22 November 2023

LAMP OF THE UNIVERSE – Kaleidoscope Mind (LP/CD Sound Effect Records)

RELEASE INFO:

Label: Sound Effect Records

Format: LP, Album, Limited Edition, Black Vinyl, Gatefold Sleeve (Signed), 200 copies

Format: LP, Album, Limited Edition, Clear Green Splatter Vinyl, Gatefold Sleeve (Signed), 100 copies

Format: CD, Album, Limited Edition, Digi-Pak, Gategold Case

Release Date: 10 Nov 2023

After 2022’s “The Akashic Field” LP album (check the review here ), Craig Williamson – Master Mind of Lamp Of The Universe – returns with the 17th release entitled “Kaleidoscope Mind”.

Bandcamp: “New Zealand Multi-instrumentalist and Psychedelic guru Craig Williamson returns with an album of classic Lamp of Universe tunes. Full of artifacts from the original era, including Mellotron, fuzz guitar, Sitar, swirling effects, and trippy vocal harmonies, this album touches the Psychedelic Psoul”…

All 7 songs of “Kaleidoscope Mind” are written, performed, recorded, mixed, and produced by Craig Williamson, in Hamilton, New Zealand 2022-23. It seems that Craig continues on this album too, to move into the same Heavy path as his previous “The Akashic Field” album, exploring the Heaviest side of Psych and Acid Folk… Side ‘A’ contains 3 tracks while side ‘B’ has 4 tracks, and it starts exactly from where 2022’s “The Akashic Field” ended. The opener “Ritual Of Inner Light” moves into the familiar and recognizable by now LOTU (Lamp Of The Universe) sound, Heaviness is all over the place, and Craig’s mental plane still exploring the heaviest side of Psych, there’s a Heavy Middle Eastern atmosphere, mystical with heavy guitars, heavy swirling effects, and the usual Raga-ish vocals… “Golden Dawn” uses the same LOTU Psych soundscape but this time there is a bizarre, addictive, Psych (kind of) Beat, becoming a Psych-Raga Rock heavy tune… The heavy atmosphere continues on “Codex Moon” too, pounding slow-beating drums and flutes creating another heavy Raga Psycher, a little Proggy flirting though… Side ‘B’ opens with “Procession” which is heavily Middle Eastern influenced, presented in a kind of trippy distorted way, with a mind-bending Mellotron melodic theme, a dark theme full of sadness… “Life Of The Severing” is a Psych Raga Rocker with a fuzzy guitar sound while the next one called “Immortal Rites” is my personal highlight of the album, a fabulous tune that reminds the old LOTU days (the not so Heavy ones, hehe), with an amazing Psych Middle Eastern atmos, lysergically trippy percussion, and Heady vocals! Eventually, the album comes to an end with “Transfiguration”, ending with this HEAVY trademark Psych sound under a pompous Heavy-a-delic Middle Eastern atmosphere… So, if you’re about some serious Heavy Middle Eastern Psych tunes, then “Kaleidoscope Mind” is for you, but not only for you, “Kaleidoscope Mind” is an album for all other open-minded psyche seekers… All you Kaleidoscopic Minds out there are free to join… TimeLord Michalis