Inspired by sci-fi Italian horror films and soundtracks, La Morte Viene Dallo Spazio are a space ritual project on a “free-form journey”. Psychedelic vibes and obscurity would seem to be the bywords here.

Mystical and mysterious is how this work starts. It’s as if ghosts are passing through the room and making it cold. The tension is mounting. The guitar work vibrates. This is “Lost Horizon”. The fast-paced rhythm of the title song “Trivial Visions” is so Hawkwind like that I half expected to hear Lemmy. There’s even the psychedelic fluty whistling wind in the background. It’s “Silver Machine” part 2. But instead of Brock, we get the haunting echoes of a female singer. The drum beats on and the guitar line remains rapid as we whoosh through space. “Cursed Invader” is more like a psychedelic cosmic gothic experience with its constant beat, dark vocals and the sound of nasty things flying around in the air. Far out, man. Again, I was expecting Michael Moorcock to pop up, but instead we get more aliens and dark and sultry music in the form of the “Oracolo Della Morte”. A Middle Eastern rhythm runs through the background, adding an air of exotic mysticism. This is deep. Darker and darker … “Ashes” is like a piece of psychedelic doom. A fuzz rock riff cuts in, and the distant-sounding female returns. Smoke is in the air. The haunting flute plays a willowy tune. Out of the blue and for no apparent reason the track closes at breakneck speed. By contrast “Spectrometer” features dark industrial soundwaves. It’s a strange and disturbing journey. Vocals are used sparingly on this album. A dark, sinister and sombre atmosphere introduces “Absolute Abyss” before we return to the cosmic rock journey. The flute flutters, and the hard rock drives forward with the electronic waves reinforcing the cosmic feel. In fact, “Absolute Abyss” has the feel of a soundtrack to a TV drama series. As the electronic seek to find their wavelength, “Altered States” pumps out a rock riff while our spaced-out rock vocalist drifts across in the background. And drift away into the smoke for one last cosmic gasp is what this does after a rather pointless break.

This was like being back in the 70s listening to psychedelic rock. “Trivial Visions” is not trivial. Some of it is hard rock, some of it is gloomy, some of it is hazy and shadowy. It’s a spaced-out journey but I’m not sure where to. Nice listen though.

(7/10 Andrew Doherty)

https://www.facebook.com/lamortevienedallospazio

https://lamortevienedallospazio.bandcamp.com/album/trivial-visions