Black Sun Ensemble Albums (9)
'Across the Sea of Id: The Way to Eden'
Release Date 7/8/2008
Tracks 12
Label Camera Obscura
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What The Critics Say
Initial word rumored that Black Sun Ensemble's 2008 album might in fact be its last -- only time will tell on that score. If so, it's a fine, beautifully moody way to bow out; while not explicitly returning to the band's earliest days, much of Across the Sea of Id has a spare, moodily tripped sound to it that relies on space and the sound of acoustic instruments creating textures and fills that match the queasily electronic flow of the band's compositions. It's also a mix of reinterpretations of past songs and fully new ones, an interesting blend of past and present that serves as both summary and self-contained effort. The core duo of Jesus Angel de Paz and Eric Johnson sound as solid as ever -- having seen his sound (and his band) go from obscure, out-of-sync-with-the-times pursuit to touchstone for any number of acts worldwide doesn't seem to have affected Angel de Paz in terms of pursuing his muse. Whether it's the delicate sitar filigrees on "Walking Down Rosemary Lane" or the acoustic guitar amid the echoing feedback tones on "Perelandra," he relies on his and Johnson's abilities to suggest moods strictly through music rather than vocals and succeeds with aplomb. Occasional guest work adds to the sound of the album without changing its straightforward nature -- if the saxophone work of Brian Maloney is sometimes uneven, though definitely adding a haunting, lost edge to "Acros the Sea of Id" itself, John Axtell's violin on a remake of the song "Blues for Rainer" is a stellar turn. The highlight is perhaps "Baphomet's Curse," first released in 2006 and turned here into a gently joyful jam that is among the most serenely welcoming work Black Sun Ensemble have ever recorded, a soft sunrise of a performance. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
'Bolt of Apollo'
Release Date 11/21/2006
Tracks 10
Label Camera Obscura
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What The Critics Say
A follow-up to Hymn of the Master, which marked the Black Sun Ensemble's re-activation in 2002, Starlight offers a blend of heavy space rock anthems following in Hawkwind's footsteps and drug-abused psychedelic songs with a North African flavor. If Jesus Acedo's guitar playing takes center stage in most tracks, it is Eric Johnson's production, writing, and vocals that keep the album together. The core of the band is completed this time by Brian Maloney (sax), Otto Terrorist (percussion), and the versatile Duane Norman, who comes close to playing a different instrument in each piece: his credits include flute, clarinet, trumpet, sax, guitar, and bass. "Jewel of the Seven Stars" kicks things off with a stretched-out Arabic-sounding jam. "Loki's Monstrous Brood" gets close to being funky lumberjack-style, which is actually better than what may transpire from other observations. The instrumental "The Lycian," which is relentlessly heavy, and the obsessing "Arabic Satori" (featuring Joseph Graves' stream-of-consciousness lyrics) provide the disc's two highlights, while the bland ballad "Sun Beam Angel" and the obligatory acoustic guitar number "Tralaine" could have been left off. The playing is not always as tight as you would expect from a band that's been around for 15 years, but Starlight has enough strong moments -- and far-out acid guitar solos -- to send you flying on your way. ~ François Couture, All Music Guide
'Hymn of the Master'
Release Date 2/19/2002
Tracks 11
Label Camera Obscura
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Black Sun Ensemble'
Release Date 2/13/2001
Tracks 12
Label Camera Obscura Records
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
In 1985, Black Sun Ensemble issued a self-titled debut LP, privately pressed on the Pyknotic label. In one of those situations that is bound to cause confusion among whatever cultists try to assemble a complete Black Sun Ensemble discography in future generations, when the group released their second album in 1988, it too was called Black Sun Ensemble. Furthermore, although this 2001 Australian CD reissue on Camera Obscura mostly duplicates material from the 1985 debut album, it does not exactly duplicate it. Two of the songs that were on the original LP, "Cobracalia" and "Red Ocean," have been "lost" (according to the sleeve notes) and replaced by two newly discovered tracks from the same sessions, "Emerald Eye 2" and "Bleeding Heart." Got all that? As for the music, it's modern-day instrumental psychedelic guitar rock, built around the slightly dissonant, mystical modes of Jesus Acedo's distorted guitar runs, backed by bass, acoustic guitar strums, and drum. It is not frenzied acid-damage; the mood is often placid, the tempo downright lethargic. In its suitability for marriage to images of sunbaked deserts, it's similar to later instrumental psych-post-punksters Scenic, though Scenic are better and more melodic. Melody isn't much of a force on Black Sun Ensemble, and while it might be viewed as a cliché to depict their sound as suitable for drug trips mixing temporal dislocation with both the blissful and the mundane, that tag could well apply. At the time of its reissue, it was also tempting to see the record as a forebear of the kind of bands that would play Terrastock festivals ten to 15 years later, as they too would prioritize meandering psychedelic-influenced textures over tunes and song structure. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Lambent Flame was recorded just before the core members of this band got completely lost in drugs and mysticism, which doesn't mean this release is short of references to either. The raga-influenced guitar freak-outs sometimes include chanted or howled vocals, which are sometimes in English, sometimes not. Odin Helgison's voice is generally buried beneath a swirl of guitars, which is just where it belongs, since when he is audible one can tell that his lyrics are second-rate acidhead ramblings. It's all redeemed by the flamboyant guitar work of Jesus Acedo, who unleashes mind-bending solos and even the occasional catchy melody. Another asset is Duane Norman's tasteful sax and flute playing, which gives a restrained counterpoint to the madness happening all around. Tracks like the Santana-esque "Blues for Rainer" and the Indian-inflected "Leviathan Song" show that this band actually had compositional skills when they felt like using them, and they could actually make music that was both heavy and subtle. There are just enough moments like that spread through this album to make it a keeper. ~ Richard Foss, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The title of this collection of live recordings and studio outtakes is perfect for this too-often overlooked Tucson, AZ, band. Led by the often-brilliant guitar work of Jesus Acedo, the band veered between periods of truly original psychedelic inspiration and utter confusion, a conflict that in no small way reflected the mental makeup of their guitarist and leading light. Tragic Magic is a mirror-like reflection of the group's psychic DNA. Five live tracks recorded in 1989 are balanced with seven mostly acoustic studio cuts. Within the record one finds the flashes of beautifully slicing guitar runs and gentle psychedelic ripples that back up the group's supporters' claims that they are desert mystics. There are also tiresome and formulaic exercises that smack of a lack of inspiration, or an overuse of hallucinogenic chemicals, or both. Tragic Magic is in a sense, then, a encapsulation of the group's entire catalog: there are gems to be found within, but the listener must work hard to find them and in the process endure moments of pure tedium. ~ Patrick Foster, All Music Guide
