National Steam - SYNTHS - GUITARS - TRANCE ROCK - T. DREAM ish - REVIEWS!!        


This review featured in:
John Collinge's Progression Magazine

National Steam: self-titled (CD, 69:02); Eternity's Jest Records EJ0018 Dave Wexler on guitars and freaky vox teams up with Paul Williams on keys, electro-percussives, vox, and freaky vox to make space-trance rock magic. Serious cool, head-trippin' tunes here. They hit the T. Dream/Hawkwind/improv rock nail, squarely on its cosmick head. Quality cerebral voyages? Inquire within. This CD is the ticket. Williams' electro-mayhem zapped me into Tim Blake spaces wherein dwelleth the happy void. Wexler's guitar and Williams' atmospherics on "Orion" and "The Sutler" brought to mind little-know Bark Psychosis and Spaceman 3. "The Third Wheel" is deliciously ominous improv suitable for any cyberpunk, sci-fi flicktrack. Well done, robotically speaking. "Ode To Death" is a Larry Fastian behemoth rising from the depths, the stars of forgotten millenia coalesce, its frame glistens as a freaky vox incantation of doom proceedeth. "In The Caverns Of Spacezilla" is Synergy battles Rubycon. "Alfred's Flashback" is echoes, drones, phased psycho-chatter, channel-to-channel ping pong as in a W. Carlos nightmare. Pinhead of Hellraiser would enjoy this as he oils the Lament Box. Wexler waxes Oldfieldish as Williams lifts Maxfield Parrish soundvisions all around the epic/saga, guitar voyage. I could've stood another 10 minutes of this one. Of 11 tracks ranging 1:39 to 10:03, many over 7:00, there is plenty of material to satisfy any spacerock/ambient synth fans. -- John W. Patterson

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