Never has a label been more apt for a band. Decasia’s debut is HEAVY PSYCH baby from the get go. As soon as lion rumbles out of my speakers it whirls around as if whipped by the winds of the Sahara cloaked in smoke, wah-wah and draped in tie dye .  This French trio take the pre-Altamont hedonism and psychedelia then dip it in the special sauce and bong water of Sabbath et al to make a groovy trip of a long player.

There are some comparisons to be made with countrymen Slift, especially on Cloud Sultan, but Decasia stay within the Earth’s atmosphere rather than setting sights on the cosmos.

That is no bad thing as the album has an earthy, warm and analogue feel. You can almost feel the ancient wood reaching out from the wood of the instruments.  No clue about the musician’s names – the web is much empty and the mystery appeals to me.

Monsieur vocalist – le chanteur – has a good voice. He is not a belter nor an Ozzy copyist. There is a slight a tonal quality which really suits the music – as he wanders away from the tune, he is dragged back by an invisible forcefield. It works really well and differentiates him from the dozens of clones that saturate the doom and psyche genre.

The bass rumbles and rocks in all the right places – it’s urgency on Override injects a desert stoner vibe into the song – a really racing for pinks number, I can almost taste the dust in my throat. Whilst Skeleton Void has a steady throb for the guitar to dance over – the vocalist channelling his inner Lizard King. Big, big late 60’s West coast vibe here, think Monster Magnet meets the Doors. Sexy!

Soft Was the night gives everyone a chance to towel off and rehydrate with its minute long interlude before we take a trip to Laniakea Falls. (Bathing suits optional I reckon).  This is a lilting, bluesy sombre number with hints of Screaming Trees in it whilst Sunrise that follows it also has elements of grunge in it a la Soundgarden’s early days and Nirvana’s Bleach. Of course this is not pure Seattle style there is plenty of fractal shapes being drawn by the sonics on offer here.

The album ends with the title track which is a sparse semi acoustic track that sounds like a long-lost demo recording filled with reverb, spacey sounds and feels eerily like found footage from a late night horror film. For an album so full of life and great production this is a jarring but thought-provoking end. I enjoyed the handbrake pull it served as.

Decasia have served up a tasty dish of grunge infused psychedelia with a great mix of groove and grit that hits in all the right places.

(8/10  Matt Mason)

https://www.facebook.com/Decasia.Official

https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/decasia-an-endless-feast-for-hyneas