SMOKEMASTER – In The Temple (2026, LP/CD, Tonzonen Records) 

RELEASE INFO:

Label: Tonzonen Records

Format: LP, Album, Limited Edition, Translucent Yellow Vinyl

Format: CD, Album

Release Date: 19 June 2026

Step into the smoke and let the outside world fade away. Hailing from Cologne, Germany, Smokemaster have been building their own psychedelic universe since 2018, embracing the free-spirited attitude of the late 60s and early 70s while adding plenty of modern weight, groove and experimentation to the mix. Their sound moves freely between Psychedelic Rock, Space Rock, Neo-Krautrock and heavy, hypnotic jams, always retaining a strong sense of rhythm and an intuitive, almost instinctive approach to playing.

Following their self-titled debut “Smokemaster” (2020) and “Cosmic Connector” (2023), “In The Temple”, released in June 2026 through Tonzonen Records, sees the band expanding this approach even further. Dreamy passages, fuzzed-out guitars, heavy riffs, and hypnotic grooves compose the music of this album. The band themselves describe their music as an opportunity to forget everyday life for a moment – and that may be the best way to approach “In The Temple”: leave reality at the door, surrender to the groove, and allow Smokemaster to take you on a colourful trip through their modern psych temple.

“In The Temple” contains 9 tracks, 4 on the 1st and 5 on the 2nd side of the vinyl LP. “No Other One” opens the album with a cool mid-tempo groove, its heavenly keyboards immediately creating a warm, pleasantly hippie atmosphere. At the same time, the male vocals come across in a wonderfully lazy, laid-back and let-loose fashion. “Sounds From The Ether” slows things down with an acoustic, balladesque approach, carrying a bittersweet mood as it blends Blues-Rock with touches of Alternative Country – or something close to it – creating a rather charming hybrid. “Do It Again” is driven by its dominant but highly distinctive keyboards, taking us straight back to the mid-70s and the days of big Arena Hard Rock bands, while the guitars inject a more modern Alternative Rock edge into the arrangement. “Down In The Salt Mines” begins with an extended keyboard introduction that immediately evokes the early 70s before settling into another balladesque number; around the middle, however, the track takes a fascinating turn, diving deep into late-60s West Coast Psychedelia before transforming once again into a Neo-Americana-flavoured Alternative Rock tune. On the B-side, “In The Temple” combines keyboards and electric guitar with a cool, steady rhythm section, building another laid-back groove with what sounds like a strong Neo-Americana influence. “Under The Sun” delivers exactly the feeling its title promises: warm, lazy and wonderfully relaxed, with a soft, beautiful electric guitar sound floating through this gentle ballad, making it practically tailor-made for a summer afternoon siesta. “Peace Of Mind” is one of the album’s finest moments, built around a cool and addictive keyboard melody with just enough psychedelic flirting to keep things interesting, before a heavy guitar outburst suddenly erupts in the middle and lifts the whole track to another level. “Electromagnetic” follows with the keyboards once again leading the way through a mid-tempo psychedelic-leaning number, but it is the sitar that ultimately steals the show towards the end, adding an exotic twist and making this another particularly strong moment on the record. Finally, “Citrus Leaves” starts acoustically, with guitar and vocals establishing a distinctly melancholic mood, before developing into an Alternative Country ballad with a surprisingly strong mid-80s AOR feel – an unexpected but rather enjoyable way to close the journey.

With “In The Temple”, Smokemaster offer a warm, groove-driven and pleasantly eclectic psych journey, where vintage influences meet a more contemporary Neo-Americana and Alternative Rock sensibility. It may not be a record that tries to reinvent the psych wheel, but it certainly knows how to make that wheel roll smoothly, lazily and with plenty of good vibes. A relaxed trip for those sunny afternoons when you simply want to forget the everyday world for a while… TimeLord Michalis

Tracklist

Links

Listen / Buy through SMOKEMASTER Bandcamp

Visit SMOKEMASTER Official Web

Check TONZONEN Records Web