PYRAMIDS
S/T
(Hydra Head)

FARFLUNG
A Wound in Eternity
(MeteorCity)

GOZU
S/T
(Self-Released)

LITMUS
Planetfall
(Rise Above)

ANOTHER KIND OF
DEATH
Sleepless Every Night
(Underhill)

EAK/CRUSHING SUN
Bipolar 

(Major Label Industries)

TETSUO
David Keenan is My Dick 

(At War With False Noise)

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Funny that this week I am covering two bands that have a very similar sound. I love stoner rock, and I usually make a point to cover at least one band of the ilk on a weekly basis, but this week we have two bands that are pretty influenced by the spacey vibes of Hawkwind. In other words, the music of California’s Farflung could be called stoner rock, but it also has a layer of psychedelic space noises that shoots off way beyond the usual austere instrumentation of that subgenre. It could be called stoner rock on steroids, or more accurately on ‘acid’, but actually that’s kind of dumb. The drug references are kind of cool for a while when you are a teenager, then they get old, and then we out grown them perennially. I believe they distract you from the music, and that might be something that might worry a band as proficient and talented as Farflung.

Their experience shows. A Wound in Eternity is too expert; and that is a fact that becomes clear after the third or fourth tune.  “Unborn Planet” and “Endless Drifting Week” are solid tunes, but they are standard straight ahead rockers with plenty of space debris sprinkled on top. But it’s later on the record that the real more adventurous songwriting begins.  “Stella Volo” is stellar with those lush string arrangements and the elegant way that bridges into the gorgeous “Ix”. There is something Germanic to this tune; grand drums, hypnotizing and rigid vocals, psychedelic guitars…this is the tune that captivated me.  Music like that could not come from freshmen. In fact, Farflung have been rocking out at least since 1995 when they released a recording titled 25,000 Feet Per Second.  That’s great news. If there is good music here, then there is gotta be some good music in their past. To dig that out I go.

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