The Band Whose Name Is A Symbol – ‘Berserkir II’ (2020)
Certainly not to be confused with a certain someone who changed his name to a silly symbol, this Canadian psychedelic juggernaut unleash a second part of highlights from their 4-hour improv session, originally recorded one year ago in Ottawa.
Part I was released back in March. As a continuation of the previous release, it mines similar territory, full of meandering hallucinogenic flights of fantasy as each member picks up and runs with improvisational cues. ‘Binning One’s Regrets’ is admittedly exploratory as each member runs an idea up the proverbial musical flagpole until a coherent theme emerges and we’re off to the races.
‘Beyond Long Distance Travel’ brings out the big guns (and six strings) for some ferocious dueling guitar pyrotechnics and ‘Mt. Olympus’ settles down in a mellower contemplative mood for a cuppa and a little head cleaning before skyrocketing into hyperdrive, leaving vapour trails and grey matter in the space dust of its wake. The rousing finale (and digital download exclusive, ‘Grass Is Greener And The Fool Is Still On The Hill’.
It’s worth the investment, a tasty 14 minutes of hallucinogenic serpentining kosmiche musik wrapping its tentacles around your skull and squeezing until your eyes and brain pops out of your head.
Agreeable signposts include Bardo Pond’s more experimental jam project with Roy Montgomery, Hash Jar Tempo (itself an obvious tip of the dome to krautrock pioneers Ash Ra Temple) and label mates The Heads and White Manna, but TBWNIAS continue to stake out their own corner of the psychedelic improvisational jamming universe with exciting results.
Jeff Penczak
The Band Whose Name Is A Symbol – ‘Berserkir II’ (Releases on Cardinal Fuzz | Feeding Tube Records / 30 October 2020)
The Band Whose Name Is a Symbol interview with John Westhaver
