Ah yes, the cover of this album reminds me it is Shroom season. Back in more long-haired and youthful times foraging of liberty caps was an occupation I enjoyed although having brewed them up and digested it was tinged with the disappointment of nothing actually happening. Apparently spraying by the council made them impotent and it was much better buying specially prepared fungi from shops before our government in their wisdom criminalised that activity whilst no doubt snorting as much coke as they could lay their hands on at dinner parties (allegedly).

The Spacelords are an instrumental trio from Germany who have graced our review pages a few times previously and provided a tonic for the head with their psyche meanderings. Personally I last tackled them on 2020 release Spaceflowers which provided a suitable ‘Cosmic Trip’ of the senses. This time around we have four lengthy opuses sprawling indulgently over a perfectly reasonable ¾ of an hour running time.

The title track is up first and is somewhat reminiscent of the sounds likely discovered by John Lennon as he went on a magical mystery tour of India in search of enlightenment. It’s constructed with mantra like chanting and what sounds like a sitar being plucked at start before moving on slowly into an unravelling canvas of bass twangs and meandering guitars (they do this a lot), as the drum provides a slow pulse over it all. The psyche and stoner approach is unquestionable and those who like plenty of wah on the guitar will be in their element. I wouldn’t go as far as to call this space rock though, it’s grounded very much on the earth and lacks the exploratory sonic effects that are going to take the listener to the outer limits. ‘Mindscapes’ follows and is hardly a head-rush but more of a gentle caress designed to noodle said nodules rather than overwhelm them. I haven’t mentioned Hawkwind yet as this has none of their propulsive thrust although armchair anarchists will find common ground as they relax and vegetate along to it. With that in mind one would hope that a track entitled ‘Endorphin High’ would deliver as prescribed. This one kind of coasts over an arid desert landscape but don’t go expecting it to fly up and over dunes as the buggy stays very much grounded. There’s some cool symphonic parts subtly immersed within this soundscape and it has bit of a groove about it. However, it does reside far more in the chill-out room than the title suggests.

We finally arrive at the 14-minute last track ‘Lost Sounds Of Lemuria’ and it’s time to sink back in that bean bag and totally mellow out for the duration. Some nice glistening motifs glitter like stars in orbit and the music laps away languidly like the sea gently coming in over the shoreline of said lost continent. Before it vanished beneath the Indian Ocean if you believe the legends, its people lived in a state of higher learning and nirvana and if this was their sound fair play to them but for me it’s all very pedestrian and safe as is the album as a whole. I’m afraid I just couldn’t get enthusiastic about The Spacelords this time around and like the mushroom tea, I quickly run out of patience waiting for this album to kick in.

(6/10 Pete Woods)

https://www.facebook.com/the.spacelords

https://thespacelords1.bandcamp.com/album/nectar-of-the-gods