Psychonaut / Sâver – Emerald
- Posted on 28-07-2021
Consisting of two lengthy tracks, one by each of these original-sounding artists, this is a strong and rather intense record that draws on psychedelic rock, sludge, stoner rock, doom metal, desert rock, minimalism, Americana, and ambient. Having the powerful Belgian outfit Psychonaut team up with the Norwegian purveyors of apocalyptic music known as Sâver is a fabulous idea and there is a warm 70s analogue feel to the whole affair here, which is utterly appealing.
Psychonaut’s piece titled "The Great Realisation" is something akin to punishing space rock and although it is heavy as hell, it is also hugely diverse and contains both light and shade, which is to say that its tranquil-sounding passages serve as a good contrast to the aggressive and gut-piercing outbursts. In many respects, it is a mesmerizing tune and one that will captivate you.
Sâver’s contribution is the 19-minute "Dimensions Lost, Obscured by Aeons" (which is essentially divided into two parts) and there is real beauty to be found here. Dizzying waves of reverb-drenched melancholy make this one feel as if one is embarking on a long, solitary journey through the desert at night. From calm and meditative to dark, urgent, and explosive, this one is a seamless mixture of different styles and genres.
"Emerald" offers plenty for the openminded listener and it serves as an excellent soundtrack to the strange events that are currently unfolding all over the world and the endlessly fragmented core of modern-day life. The two songs are exhilarating excursions into hazy musical spheres that seem to exist in their own space and time, and there is an almost restless energy permeating both of them.