“The All Is One” chiude la trilogia dei Motorpsycho iniziata nel 2017 con “The Tower” e continuata nel 2019 con “The Crucible”. La “Gullvåg Trilogy”, denominabile così per l’autore delle tre cover, Håkon Gullvåg, si chiude restando fedele ai due mondi da sempre padrini della band norvegese, il progressive e la psychedelia. I ricordi sabbathiani di “The Crucible” non ci sono più, ma ci troviamo in quel territorio al confine tra le favole dei Genesis e le cavalcate lisergiche dei maestri della psychedelia, dai Grateful Dead ai Pink Floyd.
Si chiude come era iniziata, con un grande operazione nostalgia del rock che fu, continuamento citato e omaggiato, in particolare nel brano-cardine dell’album, la monumentale suite “N.O.X.”, divisa in cinque parti per un totale di ben 42 minuti, che si candida senza remore a migliore suite dell’anno. Dall’inizio lisergico con canto psichedelico in stile Byrds, alle continue accelerazioni e decelerazioni tipicamente progressive, alla quarta parte floydiana fino al finale suonato a velocità estrema che riprende la melodia iniziale, con tanta fantasia e tanto mestiere, tutto è perfetto e non mostra cedimenti nonostante la lunghezza inusuale. Ispirato a dipinti, alchimia e tarocchi è per certi versi un tassello persino radicale della loro discografia, una summa e un punto di arrivo di una carriera trentennale.
Il resto impallidisce di fronte a tanta grandezza. Nonostante l’ottima qualità, la title track è fin troppo derivativa da Genesis e Yes, così come brani come “The Same Old Rock” fanno capire sin dal titolo il loro continuo citazionismo. Non mancano riferimenti psych-folk, dal più rigido folk-revival strumentale di “A Little Light” al formato ballad folk di “The Dowers”. Chiude “Like Chrome” con un riff di chitarra avvolgente e crimsoniano, perfetto momento finale dell’ennesima festa progressive a cui i Motorpsycho ci hanno gentilmente invitato.
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21/09/2020
This article is an English translation of the original Italian text by Valerio D'Onofrio, published on OndaRock.it. It was translated with the help of artificial intelligence, under the editorial responsibility of OndaRock's editor-in-chief, Claudio Fabretti.
Tracklist
- 1. The All Is One
- 2. The Same Old Rock (One Must Imagine Sisyphus Happy)
- 3. The Magpie
- 4. Delusion (The Reign Of Humbug)
- 5. N.O.X.
- 6. I Circles Around The Sun Pt 1
- 7. II Ouroboros
- 8. III Ascension (Strange Loop)
- 9. IV Night Of Pan
- 10. V Circles Around The Sun Pt 2
- 11. A Little Light
- 12. Dreams Of Fancy
- 13. The Dowser
- 14. Like Chrome
Motorpsycho on OndaRock
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MOTORPSYCHO
Black Hole / Blank Canvas
The motor-psychedelic troupe tackles a double album
MOTORPSYCHO
In The Fishtank
MOTORPSYCHO
It's A Love Cult
MOTORPSYCHO
Little Lucid Moments
The Norwegian outfit returns, caught between heavy psychedelia and adventurous jams
MOTORPSYCHO
Heavy Metal Fruit
The Norwegian band comes back with an even "heavier" record
MOTORPSYCHO
Child Of The Future
A work released on vinyl only, to celebrate the Norwegian band's twenty years of activity
MOTORPSYCHO
The Death Defying Unicorn
The symphonic-prog triumph of the historic Norwegian outfit, between instrumental flights and chamber-jazz clearings
MOTORPSYCHO
Still Life With Eggplant
A return to hard-psychedelic territory for the institution that is this Norwegian band
MOTORPSYCHO
Behind The Sun
Yet another superb work from the Norwegian band, as they reach the 25-year milestone
MOTORPSYCHO
Supersonic Scientists
A double retrospective celebrating the 25-year milestone
MOTORPSYCHO
Here Be Monsters
The Norwegian trio's encyclopedic psych-rock saga carries on without missing a beat
MOTORPSYCHO
The Tower
A return to the double album of rugged jams for the three Norwegians
MOTORPSYCHO
The Crucible
A solid comeback for the historic Norwegian band
MOTORPSYCHO
Kingdom Of Oblivion
Yet another confirmation for the prolific, tireless Norwegians
MOTORPSYCHO
Ancient Astronauts
The Norwegian band's progressive-rock essence keeps expanding with remarkable effectiveness
MOTORPSYCHO
Yay!
The most blatantly psych-folk record the prolific Norwegian trio has ever made
MOTORPSYCHO
Neigh!!
An outtakes record of variable intensity from the unstoppable Norwegian outfit
MOTORPSYCHO
Motorpsycho
Between pop-rock and psych/prog digressions, the Norwegian outfit's reliably punctual return
MOTORPSYCHO
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The unstoppable Norwegians take on their own take on that seventies sound
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Motorpsycho - Motorpsycho – Roncade (Tv)
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Motorpsycho - Motorpsycho – Rome
A set brimming with surprises as usual, with an acclaimed full performance of Blissard as the encore
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Motorpsycho - Motorpsycho – Trondheim
We went to Norway, to Motorpsycho's home turf, to hear "Blissard" performed live
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