ALBUM REVIEW: Elusive Mojo – Ecstatic Vision
They say that you should always expect the unexpected, but nothing could possibly prepare you for the sheer high-octane, ludicrously insane thrill ride that is Elusive Mojo. ECSTATIC VISION’s latest creation sees the band firing up all the cylinders in their heavy blues and psychedelic riff fuelled V10 engine as they take every square inch of this album to 11. With their sound influenced by the heavy primal psych stylings of HAWKWIND and APHRODITE’S CHILD alongside the crazy and off the wall shows the band put on, ECSTATIC VISION quickly became a force to be reckoned with. Elusive Mojo sees them venture further into the psychedelic void to create a vibrant, kaleidoscopic and wonderfully chaotic auditory hallucination of an album.
A monumental infusion of pure rock fury and wild psychedelics, Elusive Mojo is an audibly bewitching assortment of hypnotic swirls and spirals of various colours that blend by way of osmosis. With the industrial power of Detroit behind it and crafted with the Brotherly Love of Philadelphia, ECSTATIC VISION have explored and expanded their horizons, pushing their boundaries to create a ferocious and attitude filled album. With Doug Sabolik’s fervent and energetic vocal delivery, which draws some comparisons to that of Neil Fallon from CLUTCH, leading the charge, ECSTATIC VISION rain down the riffs and saxophone melodies like it’s their last day on earth. Since 2015 the band have utilised the multi-instrumental talents of Kevin Nickles, whose blistering saxophone sections put them in a different realm to their peers. The deep and rich tones of the instrument add a whole new dimension and texture to the band’s sound, on this album they use it to the max.
Even though there is a large array of psychedelics on show, Elusive Mojo has a real earthy quality to it. This down to earth riffing harkens back to the dirty blues sound of the 1970s, the warm overdriven fuzz produced by screaming valves in old amp heads is a sound that you can never get tired of. The constantly evolving leads that are drenched in reverb and modulation only accentuate the 1970s psychedelic vibe. Underpinned by rumbling bass grooves, ECSTATIC VISION have wasted no time in getting to the heart of what they do best. All these things together will send your imagination on a kaleidoscopic journey of colourful landscapes on a puffed up marshmallow cloud going at one hundred miles per hour.
Launching you straight into the thick of it with intro track March Of The Troglodytes, the band establish the ground rules for the album as Nickles’ saxophone riffs float over the rest of their frantic and jumpy rhythms. The track leads perfectly into the album’s title track Elusive Mojo, which ramps up the energy further with aggressive passion. From here, the record consistently builds momentum and manages to keep an exciting energy throughout its duration. Time’s Up is a retro, spacey journey with a jumping groove and blistering wah pedalled leads. The Kenzo Shake follows on in likeminded fashion, just under six minutes of hard riffing and pounding rhythms.
Venom brings down the energy slightly, offering a respite from the frantic nature of the previous songs, a much more calculated song which ebbs and flows effortlessly between quiet and louder sections. The Comedown is very much the calm before the album’s short, sharp closer Deathwish 1970. The former is the most psychedelically minded song on the album, showing the band in a a gentler and more melancholic mood, as if the speed has worn off and now you’re just left with acidic hallucinations. Finishing off with Deathwish 1970, ECSTATIC VISION throw all caution to the wind and finish the album as quickly as they started it, with guitar and saxophone working in full harmony to deliver a riff frenzy.
ECSTATIC VISION’s “mojo” is far from elusive. Whatever secret ingredient is in there, it’s fair to say that we all want some, as this is a band running at full creative capacity. There is no doubt that this band will be tearing up stages and blowing up multiple amplifiers with these scorching hot songs.
Rating: 8/10
Elusive Mojo is set for release on May 13th via Heavy Psych Sounds.
Like ECSTATIC VISION on Facebook.