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Reviews

Vibravoid — We Cannot Awake
(Tonzonen TON168, 2024, CD / LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2024-09-26

We Cannot Awake Cover art

Sometimes when I get an album by a band like Vibravoid, I feel like there’s nothing I really need to say about it — they’ve been around long enough that their fanbase is firmly established and they don’t need me to tell them what’s up. But then I remember that there are people out there who have never heard Vibravoid, and some of them might like it, so that’s who I write for. We Cannot Awake is something like 23 studio albums into the career of this German band that’s been around at least 35 years. The music is classic space rock with Hawkwind being the most pertinent reference. For those familiar with Hawkwind, relevant comparisons would be Quark, Strangeness and Charm or Hawklords’ 25 Years On. The album features six tracks, five of which (Side A of the LP) are concise rocking tunes with steady beats, punkish guitars, swirling synthesizers, and vocals drenched in effects. Psychedelic guitar solos are of course included, though kept to relatively short duration. Side B is the title track, twenty minutes of space rock bliss that runs through a variety of moods and tempos. It starts with an energetic rhythm and lyrics, moves into a section with backwards vocals and strange effects, then breaks down into a drifting section with sampled voices, trippy echoes, and odd noises. The drums and bass come back in to back a heavily effected guitar solo and a reprise of the vocal section. It’s a skillfully done slab of space rock, well within the traditions of the genre but done well enough to sound fresh. Vibravoid fans should be well pleased by We Cannot Awake, and anyone interested in exploring outer space in a rock context should find it a good entry point.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Vibravoid

 

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