Review: Celestial Power ‘Celestial Power’
Up until a few years ago, I’d never really been too interested in bands who performed heavily repetitive beats, but that all changed when I saw Smote live. I followed that up with Water Damage, and it blew me away how consistent and accurate the musicians are.
Hot on their heels are Celestial Power, a trio consisting of Dead Sea Apes’ Brett Savage and Chris Hardman alongside Cardinal Fuzz founder Dave Cambridge.
This self-titled debut was recorded whilst Dead Sea Apes had some downtime, and it’s four lengthy songs which will have you mesmerised in no time. It begins with a spoken-word intro before Politics Of Ecstasy explodes with bursts of raw frequencies as the repetitive nature of the music drifts across the speakers. As the band so perfectly put it, these are ‘rituals’where instruments clash and collide, feeding off the energy together to create a cacophonous anthem of audible delicacy.
Some might see it as monotony, whereas others might see the beauty in the simplicity of routine, but when the overdriven guitars are in full flight, it’s pushing the boundaries of psychedelia. Something Hidden has a bit more mystery and intrigue surrounding the opening few bars, but that bass is immensely powerful as it fuses with the drums to form a titanic rhythm, as the guitar blasts off into several different directions. I’ve listened to the promo several times already before writing this, and each time, I discover something new and innovative from the compositions.
forty minutes of heavy, quivering psychedelic, guitar-driven discordance
If amplifiers had emotions, then I’m sure by now they would have been pleading for mercy as the blend of repetition across the audio landscape is harsh as the trio push deeper into the unknown. They add a fourth member into the equation on Mandate Of Heaven as Nik Rayne from The Myrrors joins them for ten more minutes of feedback-infused noise. The beat is slower, more intense, as if it’s peeling back the layers of your skin, inch by inch, to let the music seep into your bleeding pores.
They end the forty minutes of heavy, quivering psychedelic, guitar-driven discordance with Folk Wisdom and if you are expecting something different, then you are mistaken; it walks a similar path to the other three tracks but with more melody. The expansive guitar tone is again dominant and pushed to new levels of exploration; however, the foundations are laid by the rhythm section with the duplication of droning notes. The final few minutes feel like their mission is coming to an end, but I can only hope that their next journey isn’t too far away.
Label: Cardinal Fuzz | Feeding Tube Records
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Scribed by: Matthew Williams
