Asimov – ‘Truth’ (2017)
Truth is the third album from Lisbon, Portugal’s heavy psych monsters Asimov. Their heady brew of heavy psych stew is generated by just two dudes, Carlos Ferreira and João Arsénio, who, alongside the standard guitars, drums, and organs, include “visions” and “dementia” in their arsenal of headfrying and shapeshifting “instruments”. Ten-minute opener ‘Nothing In Return” (not the Roky Erickson song) pulsates like a hellbound train with a hypnotic, motoric beat driving an improvisational vibe similar to krautrock kings of oblivion like Can and Amon Düül II blowing bongloads of righteous boo with Hawkwind. A biker’s roar emanates from the vocalist’s guttural tonsils like the prince of darkness presiding over a bonfire of fried synapses. And that’s just the appetizer!
‘She’s Heading West’ throws big phat power chords in your face like stinging tumbleweed in the cold night wind, then rips off a boss Nick (Bevis Frond) Saloman-styled solo before the tribal stalking stomp of the bluesy swagger ‘Onward’ continues our trip to the center of the third eye. A lonely, desert-fried vibe of a Black Sun Ensemble peeks around the frolicking fretwork, culminating in gong banging and everything disappears in a puff of smoke.
Flip this mother over and the surprisingly sedate instro ‘The Second Floor’ delivers a jolly little Western-styled jig (think Led Zep III) before back-to-back nine minute, fire-breathing headfucks pile drive your brain into the carpet and rip your heart out of your chest with sheer ferocious whoooosh of metallic thunder. Like Windhand or Earthless without the Sabbathian gloom and doom, ‘The Major’s Ship’ will have you ready for liftoff in no time flat, chanting along with our tripmasters as we jettison reality for greener pastures. ‘Don’t Leave Me Demon’ gently touches us back down on terra firma on the back of a repetitive riff of headnodding simplicity that won’t leave your head for days.
– Jeff Penczak
Asimov – ‘Truth’ (New Records, 2017)
Asimov Tour Dates
09/09 – Reverence Festival Santarém, Portugal (w/ The Hidden Circus);
12/09 – Funhouse, Madrid; 13/09 – Rock Beer The New, Santander; 14/09 – TBC; 15/09 – CSO A Insumisa, Corunha; 16/09 – TBC; 17/09 – Fly To Manhattan, Talavera De La Reina;
19/10 – Sabotage, Lisbon, Portugal (plus Minami Deutsch – Jap).
