Formed in Saint-Petersburg, Russia in 2008, Sehnsucht is made up of four like minded musicians, who clearly feel a strong bond with the kraut and psychedelic rock sounds of the late 60's and early 70's. The German connection can also be traced to the name of the band, which translated in English, roughly means 'longing' or 'yearning'. Likewise the title of their debut disc for Russian label RAIG, Wachstum, literally means 'growth'.
The band has done a great job of putting together a cohesive set of music that definitely has all the elements in place to keep the average space / psyche rock fan happy. The majority of the album was cut in a single session, so there's clearly a 'live' feel permeating throughout this disc. In fact the album comes across as one, big, glorious jam session. They kick things off in splendid fashion with a monumental slab of brain melting, doom encrusted psychedelics, with the scorching, eleven minute title track. This song can be viewed as springboard for the rest of the album, and it also provides a fabulous glimpse into the abundance of talent surrounding these four young musicians. Over the course of the album the listener is treated to a wealth of densely layered textures and moody atmospherics. The rubbery sounding bass lines and vigorously, fluid drum work, collide effectively with a multitude of crunchy guitar riffs and the ever present, over the top, synth washes. When you put it all together it's an almost fifty minute, mind altering voyage to the cosmos.
Wachstum is definitely an impressive, opening statement from these Russian newcomers. As the title implies, there's still room for growth and development, however, the overall level of maturity displayed within the arrangements and the writing, as well as the performances of the musicians themselves, should not and cannot be overlooked. A thoroughly entertaining ride from beginning to end.
Track Listing
1) Wachstum
2) Verstehen
3) Cosmic Drugstore
4) Kosmische Meerbrandung
5) Cosmic Testpilots
6) Langsamer Tanz
7) Meat Of The White Cosmic Geishas
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