths. It settles back some after 2 minutes as it becomes more spacey. More mellotron a minute later then it starts to build. Lots of synths and mellotron here. It picks up more after 5 minutes as the energy from earlier returns. "Surya" has a very spacey intro and it sounds so good. It's building. Vocals after 2 minutes both male and female as it calms right down. It turns instrumental again with some excellent drumming to the end. "Distant Star" has a drum intro as the bass, keys and synths join in. Sounds like a spoken word transmission from space but it's brief. A catchy mid- paced tune that turns spacey late to end it.

"The Mountains Of Madness" is heavier and darker than anything on here really to start but it settles some and the vocals join in. An instrumental break with mellotron and more after 2 1/2 minutes. Check out the mellotron after 4 1/2 minutes with those spacey winds. I don't think i've heard this combination before but I love it. Vocals are back 5 minutes in and some good guitar and organ follow before spacey winds end it. "R'Lyeh" opens with what sounds like female vocal melodies and a music box. Spacey synths join in before it kicks into gear after 1 1/2 minutes with drums and more. It's heavier a minute later and this lasts for about a minute then we get a calm with mellotron, keys and more. Vocal melodies 5 minutes in and this continues to almost 7 minutes when it turns intense with drums and guitar as the mellotron storms in. It's getting heavier then we get a calm with lots of atmosphere to end it.

What a great album this is, and the fact that we are getting such amazing Psychedelic music in 2014 makes me very happy.