A throbbing bass and glistening synth signals the start of Fantasia, the new album from French space rockers Slift, and it’s immediately clear that changes are afoot from their previous intense exploration of space, as a more refined approach take place. Where Ilion had been all guns blazing over its lengthy run-time, here Slift keep it to a minimum, albeit still retaining much of that exploratory edge.
Hawkwind still remain the main influence here, but there is also a post-punk feel to much of this album too. ‘Corrupted Sky’ channels the energy of early PIL into a glorious backdrop of New Order inspired synths. Touchstones on the journey rather than immediate influences, it’s an intriguing mix. There are still plenty of excursions into the outer zone though, which will make even the most ardent Slift fan happy.
‘The Village’ is an intense piece of sci-fi mayhem, ever building into the final exhortations. Same with ‘A Storm Of Wings’, which builds from a bouncy hurdy gurdy style riff into a pummelling blast of energy. Within all this punk energy though, is the strong smell of patchouli oil as they embody an early 80’s Stonehenge festival vibe.
On ‘Orbis Tertius’ they go further out into space, on a blast of tribal rhythms, ‘Waiting Man’ sounds like end times as it rages along its set path, whilst ‘Day Of Executions’ sounds much more like the Slift of Ilion with its winding guitar solo’s.
Ending with the epic ‘Secret Mirror’, the best track here with its ambient synths unfurling into dramatic waves, it’s a good end to an album which sounds a bit of a sidestep from previous releases. Time will tell whether this works to their benefit, although you do find yourself yearning for the more spaced out moments. If Ilion had any negatives it was that it was overlong. Here, in keeping things relatively short it feels a little jarring. Still, any Slift album is cause for celebration and once its settled, Fantasia will undoubtedly form a core component of their extraordinary journey. Who knows where they go next, but it feels like the whole of space just opened up for them.
