Review: Matushka - II

Hot on the heels of The Grand Astoria comes some more top-notch psych from St Petersburg in the form of Matushka and their new album 'II'. The band, consisting of guitarist Timophey Goryashin, drummer Konstantin Kotov and bassist Maxim Zhuravlev, have been playing and recording for a few years now, with their debut LP 'Mestopolozhenie' released in 2013.

Taken on face value 'II' is a pretty straightforward psych LP, however, what Matushka have done is take the format and skillfully weave in some subtle jazz, some motorik rhythms and some groove laden riffs to produce an album that reeks of consumate art and dedication. 'The Acid Curl's Dance' kicks it all off, and throws us straight into some whirling psych guitar, which resonate with a sense of aridness ala The Myrrors. There is a sense of foreboding which gives the track a dark feel. Firmly built on repetition which give it an added trancerock dimension. The wonderfully titled 'As bartenders and bouncers dance' is hewn from the same bedrock as 'The Acid Curl's...' but with some wonderful wah wah and and a more spacey feel....this is firmly from the Sula Bassana school of acid rock and the relentless motorik drums imbue a kosmische vibe to proceedings. 'Meditation'is the shortest of the four tracks at just over 5 minutes. It's a more sombre affair than the preceeding tracks but still uses the same formula. The guitars sound denser and somehow more solid and the bass guitar leaves an indelible mark on proceedings...thick, distorted and fuzzy. There are some barely perceptible jazzy flourishes to keep things fresh. 'Drezina', at 20 minutes, makes up half the running time of the album. It opens with some folky acoustic guitar and chimes before the swirling guitars kick in and slowly build up until they explode in a maelstrom of acid jamming...the guitars trying desperately to escape the Earth's atmosphere. It is a real monster of a track!

Anyone who likes their psych heavy, spacey and groovy will love this album....the guitars swirl and soar with plenty of fuzz and distortion and the drums and bass provide the structure around which the guitars are free to explore. I seriously dig this album, not just because it's exactly the 'type' of psych I love, but also because these guys do it well... very well! Another gem unearthed from Mother Russia.

'II' is avilable on CD, cassette and download and can be purchased via the band's Bandcamp page. I urge to check out their earlier material while you are there.