JESS AND THE ANCIENT ONES — Second Psychedelic Coming: The Aquarius Tapes (review)

JESS AND THE ANCIENT ONES — Second Psychedelic Coming: The Aquarius Tapes album cover Album · 2015 · Hard Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Nightfly
Second Psychedelic Coming: The Aquarius Tapes, released in late 2015 is you’ve guessed it, the second full length album from Finland’s Jess And The Ancient Ones. It comes three years after their eponymous debut and continues in that album’s footsteps of occult psychedelic retro rock.

Whilst there’s no great leaps forward musically SPC is if anything busier than the first album. Yes, there’s a lot going on with two guitarists as well as keyboards in the line-up but thankfully it doesn’t get messy and has a sympathetic mix. The band plays well with guitarists Thomas Corpse and Fiend blending and weaving between each other’s parts very effectively. Once again Jess shows she’s one of the best singers in the current wave of female fronted occult rock bands, very much in the mould of Jefferson Airplane’s Grace Slick. Her powerful and soulful delivery swoops and soars throughout.

The songs take a few plays to get under your skin but once there you’re hooked with the subtle melodies. SPC has even more of a psychedelic feel than the debut giving it a strong 60’s vibe, especially on songs like The Equinox Death Trip, one of the highlights. Of the first eight songs the quality rarely falters consisting of mainly mid paced rockers but taking a breath for the lush and more subdued Crossroad Lightning. A perusal of the track list, ones attention is most likely going to be grabbed by Goodbye To Virgin Grounds Forever, a 22 minute plus epic. The first album had Sulfur Giants and Come Crimson Death that both were around the 12 minute mark and like them GTVGF starts quietly but never really takes off like the aforementioned 2 songs. It’s enjoyable for sure with some tasteful playing but just kind of fizzles out and could have probably benefitted from losing 5 minutes or so.

SPC is another great album from JATAO – better than their debut? Probably not but that’s no disrespect to this one and is certainly on an equal footing with that excellent record. If you liked the first then you’re going to like this one too for sure.
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adg211288 wrote:
more than 2 years ago
This is one of those bands that I always feel that I should like them more, but they've yet to really grab me. Haven't checked this one out yet though.

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