III

Artist: Naxatras

Released: February 2018

Length: 1h 4m 59s

My review:

Naxatras are a psychedelic rock band hailing from Greece, this is their third album and my favourite of the bunch. Sit back, unwind and be transported on an epic journey, meandering through a landscape of big percussive drums, layers of silky smooth guitar and low stabs of bass-heavy echoey reverb.

The songs build up slowly, drawing you in with a stripped back and honest approach, sprinkled with wandering guitar solos, catchy repeated hooks and the occasional use of alluring vocals. This album has it all, just after the middle things really slow down and take a dark turn but stick with it and you will be greatly rewarded. When listening to this album I can’t help but be reminded of early - mid 70’s Pink Floyd, but maybe a little more succinct in style. This album has a fantastic flow to it, keeping you totally captivated, throughout the longer than average, hour plus runtime, something that I feel is hugely lacking with this modern age of musicians.

With 4 out of the 7 songs all over 10 minutes in length you really need to give this album some time to develop, the songs are all great in their own rights but its when listened to as a complete package that you will be swept up and taken away. Another huge highlight for me is the big guitar solo on the last track, emphasised ever so subtly by the small lull that precedes it, this manages to be both melancholy whilst also being inherently uplifting, inspiring an optimistic conclusion to this epic album.

Stand out song: Land of Infinite Time 

At just over 12 minutes, this is the longest song from the album. With its slow and steady drumming keeping you plodding along at a mere 70 BPM, you are then beckoned into the song by a series of inviting twangy guitar riffs, heavily laden with echo and reverb. As with a photo composition it is as much about the empty space as it is about the subject, I feel the same is true here for the sound on this record. These sonic gaps that appear for the duration of the song give you a sense of open expanses and infinity (as the name suggests). Guitars slowly crescendo before dipping out and then resurfacing again time and time again. For me this track epitomises the album, forcing you to slow down and ensuring you allocate the time to just listen and reflect, something rarely done in what can be a busy and frantic world!

When to listen: 

My favourite time to listen to this album is on a lazy sunny Sunday, however it also sounds great accompanying a beautiful sunset or a chilled evening with friends. Whenever I listen again to this album I am transported back to the Lake that surrounds Flores in Guatemala, where I watched the sunset over the town while floating on a kayak, enjoying a few beers and blasting out this album on my minirig!

Spotify: Listen here

Vinyl:

I managed to bag the 2022 repress from their bandcamp page, I think they are now on the third pressing. It is a triple gatefold LP with beautiful images adorning every surface, it is a fully analog recording meaning the quality is unrivalled, this LP is a pure work of art! This is the version I have - Discogs link

Other useful links:

Band page for music & merch, you can also grab the third pressing of III here too - https://www.naxatras.com/

If you like this try these:

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Quarters!

Causa Sui - Return to Sky