Motorpsycho

Motorpsycho – Ancient Astronauts (2022)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 43:30 minutes | 444 MB | Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rune Grammofon

Considering the tight run of albums since the first part of the Gullvåg Trilogy in 2017 – three double and a single album in less than four years – the 16 months wait for Ancient Astronauts must feel like an eternity for the fans. Much of the music continue in the manner of the band’s popular long form “N.O.X.” suite from “The All Is One” (2019) album, including “Mona Lisa/Azrael” and “Chariot of The Sun”, the latter clocking in at 22 minutes, being the band´s longest instrumental track to date. Most of Ancient Astronauts was recorded in Amper Tone studio in Oslo during five days in August with old compadre Deathprod at the helm.
(more…)

Motorpsycho – Yay! (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 42:07 minutes | 475 MB | Genre: Progressive Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Det Nordenfjeldske Grammofonselskab

After a series of epic, sprawling and headphones-friendly albums, Motorpsycho is back with a short, reasonably pop-formatted and intimate album of mainly acoustically based songs. For once playing the game instead of trying to reinvent it, this 10-song album of tunes is clearly a reaction in some way to too much architecture and too many grand visions, and dials the music down to more comprehensive and digestible sizes than have been the band’s métier lately.

(more…)

Motorpsycho – The All is One (2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 01:24:49 minutes | 914 MB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rune Grammofon

A double LP and double CD set, The All Is One features music from two sessions that took place in 2019, the first at Black Box Studio in France, with Reine Fiske (Dungen), and the second at Ocean Sound Studio in Norway with Lars Horntveth (Jaga Jazzist) and Ola Kvernberg (Steamdome). This last session gave birth to a 42 minute, 5 part piece of epic proportions, inspired by paintings, alchemy and the tarot. Buckle up, folks! There is also a selection of shorter songs, loosely clocking in between 3 and 10 minutes. This is simply Norway´s finest at their sprawling best, stretching the rock format as out of whack as they can while travelling their own path in their own tempo, seemingly oblivious to outside pressure or expectations.

(more…)

Motorpsycho – Kingdom of Oblivion (2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 01:10:17 minutes | 737 MB | Genre: Progressive Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rune Grammofon

Hard times call for big riffs. Following closely on the heels of the band’s last album from 2020, Kingdom Of Oblivion swings further back toward the heavier Motorpsychodelia of Heavy Metal Fruit while still pushing forward in characteristic style.

(more…)

Motorpsycho – The Crucible (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 40:30 minutes | 439 MB | Genre: Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rune Grammofon

The Crucible starts where The Tower ended, but it soon takes on its own hue, and it is clear that it cannot be called a ‘sequel’ as such: this is very much a step further out than anywhere the band ventured on The Tower. While it is broader lyrically speaking, it is even sharper focused musically and, if possible, even more idiosyncratic and insular than ever: unarguably a Motorpsycho album. There aren’t many traditional song structures or pop format platitudes on display, and there is indeed hardly any respect paid to any trad rock song conventions on the whole album, but that’s not really what one listens to Motorpsycho for anyway, is it? From the most Neanderthal of rock riffs to the most rhythmically oblique polytonal solo sections they’ve ever recorded, this album musically seems to sum up the extremes of the band’s current interests and concerns.

The Crucible was recorded at Monnow Valley Studios in Wales in August 2018 by Hans Magnus Ryan (guitars, vocals), Bent Sæther (bass, vocals, sundry) and Tomas Järmyr (drums), with co-producers Andrew Scheps and Deathprod. To these ears, and to the band’s satisfaction, this co-production ploy worked out wonderfully, and has resulted in a beautifully crafted record, smaller in size but at least equal in ambition to its celebrated predecessor. It is somehow both more focused, and denser in content, but also compositionally more ambitious than The Tower. One would perhaps think that this necessarily results in a diminished sonic assault, but the album still packs a wallop like a good rock record should. And – ‘for once’ some waggish tongues would say – does not outstay its welcome.

(more…)