More great instrumental psych for your ears this week. This time, DYSGENIA delivers "Intentionally Blank" which is an instrumental psych album with elements of progressive rock and metal. Think back to the great guitar-centric psychedelic & prog bands of the early 70s, and you'll have an idea of where Dysgenia's sound is rooted. Keeping it instrumental lets the musicians sing without any vocal distractions. In fact, vocals wouldn't add anything to this collection of heavy psych bangers. (Perhaps the album title agrees with this sentiment.)  Have a listen to "Intentionally Blank" on Bandcamp:

The album explodes out of the gate with "Sea Hag" and then rips along from one epic track to the next. Dysgenia have a knack for creating slower moments from which they can unleash a giant wave of sound delivered by a catchy riff. The middle of "The Other" is one example, but most of the songs have an equally huge sound to them. 

"Intentionally Blank" has a variety and fearless experimentalism which any fan of psychedelic music will appreciate, especially given that the songs all feel like they belong on the same album together. Even when things get downright radical such as in "Perceptual Dichotomy," it feels more like the climax to what's come before it than it does as the most progressive song of the album. In fact, if the band suggested a theme or added some lyrics, this would be the soundtrack for a great concept album. Although, let's remember the title of the album is, "Intentionally Blank."

A lot of creativity and effort has gone into the production of this album to achieve this result. I really dig the length, too. Close to 40 minutes makes for a solid listening experience. 

If you dig psych with a prog influence, you will dig "Intentionally Blank" by DYSGENIA. Great production quality, too.

Fuzzy's Favorite: "Laws of Variation" which typifies the experimentation with sonic grandeur found on all of the songs. 

Dysgenia hails from Portland with members:

• Dustin Vandehey: Guitars
• Riley Holland: Bass
• Brian Wilson: Drums

From the band:

"How much can you you say without words?" That's the question these Portland-based musical veterans seek to explore with their boundary-dissolving instrumental psych/prog/metal outfit Dysgenia. With influences like Tool, Secret Chiefs 3, Primus, Russian Circles, Frank Zappa, and Pantera, Dysgenia have distilled their own unique brand of controlled musical chaos, equal parts head, heart, and gut.  

Follow Dysgenia on Bandcamp at https://dysgenia.bandcamp.com

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Fuzzy digs instrumental stoner music, extended tracks, and the Italian underground scene. So I'm really digging the debut single "Twenty-Twenty" from IKITAN. Energetic, clean guitar work combined with bass & drums firmly planted in desert rock deliver a long song that is broken up into several distinct sections. Listen to IKITAN's "Twenty-Twenty" on Bandcamp:

IKITAN’s music is very unplanned, meaning that all the riffs and ideas heard in the album happened to be played by the band during jam sessions. 

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The songs on "Neurological Dimensions" drift somewhere between doom and acid metal, with a few highlights of drone and shoegaze. With its massive length and vocals which fit perfectly with the musical tone, this makes a great album to turn on and let your mind tune out. SlugWeed describes the sound as "one-man post-metal / sludge" which I can't argue with. Listen to "Neurological Dimensions" on Bandcamp: 

 

"Neurological Dimensions" is hefty, too -- with 9 songs and over an hour of music, just hit PLAY and enjoy the tunes. 

Fuzzy's Favorite: "Coral Reef" with its extended guitar solo on top of the slow relentless bass. "Sky Lights" might have the best vocals (more like spoken word), and the last 2 tracks "Planetarium" and "Incognito" fit together in a unique way which give the album a fitting end.

From the band: 

A brief background, SlugWeed one-man project. I'm behind everything; instruments, lyrics, album art, music distribution, everything has pretty much me and me only. My brain happens to work in a constant state of creativity and spontaneity, so music has been my "voice" where I can speak my ideas.

Regarding themes and inspiration, there isn't a lot to say there. My songwriting process is very "on-the-go" and I don't sit down and think about writing about something in specific, I record whatever comes to mind and continue to build. Lyric-wise, it's the same...there's a general theme of drugs, anger/hate, random fantasy and abstract stuff but no set meaning so it's all open to interpretation.

Specific to Neurological Dimensions, the album art and all the songs were recorded within a week after I took LSD for the first time and the closer you get to the end of the album the more trippy and ambient the songs get (sort of like a trip). The closing track(s) "Planetarium" and "Incognito" were recorded as the same song, and it's the only SlugWeed song with any sort of set meaning, which is about LSD. "Incognito" signifies the comedown, and how everything just slowly comes back and you return to a more normal and sober life. Given the whole LSD influence, the entire album is about tripping and navigating forward, the last tracks just happen to speak of that topic in a more direct and accessible way.

SlugWeed has more to hear in his catalog on Bandcamp -- check it out here https://slugweed.bandcamp.com and in particular be sure to check out "The Inner Outerside."

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No sooner did Fuzzy wrap up his review of the psych rock / prog metal blend of GHOST FROG, than I received the debut album "The Mandrax Experiment" from MANDRAX. This thing explodes with enough heavy psychedelic energy to pound your head for days. Check it out on Bandcamp:

The experiment blasts right out of the gate with the opening track, and then quickly switches gears with the much slower and spacier "Slime Soaked Spaceships." Fuzzy loves slime, and I also love a psych album that embraces experimentation. Psychedelic music is all about trying out different sounds, instruments, and approaches, and Mandrax wastes no time in demonstrating them all. 

The third song gives us another amphibian reference ("March of the Frogs") so here's my chance to shamelessly make a reference to The Swamp's FROGLORD who knows more than a few things about slimy fuzz. 

Another thing that sets Mandrax apart from most other recent psych albums, is the amount of bass on this thing. The whole rhythm section really drives this whole album, and provides a massive foundation for the guitars and vocals to do their trippy stuff. 

Mandrax really puts the "experiment" into this album, with the above-mentioned variety of sonic styles, and in particular, the band has put a lot creativity into the vocals. Multiple voices delivered in different ways, with layers and effects to add unique tones to each song. 

If you want your psych to have an edge and take you into new directions, then "The Mandrax Experiment" was made just for you. It will be interesting to see if Mandrax sticks with their experimental style on their next album, or if they select one of these styles and stick with it. I kinda hope they continue trying out new sounds, but I'd also enjoy a full album based on any of the songs on "The Mandrax Experiment."

Fuzzy's Favorite: "Bar of Evil" although it's easy to make the case that each song stands out for a different reason given the amount of experimentation going on here. For a purely instrumental track, the self-titled "The Mandrax Experiment" is also a great jam. 

From the band: 

Mandrax is a New Jersey-based psychedelic and progressive rock band formed in 2018 by Vocalist/Guitarist Richie Borman and Drummer Anthony Trimarco. Channeling vibes from Progressive icons like Frank Zappa, Yes, Pink Floyd, and King Crimson, Mandrax will scratch the itch for those looking for modern rock music that is both derivative and innovative.

Follow Mandrax on Bandcamp at https://mandraxtheband.bandcamp.com

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