My Brother The Wind: Once There Was A Time When Time And Space Were

Pedigree prog from these wordy, worthy Swedes.

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This Swedish supergroup features members from bands as diverse as retro-rockers Magnolia and proggers Anekdoten, and they’re less an aggregate of combined experience, more an ego-dissolving search for sonic satori.

Recorded live in a single day, these nine, lotus-scented improvisational jams sound utterly free of constraint. Psychedelic riffs dilate into undercurrents of luxuriant drones, softly stirred by percussive shuffles channelled from Krautrock’s wilder shores. It’s laid-back, immersive and at times recalls Earthless’ infinitely fertile excursions. But spiritual oneness can be a bit stupefying. Whereas 2011’s I Wash My Soul In The Stream Of Infinity had the rolling, jazz-impregnated epic Fire! Fire!! as its unforgettable point of departure, there’s nothing as tantalisingly expansive here. Only the luminous momentum of Song Of Innocence Part 2 and the closing Epilogue, bathed in rays as if borne by solar sails offer any anticipation. This is undoubtedly the soul-freeing work of master musicians, but the selfish gene in you might feel a little short-changed.

Jonathan Selzer

Having freelanced regularly for the Melody Maker and Kerrang!, and edited the extreme metal monthly, Terrorizer, for seven years, Jonathan is now the overseer of all the album and live reviews in Metal Hammer. Bemoans his obsolete superpower of being invisible to Routemaster bus conductors, finds men without sideburns slightly circumspect, and thinks songs that aren’t about Satan, swords or witches are a bit silly.