Titan ‎~ USA ~ Brooklyn, New York

Titan (2006)

Titan is an interesting band. They released only three albums with the middle one being the piece de resistance. They closed off their career with a sincere attempt to capture the stoner audience, much to my disappointment. In reading other's reviews, many feel the second one is also stoner, but I say no way. But what about the debut? On paper it looks like a home run. Three long tracks, and they're all titled in German. No one calls this a stoner album but rather a retro Krautrock masterpiece. Unfortunately it lacks the compositional drive and varied instrumentation of Raining Sun. Mostly this is long form cosmic jamming, of the kind the Japanese usually peddle. Acid Mothers Temple and their ilk. It's not as nauseous as those bands can be, as I wouldn't claim it be a non-stop barrage of guitar noise. Seems one of these long tracks would serve well on an album, but not all three doing the same thing. And with a record collection of real deal early 70s cosmic Krautrock at my disposal, this one become superfluous.

3/28/07 (first listen); 2/21/25 (review)

Former ownership: 2006 Paradigms (CD)

Sweet Dreams (2010)

The album prior to this, The Raining Sun Of Light... is, in my estimation, one of the greatest modern interpretations of progressive Krautrock one can find in the market (see below). Brilliant in every way, I was very excited to obtain the follow up upon release. And was disappointed. In listening to it for the time since last night, I settled in on a -1 (in this case I rated it too high to begin with). But musically it's still quite good, I'm just not fond of the production and tones. It's as if they felt the need to "stoner it up", which was entirely unnecessary.

Former ownership: 2010 Relapse (CD)

2010 (first listen); 11/20/23 (review)

   

A Raining Sun Of Light & Love, For You & You & You... (2007) 

I remember being tipped to this band back when it first came out 11 years ago. I was as skeptical as ever. A Brooklyn based "stoner" band allegedly playing in the Krautrock style. Sorry, heard that one before fellas. And what one would usually get in that scenario is bonehead chords of fuzz, a on-his-6th whiskey vocalist, 4/4 pounding drums, and hopefully some cartoon art of dragsters, pinball machines, and disproportionate top heavy females with lots of tattoos. Yea, we're hipsters from Brooklyn! Nya-nya. In any case, enough recs came my way that I reluctantly pulled the trigger...

...And I became a Brooklyn stoner hipster on the spot.

After a few listens in 2007, I filed it away with a high grade, and haven't revisited since. Here we are, and I somewhat dreaded it. I probably was just in the mood for it or something like that. Tastes change and evolve over the years right?

I like it even better now. If for nothing else on the album, it's hard to imagine anyone who is into the early 70s proto prog sound not to be absolutely floored by 'Annals of the Former World'. It is absolute perfection in every sense of the word. It constantly changes, has haunting vocals, is heavy as all get out, has some absolutely incredible Hammond organ, is trippy in the best Krautrock style, and the guitar solos are sublime. Maybe the best track I've ever heard from modern times that encapsulates all that was great about 1971. The closest comparison to my ears is Nektar's Journey to the Centre of the Eye... sped up and then cranked to 11.

'Hashishin Ohel' is largely a continuation of the above, with a bit of a noisy ending, but overall is brilliant in its own right. 'Obelisk Orbit Overdrive' is a bit more tedious, but certainly not a poor track, just in comparison with what came before it, one would have hoped for a bit more clarity and editing.

The album ends in a very interesting fashion, with 'Aufruf der Pilz'. As its title hints at, this is a pure play Krautrock attempt. Now I would imagine the gut reaction here, especially for hipsters, is to go right for the Neu! comparison. I don't think so. Actually to me it sounds like the Ashra power trio years of 1979 to 1980 - especially on the archival tapes where the guitars are decidedly more psychedelic. An excellent rendition and very melodic to boot.

These guys were plugged in perfectly at the time. I have two others in the collection from them (before and after), but I don't recall those being quite at this level. And then they sadly disappeared.

Ownership: 2007 Tee Pee (CD)

4/20/07 (first listen); 6/6/18 (review)

6/6/18 (new entry)

Mammoth Volume - A Single Book of Songs. 2001 Sweden

As a rule I don't have much appreciation for the "stoner" genre. I appreciate the sounds, but after awhile, the premise becomes worn out and boredom ensues. Those vocals and those fuzz guitar sounds. Sometimes I'll hear about a "progressive stoner album", which is some type of oxymoron I believe. A Single Book of Songs is a progressive stoner album. It does exist after all. And the organ sounds are straight out of an American 60s garage. Flute and bells? This is one strange album, that's for sure. Not strange in the NWW list kind of strange, mind you.

I bought this CD not long after it was released, since it was advertised as a "progressive stoner band". Gullible as always, I bit. 15+ years later it's time to sell it right? I like it better now than then. Hmmm.

Ownership: CD: 2001 The Music Cartel. Comes in a cardboard digi-pak with recording details. Hasn't been released on vinyl to date.

5/3/17 (new entry)

Obskuria ~ Germany ~ Peru ~ USA

Discovery of Obskuria (2007)

Obskuria, a moniker that is most certainly appropriate, was born out of some impromptu jam sessions that took place in Mannheim circa 2006. The core group is made up of Peru's La Ira de Dios along with the keyboardist from native Karmic Society, and the guitarist from Cleveland, Ohio's Dragonwyck. So not only do we have an international space rock troupe, but one that crosses multiple generations. Most of the music is a fine example of instrumental Krautrock, with Hammond organ starring in a major role, and some fine acidic guitar leads with tribal drumming. It is this element that I would think will be of most interest to potential future buyers. The rest, including the two openers and closers, are cover tunes that give the project a novelty feeling, which is rarely a good thing. Though I have to admit the maudlin cover of Metallica's 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' was intriguing, and interesting to hear the tune swathed in organ. Overall, a very good album for fans of that early 70s German Krautrock sound, without too many surprises.

Former ownership: 2007 World in Sound (2xLP). Gatefold. The final track from the CD was cut. Though it's one of the cover tunes as mentioned above, so I'm not sure how essential it is in any case.

3/11/16 (acquired / review / new entry); 7/6/25 (update)