Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Psychlona, Psycho Waxx 2022.
Here’s one for the heavy rock brigade. Psychlona are based in Bradford UK and Palo Verde is their fourth album, although one album, their second, has been released twice.
They burst onto the heavy metal scene in 2018 with their debut album Mojo Rising, catching the attention of hard rock fans in Britain, the USA, and Europe.
The album title is lifted from (and gives a nod to) the legendary Jim Morrison, lead singer/songwriter from The Doors.
Morrison referenced himself in the lyrics of the lead single L.A. Woman from the 1971 album of the same name, referring to himself as Mr Mojo Rising.
The similarities largely end there because Psychlona are a much heavier band than The Doors.
Their second album, Venus Skytrip (2020) really cemented their arrival and was so successful that it sold out in all hard disc formats, CD and vinyl.
A second run was released earlier this year with changed marbled vinyl from yellow to purple and slightly altered album colours also sold out.
And if you want the vinyl of Palo Verde bad luck. It too has sold out. (Maybe there will be a reissue of this one as well).
While Venus Skytrip really made their name, I thinkPalo Verde could be even better – going by the first single 1975 and its associated video clip.
Psychlona play a fuzzed-out psychic/cosmic blues, as did The Doors, but as previously stated Psychlona’s is a heavy rock.
1975 opens with a four-bar drum intro before the twin fuzzed guitar attack heralds in the vocal.
Everything on this track suggests that production values have been ramped up many notches.
I don’t know whether the boys have got the money from a big label behind them or that they’ve just given more attention to the production.
The second edition of Venus Skytrip came out via Blues Funeral Recordings, a label that I haven’t heard of, but what ever they are doing, it’s working so they should keep it up.
