DECASIA is a heavy psych rock trio who released its debut album “An Endless Feast for Hyenas” on last April. The band is coming up with an explosive cocktail mixing stoner, doom, psych rock and grunge. Inspired by what heavy rock scene does best (All Them Witches, Colour Haze, Elder…), DECASIA stands out with its own recipe. The band also has a really rock’n’roll energy, especially on stage where they offer supercharged and immersive shows.
This summer, the frenchies shot a music video in the middle of Auvergne’s countryside, not far from the barn where they recorded the album. The video features not one but two songs from the album : “Ilion” and outro “Hyenas At The Gates”. A clip shot in total DIY over 4 days in the countryside, written and directed by the band with the help of audiovisual students. Spoiler : a very special old car is featured in the music video 😉
Meanwhile, the band has just announced tour dates in France, Belgium and Germany from April 7 to 22. DECASIA will be playing at Hellfest, on Saturday June 17 (Valley Stage, 10am).
There are times when YouTube’s algorithms make a good call. Ummon, the latest album from Slift, is a good example for me. I kept seeing this record and live performances by the Toulouse, France cosmic rockers in lists of suggested videos. I finally gave Ummon a listen several months after it was released and was about knocked over by how damn heavy it is. The cover image of a naked man dragging a massive sword across what looks like a hot asteroid sums up the heft of this album pretty well.
The title track opens the record with guitars and drums sounding like ancient warriors taking armor off racks and strapping it on before charging over a drawbridge to repel invading ogres…on Titan. The lyrics about an army emerging from the Earth’s core (“Set the controls for the Earth’s surface. From the night we have waited. Bring the fire to your sleeping brothers.”). How much more metal can you get? “It’s Coming…” is a bright, shining epic tale of a white city in heavens that rushes to greet us. Is it a song about death? Probably, but it’s lets us know that death is a cosmic journey we will all find fascinating…and loud and crazy if the song’s end is any indication.
“Thousand Helmets of Gold” has Slift leaving the Earth for better times in space (“We’ve left this world of violence. Stars aren’t that far at all.”), propelled there by the power of rock riffs. What lies there in space? Well, according to “Citadel on a Satellite,” it’s a “calm and serene vista of wonders” where “time signifies nothing.” I can’t argue with that, or with the psychedelic guitar solo that weaves throughout the song. The way it softly drifts out and then slaps you awake with “Hyperion” is stunning. The song is about either an ancient warrior or an elder god – or both – and epic enough for either.
“Altitude Lake” is a psychedelic tale of a warrior seeking a mystic sword in a forsaken land of mist and mystery. The track moves back and forth between hypnotic jams and epic shredding. “Sonar” is a cool instrumental suitable for your next video game session or late night drag race with a UFO. “Dark Was Space, Cold Were the Stars” is a tale of death told by a groovy bass line, spacey synths, lock-tight drumming, and booster rocket guitars. “Aurore aux Confins” (“Dawn at the Edge”) is another wild, trippy instrumental that sounds like a laser refracted through a lava lamp.
“Son Dông’s Cavern” is a short, trippy affair that leads into the Oh Sees-like “Lions, Tigers and Bears,” which clocks in at thirteen minutes and eighteen seconds – and it’s worth every moment of that running time with its massive riffs, guttural vocals, and wild drums as they sing about a cosmic race of lion-pulled chariots across the cosmos to usher in a glorious age throughout the universe.
Ummon is an impressive piece of work, and one of those albums that makes you say, “How are three people putting out this much sound?” I don’t know the answer. My guess is that they tapped into some sort of cosmic energy well while meditating in a cave full of ancient crystals placed there by aliens. You’ll understand this when you hear it.
Keep your mind open.
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Supergroups aren’t as rare as they used to be, and most of them aren’t as good as they should be. One comes along every now and then that is an exemplary example of the term, and L’Epee is such a band.
Consisting of Lionel and Marie Liminana (of The Liminanas), Anton Newcombe (of The Brian Jonestown Massacre), and Emmanuelle Seigner (of Ultra Orange and Emmanuelle), L’Epee’s debut album, Diabolique, is a stunning album of psychedelic rock inspired not only by the band members’ own projects, but also by The Velvet Underground, European film scores from the 1960’s (the album’s name is inspired by the Mario Bava film Danger: Diabolik), and garage rock.
The opener, “Une Lune Etrange” (“A Strange Moon”), has a French title and English lyrics. The whole album bounces back and forth between English and French vocals, adding another layer of coolness to the record. The first track brings Liminana’s guitar work to the forefront as Seigner (who does lead vocal duties throughout the record) sings about not having a care in the world as things devolve around her. She is in control of her own world and destiny.
“Lou” is a loving tribute to Lou Reed that chugs along with heady drumming by Marie Liminana and incense smoke synth and reverb effects by Newcombe. “Dreams” sounds like an unearthed Parisian garage rock single recorded in 1967. This is no surprise when you consider Newcombe has a practical warehouse of vintage gear from the era the band used to create a perfect sound to reflect the time period.
Seigner’s vocals on “La Brigade Des Malefices” (“The Hex Brigade” or “The Cursed Brigade,” depending on how you translate it) are almost spoken word poetry behind Joy Division-like beats and distorted guitars. The hand percussion on “On Dansait Avec Elle” (“We Were Dancing with Her”) is a nice touch, almost creating a waltz inside a psychedelic trip.
I don’t know if “Ghost Rider” has anything to do with the comic book characters (either the western hero on horseback or the flaming skull-headed guy on a motorcycle), but it would be a fitting song on a movie soundtrack for them. Seigner sings of “sadness all around me” as she views the world from the other side of the veil (“Baby, I’m dead.”). Mrs. Liminana’s beats are like a throbbing heart and her husband’s guitar work is like a distant echo.
“Grande” (“Tall” / “Large”) has Middle Eastern rhythms and “Springfield 61” brings in church bells to create one of the brightest songs on the album. “Un Rituel Inhabituel” (“An Unusual Ritual”) is almost an instrumental of Newcombe and Mr. Liminana going back and forth with waves of guitar while Seigner sings simple “La la la” sounds and Mrs. Liminana pounds her kit for the back of the club. The closer, “Last Picture Show,” references multiple 1960’s films (“Get Carter,” “Dressed to Kill,” and others) as Seigner sings about a mysterious woman and Mrs. Liminana unleashes relentless beats.
Diabolique is easily one of the best debut albums of the year, and certainly one of the best psych-rock releases of 2019. I hope this collaboration continues, because this is the stuff of dreams.
