You know, when I use the tag “psych” (the new, hipper contraction of “psychedelic music”) I always think of my favorite quote from Genesis P-Orridge, one that drives much of my approach to music.. he said that “All music is inherently psychedelic.”. The profundity of that sequence of words carries huge weight when you contemplate them for awhile. Hopefully you then begin to absorb music on a more transcendent and impressionistic scale rather than seeking out the idioms like footholds (the task of a critic?) on something that is qualifiable, if remaining ethereal.
To preface with that and say Panopticon Eyelids make TRULY psychedelic rock is not to paste a genre, but as an evocation, a mixture of memory and senses. Of tripping balls to King Crimson or Master of Reality or Hairway to Steven as a teen, the metallic taste of blotter in the back of the throat, walls melting, the music throwing your brain down a vast shifting tunnel of pulsing color and immensity. Totally subsuming the self, falling down a rabbit hole up in the attic or den, your buddy’s place with the chill parents who smoked weed, maybe some Maiden posters on the wall stained by the smoke of 1000 bottle tokes. If I could wax anachronistic, it was a time when you would listen to a whole album end to end, instead of whipping out the smartphone and one upping each other in a youtube obscuro-frenzy. You’d just have maybe a shitty red lamp, maybe one of those cheesy plasma balls or the good old black light. You had one, come on, admit it.
Listening to Overwhelming Visions, the new offering from this Montreal based quartet of ace musicians, I remember that magic equation of drugs+music and why it works so well. The rush hits right away, Sabbath-ian riffs asserting themselves on “Orgasme Mecanique” while the driving drums do battle with sweeping and swishing filtered synth noise, vocals appropriately delayed into space. “Brain Phase” has a real Pipers era Floyd base, with epic space-prog lifting it into the edges of the galaxy, with a more than hinted nod at “Interstellar Overdrive”. The headbang returns with the furry instrumental tune “Lens of the Static Mirror”, the riffs evolving at a very languid pace, very pentatonic and carrying a real sludge/stoner vibe.
“Psychic Spy” rewinds back to a more 60s inspired edge, drony and twangy guitars and keys meet some deadpan and dry vocals that build a simple, hypnotic riff into a sky-ripping phased trip of the brain. My favorite tune is saved for last, “Solar Mind” which starts very reminiscent of Flower Travellin’ Band with a pounding pentatonic riff that extrapolates into a brain pleasing verse before blasting off into a peak with a nice little wink-wink “War Pigs” ending.
The vinyl was released in a limited edition of 300, and I suggest everyone do what they can to get their mitts on one. The incredible cover art made by drummer Felix Morel is enough to induce visions, something else to lose yourself in while the brain is blown by this stellar piece of spacey, riffy brilliance. A consistently heavy, surprising, challenging and pleasing release by a local legends of the underground that will hopefully widen their audience to a larger circle of aficionados of truly psychedelic rock music.
