SHINING REALM – Talismandala (2025, LP/CD/Digital/Bandcamp, Self-Released)

RELEASE INFO:

Label: Self-Released

Format: LP, Album, Limited Edition

Format: CD, Album

Release Date: 12 May 2025

Shining Realm is a collective band, hailing from Iowa. Their debut album was released in 2021 (check my review here), and it made such an impact that I included it on the list of the best albums of 2021, reaching position No.12 (!!!) (check the list here). After 4 years, Shining Realm are back with their sophomore album “Talismandala”, the name is probably taken by combining 2 words, “Talisman” (an object ascribed with religious or magical powers intended to protect, heal, or harm individuals for whom they are made) and “Mandala” (a geometric configuration of symbols used in the Eastern religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Shinto). The reason for mentioning all these is simple: to get an idea about the band and their musical directions (or “worries” if you prefer). A lot of people/musicians participated in “Talismandala”:

Rubin Flores (Guitars), Dustin Kelly (Guitars, Vox, Percussion, Saz, Recorder), Phil Maul (Keyboards and Synths), Joe Derderian (Percussion, Backwards talking, breaking glass), Corbin Booth (Percussion, Tablas), Charles Pagan (Vox, Percussion, Harmonica, Cosmic Whistling), Nikolai Qual (Drums, Percussion), Laura Kelly (Hand Drums, Bid Drum), Todd Woody (Bass), Jonathan Hansen (Guitar, Production, Mastering, Sonic Weaving), Dan Miller (Recording, Engineering). Steven “Plastic Crimewave” Krakow and Sara Gossett (Artwork).

“Talismandala” consists of 9 tracks. The album starts with a welcome intro called “Aurorboros”… “Welcome to the Hallucination we call Home. By now, you’ve forgotten the Holy Being you once were. It’s far behind you.” The scenery is torturously slow, psychedelically vibrating. Middle Eastern (of course!) inspired… “Beyond the Veil” is a trippy Eastern-influenced acoustically psych track with chanting-like vocals, there’s a hypnotic beat, blurry sample voices from a crowded place (or is it a temple), altogether creating a rather mystical atmosphere… “Heal Through the War” starts, and it gives you the feel of some place in Laurel Canyon (got it?), an intense late 60s West Coast Psych feel with a country-flokie touch, while at the back a distinctive Psych fuzzy guitar makes everything shimmering! “Cosmic Bridge” is an acoustic trippy folk-a-delic marvelous track with a psych-a-nostalgic guitar sound… The self-titled “Talismandala” is another calm n’ cool track with a late 60s West Coast characteristic Psych guitar sound emerging a psychedelic-folkie feel… Side ‘B’ opens with “Feathered Serpent”, a trippy Middle Eastern flavoured, glorious lysergically hallucinogenic track! “Strange Enough” is full of melody with tribal-like beat drumming, 60s inspired, and flirting with Psychedelia, Folk, and Pop… “Time Machine Blues” is a strange, weird, eerie, fantastic piece of acidly drenched PSYCH Freak-a-delia! Definitely, my highlight! The last one is called “Memories of Stone”, a melodic and beautifully psychedelic blended acoustic soundscape, with an exciting and rather interesting mix of shimmering fuzz-a-delic guitar and trippy powerful drum beat, cool! In conclusion, Shining Realm invited us with their previous debut album to “Enter The Shining Realm”, now, with “Talismandala” we have a first-class opportunity to see/check/experience the “esoteric” of the Shining Realm. Sign is positive, Experience is mind-bending, Feeling is refreshingly pleasant, leaving me with a huge longing for the next step of the Shining Realm! TimeLord Michalis  

Tracklist

Links 

Listen / Buy through SHINING REALM Bandcamp

Visit SHINING REALM Facebook