There’s a touch of space-rock theatricality to “Spacy Phantasy,” the third of the four extended cuts on Finnish heavy psych rockers Deep Space Destructors‘ second self-released album, II, but even that is mitigated by the warmth of tone in the band’s low end, provided by bassist Jani Pitkänen. Pitkänen also handles vocals where and when they pop up throughout the aptly-titled sophomore outing, backed by guitarist Pete and drummer Markus Pitkänen as well, and the band ranges in that regard from the guttural psychedelic chanting of the chugging second half of opener “Beneath the Black Star” to the echoing Finnish-language incantations toward the end of closer “Sykli.” By and large, the songs are jam-based but not without structure to their parts, and II‘s flow is open and easy accordingly.

So what we have is a four-track/38-minute European heavy psych record with jam-minded songwriting and warm, thick tonality in the guitars and bass propelled by organic grooves and classic rocking rhythms. Hardly new terrain in the grand scheme of the current wave of Euro acts, but the Pitkänens and Pete have also shown significant development since the release of their first album, I (review here), last year, branching out stylistically here and there while presenting a more complex songwriting modus all around, as demonstrated on “Beneath the Black Star,” which is genuinely plotted however jammed-out its parts may sound. This move toward premeditation works to the Oulu trio’s favor almost as much as the Markus Räisänen cover art, the rich blues and intricate design of which effectively mirror the band’s engrossing style. As “Beneath the Black Star” stomps to its finish and album highlight “Deserted Planet 2078″ opens with a jazzy bassline from Jani and Pete‘s open strumming,Markus’ drums answer back with natural-sounding thud, marking the launch of a gradual progression that plays out over the course of the track.

Tonally, “Deserted Planet 2078″ isn’t so much fuzzy as it is covered in hair, and the progressive vocal treatment in its initial verse strike as a surprise the band puts to good use in giving the impression that, although they’re still a relatively new band — having formed in 2011 — they have a clear idea of where in the niche they want to reside. For what it’s worth, Deep Space Destructors write long songs that don’t feel long. Working in movements as much as parts, “Deserted Planet 2078″ locks into a ride-it-out bridge groove before stepping back into the initial verse line in the second half, and then — as Markus switches to a faster push on his ride cymbal — launches into the space rocking that will only become more prevalent as “Spacy Phantasy” takes hold. In short, it’s the jam. But even here, the band hasn’t lost their sense of direction, and the jam is leading somewhere rather than plateauing and holding steady. Just before seven minutes in, “Deserted Planet 2078″ comes to a halt and introduces a classic rock riff that it essentially pounds on for the next minute and half to end the song. There was little to presage its arrival, but with the shifts in rhythm around it and the repetitive cycling, some riffs are their own excuse for being. With the open vibes the band has on offer, it’s not like it seems out of place, even leading into the echoing reaches that open “Spacy Phantasy.”

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Titled simply I, the self-released debut EP from Finnish trio Deep Space Destructors captures their warm, still-nascent classic heavy rock interpretations with just an edge of the “deep space” from which they take two-thirds of their name. I is made up of four engaging cuts – three available via digital means and an untitled bonus track exclusive to the limited-to-100-copies CD – that roll through stonerly pacing and grooves without forgetting to add a little more than that. Influences prominent throughout the current European scene (as much as one can distill the output of an entire continent into one generalized grouping) from early kraut rock and the more modern fuzz of Witch show up on “Without Warning,” “Black Star Rising” and “The End Times,” and as I gives a general impression of what Deep Space Destructors have managed to accomplish in their first year of being a band – they formed early in 2011 with the lineup of vocalist/bassist Jani Pitkänen, first-name-only guitarist/backing vocalist Pete and drummer/backing vocalist Markus Pitkänen – it seems to accomplish everything it sets out to do. The recording is low, in terms of volume, but whether it’s the fuzz intro of “Without Warning” (it’s really hard to type those words and not follow them with “a wizard walks by”) or the layered pastoral solo late into “Black Star Rising,” I makes a strong case for turning it up, especially as that solo leads to an Asteroid-style riff-out, where you can’t tell if it’s guitars or organs or both or something just made of hairy distortion and groove. Really, it doesn’t matter what it is (it’s guitar), because the point is it’s put to good use. Deep Space Destructors are a recent enough act to be influenced by the newer school of Eurofuzz, but not so far behind as to miss its still formative period.

The basic result of that is that when they turn the atmosphere a little darker for the beginning movement of “The End Times” – the title indicative of the purpose in that atmospheric shift – it’s not so much derivative of someone else as it is Deep Space Destructors putting their own spin on what’s become over the last couple years an established sound. It’s more than some do, less than others, but they make it work, and their classic influence serves them well across the EP’s 26 minutes, starting off raucously but working quickly to introduce a range of effects and moods. The call in the verse call and response reminds a bit of The Kings of Frog Island, but Jani has a more straightforward answer to it, higher in the mix and overall drier in terms of reverb and/or cavernous echo. That serves to separate it from what Pete and or Markus are doing vocally, but Jani is forward enough to dominate the guitar and his own bass, and that has an odd effect on the song. He doesn’t sound too loud, but compared to the tonal fuzz surrounding and Markus’ swaggering drums, the vocals just sound like they could use more effects of their own as well as to come down a bit in volume. It’s less of an issue in the more riff-rocking opening of “Black Star Rising,” but by the time the guitars drop out for the verse, the situation is largely the same as in the opener, though the 7:44 runtime of the second track allows for much more to play out stylistically, and Deep Space Destructors are well-suited to both the multi-vocal build before the four-minute mark and the subdued progressive jam that ensues afterwards, Jani’s bass offering choice runs to coincide with the vocals and relaxed strum of Pete’s guitar.

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