La Morte Viene Dallo Spazio: Trivial Visions

The name of this band comes from a 1958 Italian science fiction film that also goes by the name The Day the Sky Exploded. It is believed to be the first Italian science fiction film. The Day the Sky Exploded is a cool title, but it isn’t a translation of the original Italian, which really says Death Comes from Space. That title gives things an even more cosmic feel than The Day the Sky Exploded. One of the interesting things about the movie La Morte Viene Dallo Spazio is that it was most likely directed by an uncredited Mario Bava, one of the masters of the Italian horror film. The band explicitly claims Bava as an influence on their music and it shows on this album. They also claim the influence of other filmmakers like Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, and Alejandro Jodorowski. If you’re wondering if the band is actually inspired by other bands, they do claim the French band Magma and nod ever so slightly to Jethro Tull. I think there’s a little bit of 80s music on here as well, especially in the emphasis on synthesized sound that is at once playful and weird.

If none of that help you picture what’s on this album, let me try again. The music here is the soundtrack to the kind of movie you watch really late at night, the kind that demands your attention because it is so strange, so audacious, and so oddly cool. It helps that the music has a familiar rock structure because the hard-driving drums (and the occasional guitar riff) put the music in motion and beckon you to follow it along. If you do follow it, you’ll find yourself weaving in and out of different realities. It’s no wonder that one of the tracks here is called “Altered States� because that’s really what this all seems to be about. No, you aren’t entering a sensory deprivation chamber or anything like that, but you are letting your mind wander while you listen.

For me, the band really has two sides, one that is hard-driving and familiar and another that just wants to see what else is possible. For those interested in the slightly stranger side, check out “Absolute Abyss� or “Spectrometer.� For those wanting something more rocking, check out “Ashes� and “Trivial Visions.� For me, the beast track was probably “Altered States� because brought all of the band’s various sides together nicely. Even though I say there are two sides to the band, that isn’t quite right. This band isn’t doing different things and they definitely aren’t working against themselves. Instead, they are just challenging the boundaries of Stoner Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Progressive Rock, Jazz, and science fiction soundscapes. As I noted above, this is really just the soundtrack to the weirdest movie you’ve ever seen. The good news is that it’s weird and wonderful and you want more of it.

Track Listing:
1. Lost Horizon
2. Trivial Visions
3. Cursed Invader
4. Oracolo Della Morte
5. Ashes
6. Spectrometer
7. Absolute Abyss
8. Altered States

Added: February 16th 2021
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Bandcamp Page
Hits: 688
Language: english

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