ABSU The Third Storm Of Cythraul (Osmose) cd 14.98

ABU-JAMAL, MUMIA 175 Progress Drive (Alternative Tentacles) cd 13.98
Hopefully all AQ-list readers are aware of the plight of Pennsylvania journalist and death row inmate Mumia Abu Jamal (sentenced to death for a cop killing that he may, or may not, have committed -- regardless, his trial was hardly fair, making him indeed a true American political prisoner). Alternative Tentacles have done their part to keep Mumia's words and cause in the public eye, this release being the latest to feature his prison radio essays. But it also features Mumia pieces from his pre-conviction radio days (including his interviews with Bob Marley, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Hugh Masekela, and others). It also features musical and spoken word contributions from hip hop luminaries like Chuck D, Dead Prez, Michael Franti, and others. In case you were wondering, "175 Progress Drive" is the address of Mumia's prison cell, from where he continues to fight the power and speak for the black (and non-black) underclass.

ABYSSIC HATE A Decade Of Hate (No Colours) cd 15.98

ABYSSINIANS Satta Dub (Taboo) cd 15.98

AC (ANIMAL COLLECTIVE) W/ VASHTI BUNYAN Prospect Hummer (Fat Cat) cd ep 11.98
Why those Animal Collective folks have chosen to go by just their initials A and C is beyond us. Don't they realize they're running the risk of being confused with our own Alison C. or Andee C., A.C. Newman or worse yet Anal Cunt!? Ah, but none of those peeps would be collaborating with Ms Bunyan... or would they? Hmmm. Anyhoo, ponderings aside, these four songs are hushed psych-folk jewels with clusters of group-sing gatherings, acoustic guitar, and harp. Sooo lovely. Fans of any/all involved will not be disappointed. The only thing unfortunate here is that sadly in this day and age the first thing that popped to our mind when we saw this ep's title was those horrendous enormo-vehicles. Not exactly the mental picture you want in your head when you're listening to Animal Collective and/or Vashti Bunyan... noooo!
MPEG Stream: "It's You"
MPEG Stream: "Prospect Hummer"

AC/3P Watch Me Explode (Spasticated) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
From the folks who brought us the hilarious/funky/brilliantly twisted Ministry Of Shit compilation reviewed some lists ago, comes this blast of weird and silly electronic dementia. Did you love the recent Powerslaves record of the week, that selection of Iron Maiden tracks done electro style? Well, then this *might* just hit the same sweet spot. AC/DC covers, done lo-fi midi style, with a vocalist that sounds like a strange hybrid of Anton Maiden and Udo Dirkschneider from Accept, sometimes giving a homoerotic twist to the lyrics. Dumb? Absolutely. Funny? Maybe. Do you need this? Uh, definitely!
MPEG Stream: "Hells Bells"
MPEG Stream: "Whole Lotta Woman"

AC/DC Back In Black (remastered) (Epic) cd 17.98

AC/DC Family Jewels (Epic Music Video) 2dvd 21.00
Funny that a band can get so over-rated they become supremely under-rated. It could be that one of the best rock bands of all time has maintained their overall showmanship, but without the illustrious and crazed Bon Scott on lead vocals, their pure fire got lost in the huge rock-band-production of the '80s and '90s. Lightshows and media blitzes (not to mention excessive usage of their music for major league sporting events) seemed to dilute their early naked raw energy. Though, these days they certainly still do have raucous energy to spare, just ask anyone who's seen them in recent years. However, the young ravenous intensity of the band in the mid-to-late '70s is, in comparison, incredibly impressive to witness. Thankfully, several choice moments from that time in the band's career is presented on this Family Jewels (ahem) double dvd.
Disc one (20 songs from 1975-1980) features priceless footage of early performances and some incredibly scrappy but amazing music videos. Of the live shows, one that stands out is the footage from their notoriously impressive performance at University of Essex on a UK television series called Rock Goes To College.
In the music video for "Jailbreak" (which has become a staple on VH1 Classic), you see the band (with Angus shockingly in only something that looks to be a paper thin pajama set), freezing their asses off, "playing" the song with instruments up on some windy hill somewhere, "escaping from jail" and dodging some home-made explosives. The look of the film, quick cuts matched by the song's memorable sound quality make for one of the best music videos of all time. I get chills everytime I watch it.
In clip after clip, the surprisingly unpredictable and witty showman Scott keeps you thoroughly entertained. Keep an eye out for bagpipe-playin' Bon and schoolgirl Bon alongside schoolboy Angus! Speaking of which, the playfully rambunctious chemistry between the two is great, adding a totally distinct personality to their on-stage energy that's sadly missed in the later Johnson-era performances. To boot, it's pretty cool too to watch the evolution of Angus' student uniform.
Disc two (20 more tracks, 1980-1993) draws from the Brian Johnson years (AC/DC's singer after Bon's untimely death), and so one of the unexpected things that this double cd set inadvertenty offers is the opportunity for the Scott versus Johnson debate teams to re-ignite their rallying charges (just as the Iron Maiden Early Years double-dvd did for the Dickinson and DiAnno supporters). Which side are you on? So far, we're siding with Bon...all except for Allan who votes for Brian. You can take it up with him.

ACAMA Tibetan Temple Bells (Interra) cd 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Great recording of giant Tibetan Buddhist bell-ringing. Yes, an hour or so of deep resonating "chimes", making for an incredible deep drone document! Fans of cosmic/ambient sounds need only turn this up and vibrate.

ACCELERA DECK Addict (Blackbean and Placenta / Betley Welcomes Careful Drivers) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

ACCELERA DECK Sunstrings ep (Scarcelight) cd ep 8.98

ACCEPT Restless & Wild (Nuclear Blast) cd 15.98
Everybody knows 'Balls To The Wall', Accept's early 80's hit that almost made the 'You Shook Me All Night Long' leap from Headbangers Ball to FM radio, but their 1982 release 'Restless and Wild' (reissued here, digitally remastered and in a spiffy digipack) is the only truly essential Accept record. And essential it is. Equal parts catchy eighties hard rock and proto-thrash-metal and featuring the unique balls-in-a-vice/tracheotomy vocals of sort-of-dwarf Udo Dirkschneider, 'Restless and Wild' is easily one of my favorite metal records of the eighties, and it holds up surprisingly well, almost 20 years later.

ACCUSED, THE The Archive Tapes 1981-1986 (Unrest) 2lp 17.98

ACCUSED, THE The Curse of Martha Splatterhead (Southern Lord) cd 15.98
If you're like us, and have been fans of The Accused for years and years and years, then this new record on Southern Lord, their first ages, probably poses some serious problems for you. For instance, no one but the original guitarist is still in the band. All new members, including a brand new singer! Which means no Blaine, whose sick vox pretty much defined The Accused for lots of folks. So yeah, how is this possibly still The Accused? Well, to be honest, it still totally sounds like The Accused, and the new singer, is a dead ringer for Blaine, and they sound fucking great, furious, grinding, thrashing super catchy punk metal crunch, the guitars buzzy and abrasive, the drums wild and all over the place, the songs dense and complicated, and the vocals, sick and throat shredding and pretty fucking awesome. Maybe Accused superfans might not be fooled but plenty of other folks would probably not know the difference. And as far as we're concerned, we're just psyched to have another Accused record to blast, and we have indeed been blasting it pretty much nonstop. And the funny thing is, the one person here who was super skeptical about the new Accused, invariably asks what's playing every time this is on, which pretty much says it all. Seriously sick and punked out thrash metal filth from the splatter rock masters!
MPEG Stream: "The Splatterbeast"
MPEG Stream: "Stomped To Death"
MPEG Stream: "Bodies Are Rising"
MPEG Stream: "Festival Of Flesh"

ACEDI / GRIMLAIR / BLACK HATE / BLODARV / NOCTURNAL DEPRESSION Shadows Of Tragedy (Self Mutilation / Razed Soul) cd 14.98

ACEPHALIX Aporia (Prank) cd 11.98
Ever since their self titled 7", reviewed last year, we've been dying for a full length from these SF heavies, their sound an insanely punishing, ultra downtuned metallic crust punk, that's just about the most metal thing to come out on Prank, but Acephalix still manage to straddle that line between metal and punk, they're probably more a punk rock band than a metal band we think, but then that line is already so blurred with bands like Anti Cimex, the Cro-Mags, Motorhead, Nausea, Celtic Frost, Sacrilege, all of whom most definitely inform Acephalix's sound. And what a sound, the guitars crunchy and corrosive, the drums crushing, the bass thick and dense, and the vocals, holy shit, howling, hellish and guttural, doesn't seem like anybody, should be able to conjure up that sort of demonic bellow, anybody human at least which is exactly what makes it so intense.
Plus the band lace their chugging metallic crust with killer harmonized style classic metal leads, and even when they're not unleashing full on leads, the songs are laced with streaks of feedback, bursts of tangled melody, spidery and all interwoven into the roiling crusty blackness below. The tracks veer from frenzied black thrash to lumbering doom to full on D-beat crush, the sound just so fucking heavy and dense and yeah, sometimes weirdly melodic, some of these songs get lodged in your head for sure, which is not something you'd expect at all from this sort of grim metallic filth. These guys just might give Burmese a run for their money as our favorite heavy locals, which is saying a whole hell of a lot.
The packaging on both the vinyl and cd are pretty sweet, but the cd version includes one extra track, a gloriously grim, chugging crusty creep... just so you know...
MPEG Stream: "Immanent"
MPEG Stream: "Rectal Grave"
MPEG Stream: "Ascetix"
MPEG Stream: "Past/Present"
MPEG Stream: "Only The Dying"

ACEPHALIX Aporia (Prank) lp 10.98
Ever since their self titled 7", reviewed last year, we've been dying for a full length from these SF heavies, their sound an insanely punishing, ultra downtuned metallic crust punk, that's just about the most metal thing to come out on Prank, but Acephalix still manage to straddle that line between metal and punk, they're probably more a punk rock band than a metal band we think, but then that line is already so blurred with bands like Anti Cimex, the Cro-Mags, Motorhead, Nausea, Celtic Frost, Sacrilege, all of whom most definitely inform Acephalix's sound. And what a sound, the guitars crunchy and corrosive, the drums crushing, the bass thick and dense, and the vocals, holy shit, howling, hellish and guttural, doesn't seem like anybody, should be able to conjure up that sort of demonic bellow, anybody human at least which is exactly what makes it so intense.
Plus the band lace their chugging metallic crust with killer harmonized style classic metal leads, and even when they're not unleashing full on leads, the songs are laced with streaks of feedback, bursts of tangled melody, spidery and all interwoven into the roiling crusty blackness below. The tracks veer from frenzied black thrash to lumbering doom to full on D-beat crush, the sound just so fucking heavy and dense and yeah, sometimes weirdly melodic, some of these songs get lodged in your head for sure, which is not something you'd expect at all from this sort of grim metallic filth. These guys just might give Burmese a run for their money as our favorite heavy locals, which is saying a whole hell of a lot.
The packaging on both the vinyl and cd are pretty sweet, but the cd version includes one extra track, a gloriously grim, chugging crusty creep... just so you know...
MPEG Stream: "Immanent"
MPEG Stream: "Rectal Grave"
MPEG Stream: "Ascetix"
MPEG Stream: "Past/Present"
MPEG Stream: "Only The Dying"

ACEPHALIX Interminable Night (Southern Lord) cd 11.98
This local metallic crust outfit's first record was released on venerable punk label Prank, who found, upon receiving the masters for this, Acephalix's second full length, that the band's sound had gotten, well, WAY TOO METAL. Which while bad news for the punks, was most definitely good news for the rest of us. Especially considering their sound on Aporia, was already pretty dang metal, and while at the time, we did concede that they were probably more of a punk band, we also cited groups like Anti Cimex, the Cro-Mags, Motorhead, Nausea, Celtic Frost, Sacrilege, all of whom blur that line, and while Acephalix may have been more punk back then, even if just barely, they definitely sound more metal now. And have found a new home on Southern Lord, who seem to have a newfound obsession with crust punk and metal.
So yeah, while this is more metal, it's still plenty punk, the tempos especially, not dirgey and doomy (although there are moments), or blazing and blasting, instead songs seem to gravitate toward that galloping punk rock rhythm, but wedded to sounds more distinctly metal, thick, downtuned riffage, and some very Maiden sounding guitar parts, not to mention some seriously shredding leads, everything crusty and murky and HEAVY. One distinctive holdover from the first record is the vocals, a terrifying bellow that occasionally slips into an equally terrifying shriek, and that sounds even more menacing and bad ass when coupled to the group's more overtly metallic pummel.
LIMITED TO 2000 COPIES, each one hand numbered.
MPEG Stream: "Christ Hole"
MPEG Stream: "Immemorial Past"
MPEG Stream: "Daemonic Sign"

ACEPHALIX s/t (Prank) 7" 4.50
Debut release from this Bay Area horde, fucking killer, grinding, pummeling old school downtuned metallic crust, equal parts Celtic Frost, Anti Cimex, Cro-Mags and any other of the classic crushers.
Thick, super distorted ultra heavy guitars, pounding drums, and some of the sickest, gnarled bellowed vocals we've ever heard. The riffs destroy, there are even GUITAR SOLOS, which shred, the songs are mostly midtempo, weirdly groove here and there, even some awesome Iron Maiden style harmonized guitars, and always crazy catchy and heavy as fuck. We find ourselves listening to this over and over and over. Can't wait for the full length.
Super swank packaging, silver metallic foil printed on thick black and white sleeves, pressed on nice thick vinyl, and includes a printed insert.

ACEYALONE Accepted Eclectic (Ground Control) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Formerly an MC with cult LA underground hiphop group Freestyle Fellowship, Aceyalone continues the positive flow with his third album. Kinda reminds us, delivery-wise, of Young MC (blasphemy!) but then again our favorite hiphop is of the more commercial, aboveground gangsta Cash Money/No Limit/KMEL variety, not the Cali underground positive stuff a la Del and all the rest (Zion I excepted).
RealAudio clip: "Accepted Eclectic"
RealAudio clip: "B-Boy Real McCoy"

ACEYALONE (ACCOMPANIED BY RJD2) Magnificent City (Decon) cd 14.98

ACID BATH Demos: 1993-1996 (Rotten) cd 14.98

ACID BATH Double Live Bootleg! (Rotten) dvd 25.00
The dedication and worship and legend that this band inspires, even years after the end of their brief career is amazing. Not undeserved mind you, just surprising. Cult legends in the bayou's sludge scene along with Eyehategod, Crowbar, Down, etc... Acid Bath called it quits after the death of their bass player, and members went on to join Crowbar and Goatwhore after recording their post-Acid Bath masterpiece (and one of our favorite records) as the Agents Of Oblivion. But Acid Bath -were- amazing, melding furious grinding almost-death metal, buzzing hardcore, and super melodic hard rock ala Alice In Chains or Soundgarden. And writing amazing songs, evoking mystery and death and salvation and nihilism. It's sort of a crime they weren't HUGE. But maybe they are right where they should be, underground. Here's how we described our favorite Acid Bath record on a past list: "Imagine the sheer brutality of Eyehategod, the bluesy grind of fellow bayou residents Soilent Green, the stoned sabbathy swing of Trouble, and the melodic flair of late era Corrosion of Conformity or Alice In Chains, all forced onto one cd. Sound confusing? It is. But somehow, it gels perfectly, striking a pefect balance between catchy and heavy." While this is probably not the place to start for Acid Bath virgins (that would be their second full length cd 'Paegan Terrorism Tactics') this is a godsend for Acid Bath fans (like us) and an amazing document. Features multiple live performances of all their best songs from Boston in 1996, New Orleans in 1994, Metairie, Louisiana in 1994, Milwaukee Metalfest in 1994, Hollywood in 1996, Breux Bridge, Louisiana in 1996, Lafayette, Louisiana in 1996 and St. Petersburg, Florida in 1996. Also includes a video clip from 1994, rehearsals for their first demo in 1993 and a practice in their barn/practice space in 1992. Most of the video looks/sounds pretty good. All of it's interesting, and if you already love Acid Bath as much as we do, you already know you have to buy this!

ACID BATH Paegan Terrorism Tactics (Rotten) cd 15.98
Man, does this record rule! Not entirely sure how we all managed to miss this one when it came out a few years back. It was actually (re)discovered on the recommendation of a not-so-entirely-trustworthy source. Go figure! But now that we know, so must you...Imagine the sheer brutality of Eyehategod, the bluesy grind of fellow bayou residents Soilent Green, the stoned sabbathy swing of Trouble, and the melodic flair of late era Corrosion of Conformity or Alice In Chains, all forced onto one cd. Sound confusing? It is. But somehow, it gels perfectly, striking a pefect balance between catchy and heavy. This has become an absolute favorite of Andee, Allan, Elisabeth, and a handful of customers who have seen the light. Interesting non-music related facts: amazing cover art by Dr. Jack Kevorkian, one band member dead, one in jail...HIGHLY recommended!

ACID EATER Black Fuzz On Wheels (Time Bomb) cd 22.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
When we think about it, we really should have made Acid Eater's debut, the awesomely titled Virulent Fuzz Punk A.C.I.D., a Record Of The Week, the most overdriven slab of in-the-red noise drenched hyperdistorted drug fueled punked out garage rock EVER. That is, until now.
So we can right that wrong, by bestowing the honor on record number two, the equally bad assedly (and aptly) titled Black Fuzz On Wheels, another amp destroying psychedelic garage punk blowout, fronted by none other than Yamazaki Maso, aka MASONNA, on vocals and sound effects, and ably backed up by a classic garage rock lineup, fuzz guitar, organ, bass keyboard, drums and chorus, okay, well, maybe not totally classic, but then this is not your classic garage rock. Imagine fuzzed out sixties garage rock, but with a fucked up freaked out Merzbow production, the guitars so distorted the riffs seem to be on the verge of totally falling to pieces, the drums, a blown out pound, the vocals, a sneering yowl, also doused in effects, all held in place by thick whirring Farfisa, everything rollicking and rocking, loose and wild, heavy and psychedelic, and all wrapped up in a bristly, incendiary sheen of white hot buzz and skree.
Thankfully these guys (and gal) have the fuzzed out garage pop songs to back up this sort of speaker shredding sonic onslaught, not to mention a little clutch of kick ass covers, songs by Crime, The Miracle Workers, and a band we'd never heard of before called The Tidal Wave, but whose composition here actually sounds like a sped up "TV Eye" by The Stooges! Weirdest of all, there's a cover of one of the tracks from those Schulmadchen Report soundtracks, y'know, music from saucy '60s German 'documentaries' about school girls making it with older men! Crazy, but it suits them, that cover is a cool surfy instrumental jam, with a bad ass main riff, and a cool breakdown with just drums and distorted hiss. The Miracle Workers cover is awesome too, maybe the noisiest of the bunch, and such a great song ("Love Has No Time"), the vocals especially effected, so snarly and snotty, as well as a tripped out psychedelic ambient effects drenched outro, all motorik pulses and swirling space age bleeps and bloops.
But if you didn't know, you'd probably just figure those covers were originals too, every song on here sounds like some classic sixties garage jam, dipped in a vat of liquid LSD, set afire and sent careening from your speakers. We can only imagine how mind blowing Acid Eater must be live.
Total psychnoise surfpunk distorto garage pop bliss. With super sexy naked lady motorcycle cover art to boot!!
MPEG Stream: "Yes, Motion"
MPEG Stream: "Oh Baby's No"
MPEG Stream: "Follow Me"
MPEG Stream: "Searching For Love"

ACID EATER Virulent Fuzz Punk A.C.I.D. (Time Bomb) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Not to be confused with the Christine 23 Onna record of the same name (although both are fronted by Japanoise legend Masonna), this Acid Eater is a blown out blast of ultradistorto organ drenched spaced out primitive garage rock stomp. We got a little taste of Acid Eater on the Demonic Freak Scene compilation we reviewed last year, and have been hankering for more ever since.Ê
Imagine the heaviest, most fuzzed out garage rock you've ever heard, now take that and run it through a handful of distortion pedals, a bank of Acid Mothers worthy FX, blast it through a wall of busted old Vox amps, wrap the whole thing in feedback and reverb, and suddenly you're in some alien alternate future where the world is populated exclusively by Japanese noiserock beatniks, who are constantly blastingÊfuzzed out walls of overblown sixties sounds from their low flying spacecraft...
Imagine if Merzbow remixed your favorite Fuzztones record, or the Stooges released records on PSF and were augmented by some insane drug addled organist with WAY too many amps. Serpentine blues rock riffs, all tangled up with thick warbling organs, the vocals a snarling distorted howl, buried in the mix, and all dubbed out, the drums a crumbling, percussive pound, somehow as in the red as the rest of the instruments, every cymbal crash swallowing up all the other sounds, but it's the riffs, and the organ, and Masonna's wild eyed vocalizing that keep this blacklight space garage party going. Not to mention the killer hooks... Virulent Fuzz Punk A.C.I.D. perfectly captures how intense and freaked out it must be to experience this sound live, super distorted, feedback everywhere, the instruments in your face, the speakers threatening to blow, sweat, blood, spit, a swirling chaotic musical melee, heavy, distorted, fuzzy and funky, wild and woolly, spaced out and gloriously gloriously noisy.Ê
MPEG Stream: "EYE"
MPEG Stream: "Nothing Can Bring Me Down "
MPEG Stream: "A.C.I.D."

ACID EATER Virulent Fuzz Punk A.C.I.D. (Time Bomb) lp 23.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Not to be confused with the Christine 23 Onna record of the same name (although both are fronted by Japanoise legend Masonna), this Acid Eater is a blown out blast of ultradistorto organ drenched spaced out primitive garage rock stomp. We got a little taste of Acid Eater on the Demonic Freak Scene compilation we reviewed last year, and have been hankering for more ever since.Ê
Imagine the heaviest, most fuzzed out garage rock you've ever heard, now take that and run it through a handful of distortion pedals, a bank of Acid Mothers worthy FX, blast it through a wall of busted old Vox amps, wrap the whole thing in feedback and reverb, and suddenly you're in some alien alternate future where the world is populated exclusively by Japanese noiserock beatniks, who are constantly blastingÊfuzzed out walls of overblown sixties sounds from their low flying spacecraft...
Imagine if Merzbow remixed your favorite Fuzztones record, or the Stooges released records on PSF and were augmented by some insane drug addled organist with WAY too many amps. Serpentine blues rock riffs, all tangled up with thick warbling organs, the vocals a snarling distorted howl, buried in the mix, and all dubbed out, the drums a crumbling, percussive pound, somehow as in the red as the rest of the instruments, every cymbal crash swallowing up all the other sounds, but it's the riffs, and the organ, and Masonna's wild eyed vocalizing that keep this blacklight space garage party going. Not to mention the killer hooks... Virulent Fuzz Punk A.C.I.D. perfectly captures how intense and freaked out it must be to experience this sound live, super distorted, feedback everywhere, the instruments in your face, the speakers threatening to blow, sweat, blood, spit, a swirling chaotic musical melee, heavy, distorted, fuzzy and funky, wild and woolly, spaced out and gloriously gloriously noisy.Ê
MPEG Stream: "EYE"
MPEG Stream: "Nothing Can Bring Me Down "
MPEG Stream: "A.C.I.D."

ACID KING Free / Down With the Crown (Kreation) lp 15.98

ACID KING III (Small Stone) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
San Fran stoner metal heroes (and heroine) Acid King roll their big ol' ball of fuzz in our direction with this latest (presumably third, but we didn't count 'em) album of heavy Sabbath-influenced spacey sludge rock. Singer/guitarist Lori S. and company kick out the jams (albeit slowly) on such tracks as "2 Wheel Nation", "Heavy Load" and "Into The Ground". With her wailing moan drifting over the sort of plodding, low-end riff repetition you'd expect from pals of Boris, this is one for those of you into the likes of Om, Sons Of Otis, Dead Meadow, that sort of thing. Of course, you might nod off before the cool guitar part or catchy bit of the song heaves into view...but that's the risk you take with a lot of the stonier stoner stuff like this!
MPEG Stream: "Heavy Load"
MPEG Stream: "War Of The Mind"

ACID KING / THE MYSTICK KREWE OF CLEARLIGHT Free... / The Father, The Son and The Holy Smoke (Man's Ruin) cd 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Split release of stoner rock majesty. First up, the doomier side of the album courtesy of local SF heavies Acid King (the band lead by Dale Crover's ex-wife Lori, featuring as well 'Thee' Guy Pinhas of ex-Obsessed, ex-Goatsnake, ex-Beaver fame). Their four tracks of sludge love are followed by the somewhat 'funkier' stylings (well, there's an organ player in the band) of deep South instrumental combo The Mystick Krewe... Funky spelling anyway. This New Orleans band (boasting members of Eyehategod) aren't actually instrumental on this disc, though, as they are joined by stoner rock legend Wino (Spirit Caravan, ex-Saint Vitus, ex-Obsessed) on vocals, a smart move. Again, heavy stuff. Rock out! Recommended.
RealAudio clip: MYSTICK KREWE OF CLEARLIGHT "Veiled"
RealAudio clip: ACID KING "Free"

ACID MOTHER'S TEMPLE & THE COSMIC INFERNO Pink Lady Lemonade - You're From Outer Space (Riot Season) cd 16.98
What if we'd never reviewed an Acid Mothers Temple release before? Let's pretend... the first thing we'd say would be, what's with the matching Hawaiian shirts the band sports in the photo on this cd's back cover?? Then we'd go, like, check it out, they're this weird hippy rock group from Japan, maybe more like a cult than a band, with this hairy bearded crazy guitar player named Kawabata Makoto, the band's called Acid Mothers Temple & The Cosmic Inferno and they obviously love krautrock and Hawkwind and other druggy '70s psych stuff. They have this new album with the weird title of Pink Lady Lemonade - You're From Outer Space, and boy howdy is the music trippy, even trippier than the crazy colorful cover art collage. Recommended if that's your scene. We can't wait to hear more, let's hope they follow this one up with another album soon, if that's possible after expending all this cosmic pink lady energy!
But of course AMT have about 1,000,000 previous releases, you know 'em and you love 'em, so we probably should add just a little more info (or maybe actually DON'T need to add any more info?). FYI, as you might guess from its title, this disc features another revamped, reinterpretation of the AMT concert fave "Pink Lady Lemonade". We count different versions of that epic track on at least nine other AMT cds/dvds that we've previously listed!! So obviously it's something special in Acidmothersland. Making it extra special here, perhaps, is the presence of a brand new drummer/vocalist recruited from Japanese all-girl groop Afrirampo, the "cosmic shaman" known as Pikachu. Must be her offering up all the haunting vocals with the mildly Yoko-ish waver, that soar through the gentle kosmiche bliss of this album's lengthy space-outs, "songs" which eventually tend to swirl into something a little more intense and chaotic and guitary. "Pink Lady" is split into two parts, 24 and 11 minutes, bookending between them this disc's two other tracks, "Message From Outer Space" and "Take Me To The Universe". And oh yeah, what IS with the matching Hawaiian shirts?? Have AMT gone yacht rock? Well you could sip a margarita to this, if it was appropriately dosed.
MPEG Stream: "Message From Outer Space"
MPEG Stream: "Take Me To The Universe"

ACID MOTHER'S TEMPLE & THE MELTING PARAISO U.F.O. Dark Side Of The Black Moon: What Planet Are We On? (Important) cd 14.98
Just like the phases of the moon, and the cycle of the seasons, and the rising and setting of the sun, we can always count on the regular appearance of another rad release from Japanese psychedelic freaks Acid Mothers Temple. And for all we know, maybe they too are an integral part of the rhythm of nature, and we begin to wonder, if they DIDN'T have a new disc of cosmic jams out every month or so, would the universe come to an end? Well no worries, that's not gonna happen. Based on current trends, the flow of krautrock inspired music from bearded guitar guru Kawabata Makoto & Co. seems unlikely to abate, at least not in our lifetimes, and possibly not before the sun itself goes supernova.
So, as destined, here's the Dark Side Of The Black Moon, billed as a sequel of sorts to the remarkably SUNNO)))-y, super heavy fan fave Recurring Dream & Apocalypse Of Darkness, released on Important last year. Although, we thought that the intervening Important release of Glorify Astrological Martyrdom qualified as that already. (Hmm, all three feature cover art by Seldon Hunt, maybe it's a trilogy of sorts?). In any event, this one is pretty extreme too, always intense though not doomdrone heavy, as it's less about riffs than it is about sheer wailing psych guitar abandon, swirls of electronic FX, manic dervish rhythms, possessed vocal chant, and other contributing factors towards total disorienting delirium, this album's apparent purpose.
The 13+ minute "Space Labyrinth or Eclipse On Friday" eases the listener into it... if you can call explosions of distortion and spooky wordless vocals "ease". Loads of gtr feedback n' skree are included as well. Next track "Astro Kama Sutra: Take Me To The Outer Limits" then if anything ups the ante, though this disc does have its mellowed-out moments of space-babble - as on the quietly meandering "Blessing Of The Load Galaxy", track 3. That's followed by the chaotic groove of "Space A Go Go"... and then we get to the title track, 17 minutes long, each of those minutes building in feverish intensity. Whew!
If you want more, well, get the deluxe gatefold double lp vinyl edition instead of the cd, 'cause it adds two bonus cuts, "Universe In Witch's Blue" and "Intergalactic Space Trackin'"!
MPEG Stream: "Astro Kama Sutra: Take Me To The Outer Limits"
MPEG Stream: "Dark Side of the Black Moon"

ACID MOTHER'S TEMPLE & THE MELTING PARAISO U.F.O. Dark Side Of The Black Moon: What Planet Are We On? (Important) 2lp 26.00
Just like the phases of the moon, and the cycle of the seasons, and the rising and setting of the sun, we can always count on the regular appearance of another rad release from Japanese psychedelic freaks Acid Mothers Temple. And for all we know, maybe they too are an integral part of the rhythm of nature, and we begin to wonder, if they DIDN'T have a new disc of cosmic jams out every month or so, would the universe come to an end? Well no worries, that's not gonna happen. Based on current trends, the flow of krautrock inspired music from bearded guitar guru Kawabata Makoto & Co. seems unlikely to abate, at least not in our lifetimes, and possibly not before the sun itself goes supernova.
So, as destined, here's the Dark Side Of The Black Moon, billed as a sequel of sorts to the remarkably SUNNO)))-y, super heavy fan fave Recurring Dream & Apocalypse Of Darkness, released on Important last year. Although, we thought that the intervening Important release of Glorify Astrological Martyrdom qualified as that already. (Hmm, all three feature cover art by Seldon Hunt, maybe it's a trilogy of sorts?). In any event, this one is pretty extreme too, always intense though not doomdrone heavy, as it's less about riffs than it is about sheer wailing psych guitar abandon, swirls of electronic FX, manic dervish rhythms, possessed vocal chant, and other contributing factors towards total disorienting delirium, this album's apparent purpose.
The 13+ minute "Space Labyrinth or Eclipse On Friday" eases the listener into it... if you can call explosions of distortion and spooky wordless vocals "ease". Loads of gtr feedback n' skree are included as well. Next track "Astro Kama Sutra: Take Me To The Outer Limits" then if anything ups the ante, though this disc does have its mellowed-out moments of space-babble - as on the quietly meandering "Blessing Of The Load Galaxy", track 3. That's followed by the chaotic groove of "Space A Go Go"... and then we get to the title track, 17 minutes long, each of those minutes building in feverish intensity. Whew!
If you want more, well, get the deluxe gatefold double lp vinyl edition instead of the cd, 'cause it adds two bonus cuts, "Universe In Witch's Blue" and "Intergalactic Space Trackin'"!
MPEG Stream: "Astro Kama Sutra: Take Me To The Outer Limits"
MPEG Stream: "Dark Side of the Black Moon"

ACID MOTHERS AFRIRAMPO We Are Acid Mothers Afrirampo (Acid Mothers Temple / Eclipse) cd 19.98
Acid Mothers Temple are, of course, the communal hippie cosmic krautrock lovin' ensemble from Japan led by bearded guitar guru Kawabata Makoto, whose multitude of releases (and live shows) are pretty much always enjoyable trips... we don't have to tell you that. Afrirampo are a newer band, also from Japan, a vocally out-there, wild & wooly female costume-rock duo who sound a heckuva lot like early Boredoms (someone told us that Afrirampo are actually *making fun* of the Boredoms, but we don't believe it). Chances are you probably already know about 'em too, judging by sales here at AQ.
And it seems that most AMT fans have to have *everything* they put out. Likewise with Afrirampo's fans. And fans of AMT are likely to be into Afrirampo, and vice versa (Afrirampo, after all, have guested on several past AMT albums). So they've done EVERYONE a favor and recorded this collaborative release together, so you can cross it off both yr lists when you pick it up!! What a deal. Now, with the many many reviews we have to write impending upon us here we can't say we've sat down and listened to this entire thing all the way through, yet. I mean, c'mon, we don't have time to fully enter into the necessary spirit of this, sitting naked crosslegged in our room, blasting this on 10 while rocking back and forth and mumbling along to the Yoko-inspired babble... But what we've heard here in the store has been what we'd expect, and want. The aforementioned vocal babble backed by droning, swirling psychedelic build ups a la Amon Duul on this three long tracks... Moods vary, from the mystic to the maniacal. These jams drift in and out of focus -- some of it's a bit like being at an AMT or Boredoms show in Japan, listening to the band with one ear while in the other you're hearing a small child nearby begging their parents to take them home. AMT + Afrirampo, a match made in Japanese psych splurge heaven. It's limited too, we're pretty sure...
MPEG Stream: "We're Acid Mothers Afrirampo!"
MPEG Stream: "The Man From The Magic Mountain"

ACID MOTHERS GONG Live At Uncon 06 (Voiceprint) dvd 21.00

ACID MOTHERS GONG Live In Nagoya (Vivo) cd 15.98

ACID MOTHERS GURU GURU Psychedelic Navigator (Important) cd 14.98
Recently we listed a cd by Diza Star & The Pink Ladies Blues, the French/Japanese psych band formerly known as Acid Mothers Temple & The Pink Ladies Blues, entitled Featuring Mani Neumeier. That particular personage being the drummer from '70s krautrock legends Guru Guru. Well, the REAL Acid Mothers Temple couldn't let their Pink Ladies pals & doppelgangers get away with scooping 'em on jamming with Mr. Guru Guru himself. So here's AMT's Makoto Kawabata (guitar) and Atsushi Tsuyama (bass) teamed up in a cream-dream power trio with ol' Mani. Together they unleash a whole hour of long, lumbering, loud, out-there psychedelic rock, five tracks total, mostly improvised live but winding up with a wild version of the Guru Guru classic "Bo Diddley". We bet Kawabata and Tsuyama were grinning stupidly for weeks afterwards.
MPEG Stream: "Stonerrock Socks"
MPEG Stream: "Bo Diddley"

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE 41st Century Splendid Man (tUMULt) picture disc 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
WAREHOUSE FIND!!! ONLY 20 COPIES AND THEN THESE ARE AGAIN GONE GONE GONE!!
We managed to get 20 copies from a distributor who found a stack of these in a corner of their warehouse. This was originally limited to 500 copies and was out of print in a flash, so this will almost certainly be your last chance to pick one of these up at a reasonable price. Here's what we had to say about this one the first time around, a few years ago (with some minor updates and adjustments):
Finally a new sonic missive from Andee's tUMULt label, the latest installment of psychedelic majesty from Japanese avant-hippy heroes Acid Mothers Temple. This was the first in what was planned to be a series of 12" picture discs. While the series is on hold indefinitely, this disc is still something else! Recorded well over a year ago, this is AMT at their absolute prime, featuring special guest star Tatsuya Yoshida of the Ruins! Two extended tracks (35 + minutes) of transcendental psych-drone. Side one has to be the most beautiful track they've ever recorded. Uncharacteristically tranquil and captivatingly beautiful. Droning, shimmering chimes coalesce into some sort of cosmic Ur-drone, punctuated by simple caveman thuds and epic swooshes, resulting in a grand and gorgeous ambience! Side two is a single track separated into two apparent movements. The first sees AMT back on more familiar ground, with swooping synths and freak out guitar. A stumbling kosmic krautrock, with motorik rhythms and free guitar, amidst a swampy wash of rumbling low end and squealing synths. The track erupts into bubbling atonal out-rock exploration splattered with mad scientist synthesisers as the whole thing slowly mutates into 'cosmic slop' of the nth degree, becoming gradually free-er and free-er. The second 'movement' is all slithery free jazz with bubbling cauldrons of synth sputter, wild keyboards and Can-like rhythms until the whole thing gets all dreamy, eventually blissing out completely. When Andee asked AMT to do a 12", they weren't yet Wire cover stars with so many dozens of releases out -- but this is still one of their absolute best recordings!
As you might have guessed, this is EXTREMELY LIMITED. Hand stamped sleeves. A gorgeous picture disc, with a striking flowers/UFO image on one side, and a scintillatingly saucy photo on the other (you'll just have to buy it to see it!). Still only available as a picture disc lp!

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE Born To Be Wild In The U.S.A. 2000 (Acid Mothers Temple) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
That *Acid Mothers Temple Alert!* *Acid Mothers Temple Alert!* *Acid Mothers Temple Alert!* emergency warning alarm has been going off pretty much continually here at Aquarius over the past couple weeks, driving us all batty. We thought it must be broken or something but no, there's just been THREE more releases from those hairy Japanese hippies known as AMT plus another Kawabata collaboration (w/ Daevid Allen of Gong). So let's assess the threat.
This one's a cd reissue of a limited, long-gone vinyl artifact, documenting as the title indicates the Acid Mothers Temple (and Melting Paraiso U.F.O., let's not forget) performing their cosmic jams live in the US of A back in Y2K. With all the AMT product out there, do you care about a live album? Well, actually, this is pretty great and we have to recommend it to fans for sure. Straight out of the gate "Acid Tokion 2000" is a hard-rockin' beast, furry with feedback and noisy guitar. Acid space rock for the biker on the cover. Things then take a turn into heavy, Trad Gras Och Stenar style drone-plod with a 13+ minute version of "La Novia". Next up, "Pink Lady Lemonade" calms down the proceedings a bit. The album continues with "Speed Guru" and "God Bless AMT". The recording is a bit murky and distorted, but that's more to do with how the band sounds live than anything else, and is perfect for these '70s worshippers anyway. And they're even replicated the 'bootleg' style paste-on cover of the original vinyl edition on this cd digipak. Nice.
MPEG Stream: "Acid Tokion 2000"
MPEG Stream: "La Novia"

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE Day Before The Sky Fell In (Galactic Zoo Disc / Eclipse Records) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now on cd! Originally a vinyl-only live document from everybody's favorite Krautrock-obsessed and uber-prolific Japanese hippy freak ensemble, recorded September 10th, 2001 (hence the title). There's two long tracks, the first listed as "Space Age Ballad / La Novia (including In E)" and the second "La Novia-Speed Guru". So you can see they're incorporating several compositions beloved by AMT fans, though of course improvisation plays a large part, and these tracks both flow rather seamlessly -- swirling electric mists of psychedelic monkish folk drone near the start gives way to an endless chugging rock distortofest, super spacey and stoned and indulgent. The "classic" AMT line-up is on board, including Cotton Casino with her beer & cigarettes, "Cosmic Joker" Atsushi Tsuyama, "Dancin' King" Hiroshi Higashi, Ichiraku Yoshimitsu on drums and of course #1 speed guru Kawabata Makoto on guitar. Who also appears on the cover, in a drawing paying homage to the cover of Amon Duul II's Yeti, with Kawabata in the role of Shrat, wielding his scythe.
MPEG Stream: "La Novia-Speed Guru"

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE Does The Cosmic Shepherd Dream Of Electric Tapirs? (Space Age) cd 16.98
More wiggly, wacky psychedelic hijinx from Japan's number one export: Acid Mothers Temple. These hardworking hippies are back yet again, this time on the UK's Space Age Recordings, who usually release stuff by British psychsters like Spectrum and Spacemen 3. So AMT are right at home. As always, the AMT brand ought to alert y'all to how freaky this is likely to be. And it is, but with interesting twists and turns. The disc is nicely varied and well-programmed. After the chaotic rawk opener "Daddy's Bare Meat", which sounds like live AMT on autopilot, we're treated to something just a little bit different, the doo wop pastiche of "Suzie Sixteen"! That's followed by the very lovely, fucked up folkish Pink Floydian number sung by Cotton Casino, "Hello Good Child" (from the limited Ochre 7" we reviewed not long ago, saying it sounded a bit like Crosby Stills and Nash, but doused in lighterfluid and liquid LSD). That drifts right into another gorgeous acid-folk trip, "The Assassin's Beautiful Daughter". Effects bubble around the gentle, classical guitar and flute... Very krautrock. Then, things get somewhat heavier (but remain quite krautrocky) with the Amon Duul II styled "Dark Star Blues". That's the longest piece on this album by far, clocking in at 25 spaced-out minutes. Although, the next and final track on the album, "The Transmigration Of Hop Heads" is also a drowsy doozy, 18 minutes of slow-building bliss-drone. Nice. So, we've gotta say, this all adds up to another excellent AMT album! If you're a fan, this is one to get...or, if you don't already have a shelf sagging with AMT product, you could do worse than start by checking this one out.
MPEG Stream: "Suzie Sixteen"
MPEG Stream: "Hello Good Child"

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE Dokonan (AMT) dvd 24.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
*Acid Mothers Temple alert!* *Acid Mothers Temple alert!* *Acid Mothers Temple alert!* Those alarm bells are ringing extra loud 'cause it's not just ANOTHER always amazing cd release from these Japanese hippie-kraut-psych-prog freaks... no, it's a tour documentary, their first-ever DVD, with live footage of fan faves "Pink Lady Lemonade", "La Novia", and big improv jam... also plenty of off-stage, on-the-road, behind-the-music, culture shock stuff (Japanese band, French filmmakers, USA tour). Bonuses on this DVD include a clip of AMT playing at the WFMU studio, and more. Limited to 1000 copies!

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE Electric Heavyland (Alien8 Recordings) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
I know we're all thinking the same thing: Enough with the Acid Mothers Temple already! Can't Makoto Kawabata and his band of krautrock-obsessed Japanese pyschedelic hippy freaks go on a six-month nature retreat or something, and give us (and our wallets) a break? But, the fact remains, that for fans of psych-rock weirdness, very few of the many AMT releases have been disappointing, really.
So, then, what's the deal with this one? "Electric Heavyland" (one thing Kawabata & co. are NOT good at is titles) is a bit unsubtle, wearing its intentions on its all-black sleeve (or, rather, obi): this is AMT's stab at non-stop, super-heavy rockin'. Alien8 compares it to "Mellow Out", the now out-of-print first album from Mainliner, the High Rise related group that Kawabata played in prior to AMT's debut. (They even point out that "Electric Heavyland" even LOOKS a lot like "Mellow Out", something which hardly seems all that meaningful or significant...I mean, c'mon.) Regardless, it's certainly in the ballpark. Sloppy, noisy, spacey, utterly indulgent, this is the sound of a stoner heavy psych band fully amped up, plugged in, and jacking off. The blown-out, sub-Stooges motorcycle metal of Mainliner (and High Rise) is perhaps more purposeful than this, without the spacey detours, synth fx, and wordless female vocalizing of this disc. But, when you're in the midst of "Loved And Confused" or "Atomic Rotary Grinding God" or "?Quicksilver Machine Head" on this disc (see, decidedly un-subtle indeed), that hardly matters. Not the heaviest ever, but heavy enough. Would Monster Magnet dare take 'em on tour?
RealAudio clip: "Loved And Confused"

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE Festival Vol. 5 (Acid Mother's Temple) dvd 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
*Acid Mothers Temple alert* *Acid Mothers Temple alert* *Acid Mothers Temple alert*
What do you get for the Acid Mothers Temple fan who already has dozens, if not hundreds, of AMT cds? Well AMT dvds of course! This is, like, their third in a year. You pretty much already know if you want it, if you're a fan of this Japanese band of spaced out hippie freaks -- particularly if you don't get many chances to see them live. This one, filmed live in Nagoya on the 9th of December 2006, is extra special 'cause it's got krautrock drumming legend Mani Neumeier of Guru Guru as a special guest. Also vocalist Jun Kuriyama from a band we don't know is another guest. The usual AMT suspects are also present: Kawabata Makoto of course, Tsuyama Atsushi, Higashi Hiroshi, and Tabata Mitsuru. Tracks include "Pink Lady Lemonade", "La Novia", and Guru Guru's "Bo Diddley" amongst other cosmic hits. There's also a drum solo from Mani, and a "plate solo" too, where he plays small metal plates scattered on the front of the stage. He must feel like it's 1971 all over again. Especially with the wild psychedelic liquid light show that bathes the band in swirling colors.
All regions, NTSC, a professional production shot with five cameras. And limited to 1000 copies only, ever.
(For total overkill, also new in stock, haven't watched it yet: AMT's Never Ending Space Ritual double dvd!)

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE Hello Good Child (Ochre) 7" 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Super limited 7" from everybody's favorite Japanese psych band (and if they're not, they soon will be based soley on their massive, endless output). One side sounds a bit like the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" or "Baba O'Reilley", only instead of some pimply faced teen smoking pot, blasting it in his souped up Camaro parked behind the 7-11, it sounds more like some teen alien badass, cranked up on some futuristic drug, parked in orbit around a starship, hiding out from interplanetary truancy officers. The other side sounds a bit like Crosby Stills and Nash, but doused in lighterfluid and liquid LSD.

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE Hypnotic Liquid Machine From The Golden Utopia (Acid Mothers Temple) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Here's a 44 minute, two song Acid Mothers Temple cd they released to promote and sell as merch on their 2004 US tour, back in May/June. You get the title track, a jam about a half-hour long that starts off pulsing, swooshing, and tumbling over itself in sheer wonderment of psychedelic excess before calming into a jew's harp driven piece of minimalist electronic drone... however the whole band kicks in again before it's over, bringing things back up to overload levels. Definitely music made by/for dancin' kings, sleeping monks, speed gurus, cosmic jokers, and the erotic underground. And then there's a 16 minute "special bonus track" recorded live at some sort of "70's Rock Tribute" night. Imagine that! More riff/boogie/silly oriented but still super spacey and psychedelic. So if you didn't buy this at one of their shows, now's your chance -- we're really speaking to AMT completists (of which we know there are many) here, not to the more casual AMT consumer, who is probably still digesting "Mantra Of Love" or "A Thousand Shades of Grey" or "Born To Be Wild In The U.S.A. 2000"! And it's in a slim cardboard sleeve so it won't be hard to squeeze into your AMT shelf!
MPEG Stream: "Hypnotic Liquid Machine From The Golden Utopia"

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE Ivan Piskov's Wild Gals A Go-Go (OST) (Eclipse) 2lp 26.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
An out of print Acid Mother Temple cd from four years ago now briefly available on the vinyl format, thanks to the AMT-fan-freaks at Eclipse. Here's what we had to say about it originally: Japanese guitarist/guru Kawabata (Toho Sara, Mainliner, Musica Transonic) and his band return with their third album of avant-hippy insanity. This pretends to be a soundtrack to a supposed "psych-nonsense" film by alleged "Russian mondo film" director Ivan Piskov. "Tumultuous psychedelic trip sound...Potentially massive frontal lobe damage. Real punch-drunk music!" it says here. As always, recommended for fans of epic guitar psych noise weirdness.

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE Last Concert In Tokyo (Acid Mothers Temple) cd 17.98
*Acid Mothers Temple alert* *Acid Mothers Temple alert* *Acid Mothers Temple alert*
Another limited edition AMT label release, live in Tokyo 1999. And why is it (or was it) their "Last Concert In Tokyo" you may ask? Well according to the sleeve notes, although this was just their third ever gig and they didn't have an album out yet, they were soooo disappointed that less than thirty people turned up to see them that they haven't played again in Tokyo since, and say "understandably we have little intention of doing so in the future." Hmm. Hey that was, like, four years ago guys, maybe you should give your hometown another chance. Anyway, they recorded the show and now you can join that meager handful of Tokyoites in hearing what they sounded like that night: wild and wooly and definitely psychedelic enuff to justify song titles like "Golden Bat Blues Dead" and "Satori LSD 1999". Four songs, forty minutes, one track. Fans should note that this was Atsushi Tsuyama's first gig as an official member of AMT, wielding "monster bass" it says here -- and oh yeah, you can hear it!
MPEG Stream: "Astro 69"

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE Live Bootleg lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The deluge continues unabated. Lp after lp after cd after double cd after double lp after 12" after picture disc after double 7". Phew. And for those that still need even more, the 'Temple do not disappoint. This is a massive 40 minute slab of live mayhem. From squealing free-noise workouts to relentless Stooges-ish riffing to super distorted, fuzzed out Mainliner style psychedelic freakouts. In an old school, photo-copied faux bootleg style sleeve and of course, it's SUPER LIMITED!
RealAudio clip: "Acid Tokion 2000"
RealAudio clip: "Pink Lady Lemonade"

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE Magical Power From Mars (Important) cd 14.98
I've been trying to figure out what to write about first, how great this record is, or what a complete fucking rip off it is. Well let's start with how great this record is and move on to the ripoff stuff later. This disc collects the first three Magical Power eps, adds a fourth track and new cover art (if you've already bought the first three, spent $33 on three cds with less than 20 minutes of music on each, all with the same cover, and have just learned that you now have to spend $15 to get the extra song/new cover art, and you're pissed, skip down to the next paragraph) and is quite possibly the best Acid Mothers Temple record in some time. The first track is a 20 minute slab of space-y shimmer, buzzing synths and plucked sitars, bombarded by bleeps and blips, reverb and delay, and ghostly female vocals. A futuristic raga, undulating and slowly shifting, with a faraway Eastern melody winding subtly through the druggy haze. Blissed out and hypnotic. Track two is a thick slab of gorgeous, psychedelic freak out, with wailing female vocals and space-y swooshes and interstellar bleeps and beeps. A fifteen minute burst of damaged psych brilliance. The third track is a dreamy wash of ambient space-scape of swooshing, bleeping, blooping, analog-synthesisers-set-on-dreamy-spaciness, almost new-age, Hawkwind-intro-stretched-as-far-as-it-will-go effervescence. So now we get to the bonus track, the final installment. Is it good enough that all of us suckers that bought the first three volumes need to get this one as well, making the others obsolete (unless you need both covers, then you're screwed either way). Hard to say. Volume three was our least favorite, sounding a little tossed off, sort of like synths left to bleep and bloop and space out on their own, and the final track follows the same sort of pattern, dark outerspace ambience with lots of swooshing sythnesizers that sound remarkably like sixties sci fi B-movie special effects, Not necessarily essential, but as a piece of the whole, it's a nice way to finish off this spaced out psychedelic travelogue.
Okay, now to the rip off portion of the program. What the hell?! What were they thinking? For a while we weren't even going to list this we were so pissed. It would have been different if they had let everyone know that there was a fourth track that would be available -with all of the other tracks- eventually, on a single fifteen dollar disc, so those folks who aren't collectors, and just wanted the record, wouldn't have to shell out $33 and then be faced with shelling out another $15 for mostly the exact same music. And one of the first three volumes was 15 minutes long for chrissakes!! And it was still $11! We were mad enough when we first realised that all three volumes had the EXACT SAME COVER. Especially after the big deal made out of the 3-D lenticular artwork. And now this collection has -different- 3-D lenticular artwork [whoops, new repress is no longer 3-D, boo hoo], so if you do care, you can't just get rid of the other three. Arghhh. So lame. For those of you who didn't buy the first three, and if this rant didn't make you mad enough to not want to support the fleecing of music lovers, then by all means buy this one. It's pretty great. For those of you, like us, who already own all three, you'll have to decide if you really need this one, and you can always sell those other ones on ebay and hopefully make a little bit of that $33 back.
MPEG Stream: "Cosmic Funky Dolly"