On Stage: Motorpsycho @ Paradiso THT

It's been two years since the last time Norwegian rock heroes visited this same place in Amsterdam. Back then I wrote I couldn't wait for the Motorpsycho space ship to dock again, which is absolutely true. There's a new album The Crucible with only three songs, that kind of continues where the previous LP The Tower left off. Tonight it feels like they are continuing where they left off two years ago as well.

Motorpsycho at Paradiso Tolhuistuin Amsterdam, September 30 2019

The band doesn't even have to release any new music for their hardcore fanbase to show up. I'm glad they do keep recording new music, since once again The Crucible is of epic proportions where the title track takes almost 21 minutes. All three of the songs make it on the setlist tonight with that monumental song in the middle of the set as the proud centre piece.

The band hasn't changed since the last time and only switched some bigger stage lights for ones that don't light them out as nicely. Together with continuous smoke it is impossible to make decent pictures with my small camera, which explains the poor quality of the ones in this post. But it's not about photography of course, but it's all about music. With this band you know you get a lot of that.

For two and a half hours the band keeps playing tirelessly taking us across the whole rock spectrum and beyond. From prog rock, to hard rock, to stoner and back, with dazzling solo's and mind blowing jams. Bent Sæther and Hans Magnus Ryan both take out a double neck guitar at one point and dive into another epic journey. Tomas Järmyr adds plenty of fireworks behind the drum kit, while Reine Fiske has joined them this tour for additional guitar and keyboard parts. These four together create this thick sound, that makes your head spin.

With so many albums full of long songs, the band could probably play for days. They stick to two and a half hours tonight and even throw in an encore. This is a unique band, that I keep coming back to whenever they release new music and visit a nearby venue. Looking forward to next time again.



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Setlist:
01. In Every Dream Home
02. The Alchemyst
03. Mountain
04. Pills, Powders + Passion Plays
05. The Jig Is Up (Kiss the Snake)
06. The Crucible
07. A Pacific Sonata
08. Überwagner or a Billion Bubbles in My Mind
09. The Pilgrim
10. Psychotzar
11. Hogwash
12. No Evil
13. Hey Jane
Encore:
14. Fools Gold


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Top 10 Albums 2017

The year is almost over so most end of the year lists have been published by now, except mine. Here it is!

1. Protomartyr - Relatives In Descent
Play in Spotify

2. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Murder of the Universe
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3. METZ - Strange Peace
Play in Spotify

4. The War On Drugs - A Deeper Understanding
Play in Spotify

5. St. Vincent - MASSEDUCTION
Play in Spotify

6. LCD Soundsystem - American Dream
Play in Spotify

7. The National - Sleep Well Beast
Play in Spotify

8. The Homesick - Youth Hunt
Play in Spotify

9. Motorpsycho - The Tower
Play in Spotify

10. Father John Misty - Pure Comedy
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On Stage: Motorpsycho @ Paradiso Tolhuistuin

For almost thirty years Norwegian band Motorpsycho have been playing music, knocking out albums almost yearly and crafting their sound. By now they have almost perfected that sound and every new album is a joy to listen to, as if they ever made a bad one. Their latest LP The Tower is even one of the best they have done, so I am really looking forward to hearing it live.

Motorpsycho at Paradiso Tolhuistuin Amsterdam, October 24 2017

Drummer Kenneth Kapstad who had been with the band for 10 years left before they started recording the new album and was replaced by Tomas Järmyr. But as long as core members Bent Sæther and Hans Magnus Ryan keep working together like they have always done, it won't have a big effect on Motorpsycho. They are the beating heart of the band and a magical duo.

Added to the live line-up is Kristoffer Lo who is playing extra guitar and almost anything non-guitar related tonight. At the back mostly psychedelic visuals are playing, that are partly obscured by all the equipment on stage from my point of view. It's as if we're in a space ship and the screen is a window to the outside world, a strange world, a peek into the Motorpsycho universe.

And the band is taking us onto a journey into that wonderful world. For two and a half hours we're on board of that ship where the band is steering it comfortably into any direction they want. At the core there are always the guitar riffs and grooves as the skeleton of their songs. From there they slowly let it grow into psychedelic, prog rock and jazz directions, always tasteful, never too much. With a thirty year legacy they have hundreds of songs to choose from, but tonight they play almost every song off the new album and add a few oldies.

It's a beautiful journey, one full of wonders and beauty, that never gets dull but instead stays interesting from start to finish. And yes, their vocals are pretty bad, something every Motorpsycho fan will admit and is used to. The Motorpsycho universe may not be perfect, but it's absolutely gorgeous. I can't wait until the next time their space ship docks to one of the venues nearby.



All Pictures

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Setlist:
01. A.S.F.E.
02. Bartok of the Universe
03. Intrepid Explorer
04. In Every Dream Home
05. Heartattack Mac
06. A Pacific Sonata
07. The Cuckoo
08. Lacuna/Sunrise
09. Ship of Fools
10. Taifun
11. Un chien d'espace
Encore
12. The Tower
13. Plan #1


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Spinning: Motorpsycho - Here Be Monsters

Not heavy guitar riffs or swelling drums are opening the new Motorpsycho record, but a single piano is playing a quiet melody. It's characteristic for Here Be Monsters, the new addition to the imposing catalogue of the Norwegians, since the seven tracks can be found in the quiet part of their broad spectrum. The band's creative brains are regularly visiting symphonic rock or sparkling jazzy prog rock explosions and anything that can be found in between. This time however the men are looking for more peace and concentrate on melodious rock songs, referring to the sixties of Pink Floyd.

Those sixties are most obvious in the H.P. Lovecraft cover 'Spin, Spin, Spin'. The record found its roots in November 2014 when the band played a concert for the Teknisk Museum's anniversary in Norway. They worked together with Ståle Storløkken, who also cooperated on The Death Defying Unicorn, but this time he was unable to help them rework the arrangements into an album. Of course this wasn't much of a problem for the three experienced musicians who recorded a wonderful LP once again.

'Lacuna Sunrise' is a beautiful song with a refined guitar and a typical hypnotic Motorpsycho middle part. 'I.M.S.', short for "inner mountain shame", starts with a lush piano and then completely opens up when quiet parts alternate with fierce parts. The core of the record is at the end with the dazzling 'Big Black Dog', that tells about the endless dark nights in the cold North in winter. The song, which lasts more than fifteen minutes, has numerous twists with screaking guitars and enchanting moments where the hypnotic drones appear to be endless. These moments are wonderful, mastered to perfection by the band and which make them so unique.

On Here Be Monsters it seems Motorpsycho has returned to their sound in the nineties after many different adventures. Patiently they are crafting attractive and impressive songs. For years now the band seems to have arrived at a level where they can get anything done. Whether it's experimenting, stretching creative boundaries or deepening their sound, it always results in something beautiful. That puts them in an luxurious and enviable position.



This review has been published on Festivalinfo in Dutch over here.

Listen to 'Here Be Monsters' on Spotify.



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Lots Of Adventure On Motorpsycho's Behind The Sun

Norwegian band Motorpsycho has been around the alternative rock scene for quite some years and steadily keeps making records. In the meantime they have built up an impressive discography, which is full of quality work. The two members of the first hour, Bent Sæther and Hans Magnus Ryan, are accompanied by drummer Kenneth Kapstad, after Håkon Gebhardt left the band after many years. The group from Trondheim may have never really made it big commercially, but they managed to gather a loyal fan base around them.

Motorpsycho - Behind The Sun (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)

It's never a question if a new Motorpsycho record is any good, just how good it is. Since the mix of metal, psychedelic rock, prog rock, combined with some jazz influences, is always of a high standard and never disappoints. The differences in quality between albums are therefore in the smaller details. Now and then the band can lose itself in too lengthy jams or make it too hard for the listener. Behind The Sun is nicely balanced though and therefore a very nice Motorpsycho release.

Right from opening track 'Cloudwalker' on, there's a lot to enjoy in a tornado of beautiful guitar eruptions and sparkling drums. The nine songs are diverse and full of adventure. In 'Kvæstor' there's an incidental drum solo, that has been built into the song in such an inventive way, that it fits in naturally. It's one of the strong points of the band that it's able to make complex parts sound simple. Halfway we find the more than twelve minutes long triptych 'Hell. part 4-6', the follow up to 'Hell part 1-3' of predecessor Still Life with Eggplant. It starts off with strings and then slowly unfolds itself until halfway it comes to a sudden stop in a kind of soundscape, and eventually ends in a long jam. It's characteristic for Motorpsycho, who like to send out their listeners onto an adventure.

Behind The Sun is a nicely layered record, that needs time to fully sink in, but then reveals its beauty. The vinyl version has two additional tracks that are "cut in parallel": depending on how you put the needle on record, one of the two tracks will be played. It's a nice little extra for fans of the black gold. But in the music itself you will find plenty of inventiveness in case you don't have a record player and want to listen to the CD or a stream.



This review has been published on Festivalinfo in Dutch over here.

Listen to 'Behind The Sun' on Spotify.



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The Perfect Trip With Motorpsycho

Although they visit our country regularly it has been a while since I had seen Motorpsycho live. The music of this Norwegian band has always interested me. Their mix of psychedelic rock with other musical styles is very creative and often leads to hypnotic jams. With a new album out it was finally time to see them again.



Motorpsycho at Melkweg Amsterdam, May 13 2013



Without a support act the foursome kick off at nine sharp. Four big lamps are lighting up the stage. All musicians are aligned on the stage with the two remaining founding members, Hans Magnus Ryan and Bent Sæther, standing in the middle. On one of the far ends is drummer Kenneth Kapstad's half opaque white drum kit. Combined with the changing colours of the stage lights it gives quite a nice effect throughout the show. The band opens with 'Hell, part 1-3' off their newest album Still Life With Eggplant. In total they will play three songs off the five song album. The rest of the set is a nice overview of their more than 20 years spanning career. It is showing the diversity of the band and their music. We get thrown around between psychedelic rock, jazz, prog rock and several other genres.



Especially when songs turn into long jams the band is excelling. Many times creating repeating riffs and grooves with a heavy bass sound, slowly dragging you into a nice trance. Halfway the show I'm totally into it, bobbing my body and head to the heavy grooves. The four lights have now turned into piercing eyes, staring at us from the back off the stage, trying to hypnotize us. It's working and I'm flying higher and higher on their music. Can you believe this is not about drugs at all? I didn't even drink alcohol tonight.



After more than two hours it's not over yet. The band leaves the stage but returns for an encore before we can awake from this pleasant trip. We're screaming for more, in need for another shot, already hooked to the addictive music. Once more they leave the stage and return shortly for the final blow 'Fool's Gold'. The almost three hour trip is now really over. Again Motorpsycho has swept me totally off my feet. Their music is more powerful and will take you higher than the strongest drug can ever do. They certainly are the best drug for me. Can't wait for my next shot.



More Pictures

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Setlist:
01. Hell, part 1-3
02. The Ocean in Her Eye
03. Stained Glass
04. Cornucopia
05. Überwagner or A Billion Bubbles in My Mind
06. Barleycorn (Let It Come/Let It Be)
07. Upstairs / Downstairs
08. Watersound
09. Kill Devil Hills
10. The Alchemyst
11. Walking On The Water
12.The Bomb-Proof Roll and Beyond (for Arnie Hassle)

Encore
13. Whip That Ghost (Song for a Bro')
14. August
15. All Is Loneliness (Moondog cover)

Encore 2
16. Fools Gold


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Vacation Back Log

One of the few drawbacks of going on vacation is that when you get home you have lots of things that piled up: work at the office, mail, newspapers. And lots of music and albums to check out. So here are some short reviews to enjoy that ended up on my backlog.

Motorpsycho - Heavy Metal Fruit (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
The Norwegian band always deliver quality albums and this is definitely no exception. Returning to their hard rock roots the songs sound rough without loosing their psychedelic side. It includes long repeating grooves that put you in that familiar trance combined with nice harmonies and screeming guitar riffs. But that's one ugly album cover!



Tim Knol - Tim Knol (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
Already considered a unique talent before even releasing an album the debut record of the latest addition to the Excelsior label doesn't disappoint. Nice songs with beautiful vocals he prooves to be a talented musician. He is accompanied by Anne Soldaat who is of great added value here.


The Mad Trist - Pay The Piper (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
Debut album of this new Dutch band with stoner rock inspired songs. Heavy rocking albums of a band with lots of potential.


Hot Chip - One Life Stand (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
Loosing something of their edge they seem to slow down while their up tempo dance songs work the best. It makes the record unbalanced but still enjoyable especially when they decide it's time to hit the dance floor.


Los Campesinos - Romance Is Boring (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
With their catchy brit pop tunes it is a fun band and record to listen to but just nothing really special. Hopefully they can come up with a bit more creativity next time.


Vampire Weekend - Contra (Ronald Says 6 out of 10)
Unlike most of the music world I wasn't really impressed with their first album and unlike most of the music world am not fond of this one either. Maybe I'm missing the point but it all doesn't sound so special to me. Then again I also wasn't impressed by their live performance. I guess it's probably me then.
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