Acid King: New Album Beyond Vision Available to Preorder
This shit’s so good. So good. As a result of doing the liner notes for the PostWax release of Acid King‘s Beyond Vision, I’ve been fortunate enough to live with the record for a while, and it remains a pleasure. A completely revamped lineup — a four-piece that has founding guitarist/vocalist Lori S. joined by Black Cobra‘s Jason Landrian on guitar/synth, as well as Bryce Shelton on bass and Jason Willer on drums. They’ve got a video up, and it’s just a beautiful thing to behold, the way so much of Acid King‘s sound is still there, but it’s been expanded on in this batch of songs, the contributions Landrian brings in, the unflinching groove on which it’s all based. It’s a gorgeous record.
I think Postwaxers got their download codes already, if not their vinyl — and I’m not gonna tell you to subscribe to a thing or not; especially not something that’s paid me to write (the liner notes, that is; I’d be writing this shit anyway) — and to the general public, Beyond Vision will see the light of day on March 24. It’s one of 2023’s best, just so you know in advance. Also, I’m gonna get me one of those t-shirts come payday.
From the PR wire:
Stoner metal icons ACID KING announce new album “Beyond Vision” on Blues Funeral Recordings; first video and preorder available now!
ACID KING, the pioneering heavy rock band fronted by the inimitable Lori S., return with “Beyond Vision” this March 24th on Blues Funeral Recordings, an album that sees the iconic San Francisco-based band lean into psychedelia and the avant-garde. Watch the video for “Destination Psych/Beyond Vision!”
The 7-song, 43-plus-minute collection was recorded to two-inch tape courtesy of Dead & Company at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California. Acid King founder and guitarist/vocalist Lori S. worked hand in hand with Black Cobra guitarist/vocalist Jason Landrian, with the pair sharing writing and production credits. The band is rounded out by Bryce Shelton (Nik Turner’s Hawkwind) on bass and synthesizer, and Jason Willer (Charger, Jello Biafra) on drums.
On the new direction, Lori explains: “The band was never really that psychedelic, but this is definitely more trippy because we’ve got keyboards and synthesizers. That’s something we’ve never had before on Acid King records. The songs really have no beginning or end — they all just flow into each other. It’s meant to be listened to as one piece. The whole point was to have the listener feel like they’re on a journey. If you put headphones on, it’ll take you to whatever places you’d like to go to.”
About the concept of “Beyond Vision”, she adds: “The record is based on the journey of life. Jason [Landrian] and I were having these heavy pandemic conversations at the practice space for two years, talking about all the stuff you go through being in bands, touring, your relationships in life, all that stuff. You think this trip is supposed to go one way, but it goes in very different ways that you can never imagine.”
It’s not just life on Earth she’s talking about. “Beyond Vision” contemplates life on Mars, life on the moon, and death in the furthest reaches of space. Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey was a key influence. Then there was the mesmerizing 2019 documentary Apollo 11: “I was hugely inspired by that documentary. I absolutely love the soundtrack Matt Morton did for that. I’ve probably listened to it a million times. I really loved the journey it took me on, even without the movie. It just made me ponder life.”
Pre-orders for ACID KING’s new album “Beyond Vision” are available now from Blues Funeral Recordings on a variety of limited edition vinyl and cassette formats, as well as CD and digital.
ACID KING “Beyond Vision”
Out March 24th on Blues Funeral Recordings
Preorder now on
BFR website: https://www.bluesfuneral.com/search?q=acid+king
Bandcamp: https://acidking.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-vision
EU store: https://en.bluesfuneral.spkr.media/index.php?lang=1&cl=search&searchparam=acid+king
Beyond Vision album cover, artwork by Maarten Donders
TRACKLIST:
1. One Light Second Away
2. Mind’s Eye
3. 90 Seconds
4. Electro Magnetic
5. Destination Psych
6. Beyond Vision
7. Color Trails
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I just got my Postwax download and this killer new Acid King has been in steady rotation. I can’t wait to get the vinyl and also read your liner notes. Thanks for keeping us up on all this great stuff. I’m glad you survived that last QR.
Nice, wasn’t expecting this! Song is great. What is the Dead & Company reference, like the grateful dead band?