Canada seems to be a bit of an untapped resource for psych acts at the moment but all this looks likely to change with this debut album from ex-Quest For Fire members who now go under the moniker of Comet Control.
As the name suggests, we're in the realm of space rock here and you won't be wrong in guessing that there are many flights of fancy throughout. What may surprise you though is that how together this band are musically and how the album is so fully formed you could mistake it for being from a band who have been around a while.
Of course, the Quest For Fire experience would have stood them in good stead and from the off you can tell you are in the presence of musicians who know how to drive their instruments to never before reached places. It only takes opening track 'Blast Magic' to convince you of the inherent greatness on this band as its slow, turgid start builds into a full on rock explosion of driving beats, wailing guitars and pumping organs. It's the sound of a closing track opening an album and that in itself is an audacious move.
There is more to follow though and if 'Blast Magic' hadn't blown you away then you need to be prepared for 'Future Forever' which ups the ante and speeds up the guitars. It also moves away from the spaced out sound of the opening track to a more Detroit influenced rabble with shades of post punk. It's like every great song rolled into one and then given a Spacemen 3 sheen without having to descend into drone at any point.
'Ultra Bright' ups the ante on the fuzz but it is following track 'The Soft Parade' which really cements this album as a full on psych album of epic proportions. Without ever feeling the need to descend into some of the more common psych vices, Comet Control have a sort of controlled feel about their music which works to fantastic effect in that they are completely in control of your journey through this album. There are no fancy flashes, it is just good whole hearted rock and roll, t just happens to be psychedelic as hell.
The key to their playing throughout this album is driven by a deep, throbbing bass which allows all else to play over the top and remain grounded at some submerged level. The fuzz guitars are raw enough to encompass garage, psych and post punk without ever remaining in one place for too long and the only true nod to psych may be the reverbed vocals that play out like some long lost baggy band from the 90's.
'Century' is a thrilling blast of out and out garage rock before Comet Control set the controls for the heart of the sun with the brilliant 'Hats Of To Life' which submerges itself in everything Pink Floyd and comes out smelling of roses. Its a move which could have very easily fallen on its own ass but the quality of playing makes it one of the highlights of the album and also a nice break from the more faster tracks on here.
'Fear The Haze' follows a more funky path with it's guitar trembling out the rhythm as the bass ducks and dives behind it. It's almost light relief from some of the prior songs but also serves to give us one last dance before the desolation of final song 'Master' which is a maudlin masterpiece which treads a thin line in bringing you right down off your trip. After all, you can't stay up there forever can you? Well, there's always the replay button for that.
You should get on this album. It's one of the more exciting releases this year in the psych world and opens up a realm of possibilities in the scene. If this is taste of what Canada has to offer then we may well be in for a treat as we delve further. Let's use Comet Control as our soundtrack for the journey. It's one hell of a ride.
