This Celestial Engine: This Celestial Engine

This self-titled debut album is a masterful concoction of genres, melding psychedelic nuances with avant jazz and progressive rock elements. It showcases the talents of Ted Parsons on drums, Dave Sturt on bass, and Roy Powell on keyboards. These musicians are celebrated for their extensive contributions across jazz, metal, rock, and experimental music genres. Operating out of Oslo, Norway, the band draws on their varied musical backgrounds to create immersive soundscapes that transport listeners across cosmic distances.

The album kicks off with "The Astral Doctrine," a mesmerizing track that weaves together subtle drones and the glitter of cymbals, grounded by an otherworldly bass line and an EFX-driven loop. These elements evolve into psychedelic explorations sparking lucid imagery of processing the universe's electromagnetic vibrations. Roy Powell's piano, replete with reverb, builds into ascendant choruses, setting the stage for Dave Sturt's prominent snare and hi-hat-driven rhythms, culminating in Powell's thematic synth solos. Following this is "Supranormal Headspace," a piece where serene piano melodies transition into complex synthesizer arpeggios, leading to a showcase of the trio's impeccable improvisational skills and constructive interaction.

"Rewire My Subtext" pushes into avant-garde territory, blending suspenseful cinematic effects, jarring harmonies, and melodic fragments that occasionally draw from Eastern scales. Powell's keyboard work, marked by sharply articulated chords within a dense sonic fabric, executes a jazzy piano solo that gracefully closes the piece. The album concludes with "Mindmelding," a track that embodies the experimental and unbridled spirit of the album, offering a deep dive into abstract soundscapes and musical freedom.

This Celestial Engine is a kaleidoscopic journey through sound, an audacious blend of musical styles and textures that forge an unforgettable audio experience. The album looms as a tribute to the trio's imaginative capacity, inviting listeners to traverse the limitless expanses of their creativity.