ALBUM REVIEW: Transmissions From Mothership Earth – Nebula
NEBULA have been a stoner rock force since guitarist Eddie Glass broke away from the equally formidable FU MANCHU with former drummer Ruben Romano in 1997. Having established themselves as monolithic live phenomenon, the stoner rock veterans are back with a colossal seventh album to satisfy all your stoner, space rock and psychedelic needs. Transmissions From Mothership Earth dials up the cosmic strangeness and attempts to communicate with life from beyond the cosmos. Following on from their acclaimed 2019 album Holy Shit, NEBULA once again rise to the challenge and continue their run of form, venturing through a variety of evolving soundscapes to transport you beyond the stratosphere.
Masters of blending the best elements of BLACK SABBATH with psychedelia and space rock, NEBULA have always been pioneers of their own unique take on stoner rock. What separates Transmissions From Mothership Earth from their previous work however, is that the album feels more conceptual, with a high level of focus on tying the songs together with a single galactic thread. Whilst the story is left for the listener to interpret for themselves, there is definitely a narrative running through the album, whether it be actually trying to communicate with some stoned aliens or just getting high and hallucinating that you’re communicating with some stoned aliens.
This point is only accentuated with the various cinematic effects that appear throughout the album, as partial laser beams, radar and morse code styled messages weave their way through the wonderfully heavy fuzz. NEBULA go all out with no expense spared, providing an intricate and layered soundscape that would entice any alien to fly down to earth and get lost in the eternal fuzz with us.
Transmissions From Mothership Earth has a more expansive quality as an album in comparison to Holy Shit or even one of the band’s classic albums like To The Centre. Yet the stoner rock titans have brought some familiar musical approaches from 2009’s Heavy Psych – Warzone Speedwulf being a prime example of this. The song stands out from the rest of the album as it sees NEBULA delve deep into the psychedelic lost oddities box to create a continuously evolving soundscape of warped vocals and driven guitar solos that drift from ear to ear. Even so, NEBULA never stray far from their sun-drenched, desert roots. The album was recorded in the Mojave desert, and those deep desert grooves mixed in with spacey, melodic vocals and rumbling, effervescent bass, are the beating heart of the album. Despite the lyrical matter being in space, Transmissions From Mothership Earth is still firmly grounded and incredibly earthy.
Highwired kickstarts the album with gusto, bringing in a mighty riff to set the tone for the album while Glass’ distinct, constantly moving and effects processed vocals tell stories of outer space. The amount of dynamic movement in the songs gives Transmissions From Mothership Earth a very lucid and vivid vibe. Free flowing and enthralling, you get an adrenaline rush from the depths of your imagination as you fly past the stars attached to a laser beam. The album’s title track utilises the earthy tones of an acoustic guitar, not often an instrument associated with this genre, but this extra and different layer makes the song really stand out, especially as Glass screeches like Mike IX Williams further on, changing the vibe to one that is dark and sludgy.
Wilted Flowers is a trippy track that whirls around in the ether as fuzz driven riffs anchor you to earth while your mind runs free. Melt Your Head does exactly what it says on the tin, a hazy endeavour of jangling psychedelia and heavy, earthy riffs – a culmination of the band’s two styles colliding with brilliant efficiency. Album closer The Four Horseman throws in another surprise for listeners as it employs the jangly chord rhythms of classic spaghetti western soundtracks before launching into a fast-paced, scorched earth, speeding through the desert riff.
NEBULA effortlessly continue their strong form here, tapping into a rich vein of creativity that has seen the band expand their sound as well as unleashing a few surprises. Transmissions From Mothership Earth is an intensely enjoyable journey through a hazy cosmos in the mind, its vivid riff writing taking you on a far out journey beyond the Milky Way.
Rating: 9/10
Transmissions From Mothership Earth is set for release on July 22nd via Heavy Psych Sounds.
Like NEBULA on Facebook.