At the very least, they weren’t kidding when they named it Hell Yeah!. This limited vinyl outing from Melbourne, Australia, classic-style heavy psych blues rock trio Seedy Jeezus isn’t quite an album and at seven songs and 35 minutes it’s too long to really be an EP. The band put it together, packaged with red/blue 3D glasses and on-theme artwork, ahead of their Summer 2026 tour in Europe, and it highlights three originals and four covers, including a side B homage to New Zealand heavy ’70s rockers Human Instinct, whose burner jam “Stoned Guitar” is paired with “Midnight Sun,” which closes the release and brings in The Human Instinct‘s Maurice Greer for a guest vocal. Side A, in the meantime, ends with “Pull Down the Shades,” an ’80s punk shove by Chris Knox/Toy Love, also from New Zealand. The whole affair is very Seedy Jeezus in its sense of reverence for where it comes from, and vocalist/guitarist Lex Waterreus, bassist Paul Crick and drummer Mark Sibson are no less alive in the delivery of their own material.

The LP opens with “Riff Song,” and before the track is even really underway, the guitar is in the lead. Setting the tone, on multiple figurative levels. It may be the fate of every such rhythm section in a power trio to be undervalued, and guitar has been the focus in heavy rock and roll since the style was invented, but the work Sibson and Crick do across Hell Yeah! is essential and not to be missed, following the careening course of “Riff Song” and through its sundry twists and reversals and oh-we’re-going-this-way-now-we’re-going-that-ways. They are the warmth of the fires that Waterreus‘ guitar is setting, and true to the title, that becomes the theme of the entire record. It does not inhabit the melancholic emotional spaces of 2025’s Damned to the Depths (review here), nor does it disavow them through contrast. It’s a different kind of outing with a purpose of its own. More barebones in sound and rawer in spirit, it conjures freedom in shred, a letting-loose of craft and an all-in display carried by the chemistry of the band, which is plenty enough to get the job done. That’s laid out and proven by the time the sub-three-minute “Riff Song” is over, and while the subsequent “Warwhores” is longer at 5:30 and a bit of a slowdown, the rousing momentum they build is not in the least squandered in the swing and swagger of the verse or even the midsection crashout.

How they resisted putting a mellotron on the second half of “Warwhores,” we as the audience may never know, but they did, and it’s the guitar covering a lot of that space in the mix, but it’s the momentary comedown that’s most notable, the arrival of acoustic guitar and a milder tempo, but there’s tension too, and even just before they finish, the very last seconds are topped with a sustained note of guitar that feels like it might jolt the song back to life for another go. It has you almost waiting for it, but it’s the title-track instead that picks up, with Sibson leading the way in on a circular pattern soon with Crick before the next round of shred begins.

In “Hell Yeah!,” the intention behind the record is reaffirmed. Waterreus belts out a vocal drawing a direct line to the ’70s rock the band are about to adopt as their own as they cover Cactus‘ (actually Willie Dixon‘s) “Evil,” and if you know that band’s take on that song from 1971’s Restrictions, it’s a throwdown. The kind of song a band plays on stage to establish hot-shit heavy blues dominance; a weapon to be wielded. The pairing with “Hell Yeah!” is seamless. Both are largely dry in terms of vocal effects, giving an organic, captured-live (and maybe they were, I don’t know) feel, and both are taut rhythmically and showy without being overly technical. It’s not every band who can pull off a song like “Evil,” or like “Hell Yeah,” or “Riff Song” and “Warwhores” for that matter, but the underlying point is that’s a big part of who Seedy Jeezus are. They dig in with particular and palpable glee.

“Pull Down the Shades,” as noted, shifts the timeline somewhat. The boogie takes a backseat to shove, amp buzz routed into a rendition of early punk rock that, it has to be mentioned, features zero guitar solos. That in itself is a departure from what surrounds, and that feels like a conscious choice, to let “Pull Down the Shades” clean the slate at the end of side A before the two Human Instinct pieces round out, Seedy Jeezus well in their element for both as the instrumental “Stoned Guitar” from the perpetually-found lost-classic 1970 album of the same name goes all-in, helter-skelter, three solid minutes of guitar noise and pulls before the rest of the band kicks in, true to the original. This isn’t the first time Seedy Jeezus have taken on The Human Instinct either, but the fact that they dedicated a whole vinyl side to the cause speaks to the depth of appreciation, not to mention welcoming Greer to sing on “Midnight Sun.” Again, I’m forced to highlight Crick‘s bass and Sibson‘s drums by the softshoe-ready shuffle they hone as Waterreus‘ leads answer the Greer‘s verse lines. Complemented by “Stoned Guitar” just before, “Midnight Sun” ends Hell Yeah! with a duly celebratory feel and a lack of pretense consistent with what’s come before. They hit it and nail it. The story of it could hardly be simpler.

Given the limited-and-already-sold-out nature of the vinyl, one wouldn’t expect Hell Yeah! to necessarily be indicative of where Seedy Jeezus are headed as a band, but it’s a welcome sidestep just the same, and a refreshing blast of classic heavy rock and roll, both in the originals and the covers. Call it a fan-piece if you want, but even if you’ve never heard Seedy Jeezus before, if you as a listener have some appreciation for either the ’70s influences they’re working under here or the barnburner interpretations modernity has brought to them, they make it a pleasure, not a challenge, to get on board.

Seedy Jeezus, Hell Yeah! (2026)

Seedy Jeezus website

Seedy Jeezus on Bandcamp

Seedy Jeezus on Instagram

Seedy Jeezus on Facebook

Shout it from the hilltops: Tranquonauts are a real band. Are they a supergroup? I somehow doubt they’d use that word, which implies egotism and a kind of coked-up indulgence, but there’s no arguing with the lineup or the pedigree of the band’s members, from Melbourne, Australia’s Seedy Jeezus — guitarist/vocalist/sampler Lex Waterreus, bassist Paul Crick and drummer Mark Sibson; gentlemen all — at the core of the project, to Isaiah Mitchell of Cali epic-psych (mostly-)instrumentalists Earthless and Port Orchard, Washington’s Tony Reed, of Mos Generator, Big Scenic Nowhere, Constance Tomb, and others.

The latter party came aboard for 2 (review here), which was released in 2024, and now aligned to Kozmik Artifactz for release in Europe with Blown Music once again handling Australia and Echodelick Records holding down North American distribution, Tranquonauts reveal what they’ve apparently been building toward in the decade since their self-titled debut (review here) with the four-song collection, III. And the message of band-dom could hardly be clearer or more efficiently delivered on a record that’s still so spaced in terms of atmosphere, or that derives such clear pleasure in blending craft and expanse.

A sample at the beginning of opener “All Rise” (8:31) sets up a thread that runs through most of the release, and if you’d immediately go to the end of closer “S() Sigurnova” (9:38) to see if there’s one there to bookend, yes, there is. Assembled and I think in some cases — the line about “Tranquonauts are powering down” comes to mind — spoken by Waterreus, the samples are given a classic sci-fi feel, a grainy sound and discussion of rockets and post-WWII pulp-film vibes. They bring a sense of aesthetic to the proceedings and provide a backdrop uniting the material, but neither are they overused. After about a minute, “All Rise” launches into its central riff, and that it even has one feels declarative of their purpose.

I wouldn’t call it crunchy or crushing, but it’s more tense in its structure and insistent in a way that the fluidity of the band’s prior jams on prior records weren’t trying to be. Reed takes the lead vocal in the verse that ensues, but the structure begins to loosen as they push into the solo, and around 3:05, they land in a Mellotron-topped slowdown that becomes the point from which the jam takes off. Solos are shredded, I think Waterreus takes vocals for something of a verse, but the tempo has mellowed and the effect is more hypnotic and the listener is drawn in. There’s little chance of coming back from where they go, and they don’t, but a sample ties the end of “All Rise” to the beginning, and sets up the cover of UFO‘s “Space Child” (8:39) just the same.

Mitchell takes over on vocals, with acoustic and electric guitars backing and a subdued flow that meshes well with the jam the band just left behind, as well as the one on which they’re about to embark. Crick‘s bassline and Sibson‘s drums are probably never going to get the marquee position in the band with the three guitarist/vocalists on board, but they are nonetheless the glue keeping the songs together and righteous on their own. “Space Child” puts its jam in the middle, sounding part-improv, which one wouldn’t necessarily expect on a cover, but even before the halfway mark, the exploratory feel is paramount. The difference is that where “All Rise” didn’t come back around, “Space Child” does, gradually returning to ‘ground’ (relatively speaking) with intertwining shred and a stop before the last verse rounds out.

That’s the end of side A, and though “Space Child” didn’t actually have any samples in it, the one at the end of “All Rise” and another at the start of “Broken Star” (7:34) gives a sense of continuity just the same. The song comes in with rhythm and lead guitar before Waterreus‘ classic-soul verse unfolds, carrying to right about at 3:45, where finger-snap marks the beginning of the next outbound cosmic foray; a quiet build that wants nothing for payoff but is going to take its time getting there, which is ultimately to the strength of the song as a whole. It might be a plotted progression, but the solo(s) over top feel vibrant and spontaneous just the same, and as it fades out, “Broken Star” transitions directly, mid-sampled-rumble, to the aforementioned finale/longest track, “”S() Sigurnova.”

A reference in the title to Sigur Ros coincides with the stated inspiration for the song, and the early, pre-verse float the band conjure is indeed a departure from, say, a UFO cover. Mellotron, still plenty of guitar around and softer vocals from Waterreus let “S() Sigurnova” flow, covering new ground without feeling out of place, with samples laced through between vocal lines before they gradually embark on their journey, Sibson crashing in at 3:43 accompanied by a twisting lead line on guitar (there’s also a solo happening) as the bed for the last dive into the liquefied far-out. As with “All Rise,” they make it clear that once they go, they’ll remain gone, and that’s how it happens, but they’re dynamic in that, bringing “S() Sigurnova” to a multi-guitar crescendo at around 8:45 before it starts to come apart and that last sample steps in to give a sense of completion to the LP.

It’s not that either of the two previous Tranquonauts albums were lacking cohesion, but if you listened to the first and then the second, a sense of refinement was working its way into their sound, and that continues on III. I still don’t know to what it will lead, if they’ll ever be the kind of band who write ‘straightforward’ material, but the balance they strike between off-the-cuff sonic adventuring and structure is evolving, has evolved to be what it is here. Tranquonauts will likely always be a side-project for those involved, owing to geographic spread almost as much as everyone else’s other commitments, but more than they had yet, III demonstrates a creative progression that is their own, separate and distinct from the members’ other groups. In other words, they sound like a real band more than they have to this point, and from here, they feel like they could go anywhere.

Tranquonauts, “All Rise” live at Freak Valley Festival 2026

Seedy Jeezus website

Seedy Jeezus on Bandcamp

Seedy Jeezus on Instagram

Seedy Jeezus on Facebook

Earthless website

Earthless on Instagram

Earthless on Facebook

Blown Music on Facebook

Kozmik Artifactz website

Kozmik Artifactz on Facebook

Echodelick Records website

Echodelick Records on Bandcamp

Echodelick Records on Instagram

Echodelick Records on Facebook

To drill down the unlikelihood of a third Tranquonauts record, first you still need to get over that of the first one a decade ago (review here), and the second one that followed in 2024 (review here), and if we’re honest I’m still kind of surprised. The collaboration between Isaiah Mitchell of Earthless, Australian heavy blues rockers Seedy Jeezus, and Tony Reed of Mos Generator (now also Pentagram) have never sounded more distinctly like a band than they do on the four songs of III, or 3 — I’m not sure which is preferred — with opener “All Rise” giving heavy prog presence across a stately, plotted course. Clearly they’ve moved beyond the jams.

The UFO cover “Space Child” resolves with a bit of funk-boogie as though it didn’t spend much of its time in a partly-acoustic ’70s contemplation, while “Broken Star” has a slower, gruffer unfolding but more shred at the finish, and though the apparent Sigur Ros homage “S() Sigurnova” is duly atmospheric, it also has movement at its center. There’s more persona in the 34 minutes of III than anything Tranquonauts have yet produced, and it doesn’t feel like a coincidence that this record will coincide with their first live appearances, happening in Europe with the first test run at Freak Valley 2026.

The PR wire brought copious narrative for background:

TRANQUONAUTS ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM III

A boundary-dissolving new chapter from the Australian–American psychedelic supergroup

Following growing international acclaim for their exploratory second album II, Tranquonauts return with their most ambitious statement yet: III, a sweeping new work that continues the deep musical dialogue between members of Australian psychedelic rock torchbearers Seedy Jeezus, Isaiah Mitchell (of Earthless), and guitarist/producer Tony Reed (Mos Generator, Big Scenic Nowhere, Stone Axe).

Set for release in 2026, III expands the Tranquonauts universe even further – part cosmic transmission, part heavy improvisational ritual, part fearless compositional experiment.
A JOURNEY CONTINUES

Since its inception, Tranquonauts has existed as a creative outpost for ideas too expansive, too strange, or too genre-fluid for the members’ main bands. It is a place where progressive rock, motorik groove, deep psychedelia, cosmic jazz, ambient drift and volcanic heaviness can coexist.

Their previous album, II, earned cult status among adventurous listeners for a structure as audacious as it was immersive: two side-long pieces, with side one often described as pure progressive rock in its most transportive form, while side two unfolded as a kraut-orgy of massive proportions – a hypnotic, ecstatic surge of repetition, propulsion and sonic overload.

Critically and artistically, II established Tranquonauts as far more than a side project. It revealed a group exploring music they may never have had the opportunity to write or release in their other bands – yet music that unmistakably captures the essence of what they all deeply love.

ENTER III

On III, that spirit continues – bolder, stranger and more expansive.

The new album contains four expansive 9 -10 minute compositions, each revealing a different facet of the group’s boundary-pushing vision:

‘All Rise’ A crushing descent into heavy riffage, balancing volcanic weight with exploratory improvisation

‘Broken Star’ A surprising turn toward traditional rock/pop songcraft, where melody and classic songwriting instincts meet psychedelic colour

‘S() Sigurnova’ An Icelandic post-rock inspired piece, unfolding in slow-burning crescendos, glacial textures and widescreen emotional atmosphere

‘Space Child’ A radical reinterpretation of Space Child, the 1970s classic by UFO – transformed through the Tranquonauts prism into a cosmic voyage all its own

While rooted in the exploratory energy of II, the new record pushes further into dynamic contrast, deeper collective interplay, and a broader emotional and sonic range. The result is perhaps the most stylistically adventurous Tranquonauts release yet, moving effortlessly from crushing heaviness to melodic classicism, from meditative post-rock drift to outer-space reinterpretation.

Where II opened portals, III steps through them.

A MEETING OF DISTINCT VOICES

The chemistry at the core of Tranquonauts remains singular.

Seedy Jeezus bring the restless experimentalism and psychedelic intensity that has defined their celebrated body of work.

Isaiah Mitchell, revered for his transcendent lead work in Earthless, contributes his unmistakable melodic fire and improvisational reach.

Tony Reed, one of underground heavy psych’s most respected architects, brings production depth, compositional sophistication and sonic daring that help shape the project’s wide-screen vision.

Together, they create something none would make alone.

NOT A SIDE PROJECT – A COSMIC COLLABORATION

What began as an exploratory collaboration has evolved into a fully realized creative force.

Tranquonauts is not about escaping their primary bands, but expanding beyond them.

It is a shared laboratory where krautrock hypnosis, progressive complexity, heavy psych improvisation and cosmic curiosity are allowed full expression.

And with III, that mission reaches a new peak.

RELEASE FORMATS

III will be released in:
Deluxe vinyl editions
Limited coloured pressings
CD and digital formats

Special collector bundles to be announced

Further details- including track listing, artwork and live appearances—will be revealed soon.

FIRST LIVE APPEARANCE

The announcement arrives as anticipation builds for Tranquonauts’ first-ever live performance at Freak Valley Festival, June 5–7 in Germany – the band’s debut live performance and a landmark moment for a project previously known only through its recordings.

Appearing alongside some of the most revered names in psychedelic and heavy underground music, the performance will mark the first time audiences can experience the Tranquonauts’ expansive sonic vision on stage, with material from III expected to feature prominently.

For followers of deep psychedelic exploration, progressive adventure and fearless musical risk, this is not simply a new record.

It is the next transmission.

TRANQUONAUTS – III
Coming June 2026

Label / Pre-order Information:

Australia- Blown Music
seedyjeezus.com

Europe- Kozmik Artifactz
https://kozmik-shop.com/

US- Echodelick Records
https://echodelickrecords.bandcamp.com/

http://www.seedyjeezus.com/
https://seedyjeezus.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/seedyjeezus/
https://www.facebook.com/seedyjeezuspage/

http://www.earthlessofficial.com/
https://earthless.bandcamp.com/music
www.instagram.com/earthlessrips
https://www.facebook.com/earthlessrips

https://www.blownmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/blownmusicpresents/

http://kozmik-artifactz.com/
https://www.facebook.com/kozmikartifactz

https://www.echodelickrecords.com/
https://echodelickrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/echodelickrecords/
https://www.facebook.com/ERECORDSATL

Tranquonauts, 2 (2024)

Hell Yeah will be a new collection of originals and covers — Seedy Jeezus jamming out their own material and others’ live or mostly-live in the studio?; that’s what it sounds like to me but I don’t actually know; if it is that, it’s a treat, even before you get to the 3D art and apparently-included glasses — that Australia’s Seedy Jeezus will have on the road with them this June. It might be the Tranquonauts set — that’s Seedy Jeezus plus Isaiah Mitchell of Earthless — at Freak Valley as the presiding occasion for the tour, but you can trust the Melbourne trio to make the most of the journey, and no, I don’t just mean the vinyl. I got to see them last time they were at Freak Valley (review here) in 2023, and it was one of those oh-shit-I’m-lucky-to-be-alive-type moments. In the parlance of internet reviews, ‘would recommend.’

The particulars of where and when are below, and their socials will reportedly have ticket links and more on Hell Yeah to come. I hope it ends up streaming. Maybe I should chase them down to see if I can do a premiere? I don’t know how much promo they want to do for something that’s limited, but it might be worth dropping a line to ask.

From social media:

SEEDY JEEZUS 2026 EUROPEAN TOUR

Due to the time we can get away from Oz and all that, it’s a brief visit, sadly some of the regular venues we couldn’t play due to booking conflicts, but maybe next tour. We will be in Oldenburg at Cadillac, its been a long time coming this one, since we played MTS years ago, and dont forget, Tranquonauts will be performing at FREAK VALLEY FESTIVAL. We cant wait to get back there to see everyone and hang. ❤

Seedy Jeezus 2026 June European Tour
Tranquonauts Sat. 6th Freak Valley Festival, Netphen, Germany
Sun 7th Het Spektakel Asten
Mon 8th La Bulle Café Lille
Tue 9th Toekomstmuziek Amsterdam
Wed 10th Backyard Club Recklinghausen
Thu 11th Sonic Ballroom Köln
Fri 12th Cadillac Bar Oldenburg
Sat 13th Lükaz Lünen w/ Wucan

We will have a limited edition tour album ‘ HELL YEAH!’- on the road with us in Europe… Its in the vein of Guitar Overdrive, where theres a mix of covers and originals – this ones pretty heavy.- more on that later. It will also be limited edition.

The image on the poster is also the album cover for ‘HELL YEAH!’ – and yes it will come with 3D glasses.

Expect a post next week with links to tickets and venues etc….

P.S. NEW ZEALAND – we will have distribution for our current and future vinyl releases… STAY TUNED!!

http://www.seedyjeezus.com/
https://seedyjeezus.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/seedyjeezus/
https://www.facebook.com/seedyjeezuspage/

https://laybarerecordings.com/
https://laybarerecordings.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/laybarerecordings/
https://www.facebook.com/laybarerecordings/

https://www.echodelickrecords.com/
https://echodelickrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/echodelickrecords/
https://www.facebook.com/ERECORDSATL

Seedy Jeezus, Damned to the Depths (2025)

Melbourne classic-style heavy psych rockers Seedy Jeezus released their self-titled debut in March 2015. Next year, the band will reissue the album in deluxe style, including a lost session from Incubator Studios that hasn’t been out before. That’s enough of a hook for me, honestly. I don’t know how long the self-titled’s actually been out of print, but hell yeah bonus material.

The band earlier in ’25 released their third album, Damned to the Depths (review here), through their own Blown Music as well as Lay Bare Recordings (EU) and Echodelick Records (US), and I’m not sure if the upcoming reissue will be through the same consortium or not, but they’ve got a photo book in the works and such to include as well, and that album and the new one are both streaming below, so if you want to make an afternoon of it with Seedy Jeezus, by all means. You’re not wrong.

Saw this on socials, did the old cutnpasteandturnitblue:

We’ve got something special in the pipeline for 2026, but we’re too excited to keep it a secret.

Our Debut album has been out of print for some time, and we’ve decided to reissue it in a big way. We’re currently deep in the works on an expanded 2LP Deluxe Edition.

Here’s what makes this special: Before we recorded the debut with Tony Reed, we laid down a full album at Incubator Studios here in Melbourne with Adrian Akkerman at the helm. For the first time ever, this deluxe set will include those unreleased Incubator sessions. You’ll get to hear the original 18-minute version of ‘How ya Doin” (which we had to cut back for the Debut album) and ‘Blue Day Glo,’ a track that was dropped entirely.

To capture the feel of that era, we’re also including a 30-page (and growing!) book of unseen photos and memorabilia, plus other curiosities from the archives.

It’s all in motion right now, so stay tuned for more details!”

https://www.facebook.com/seedyjeezuspage/
https://www.instagram.com/seedyjeezus/
https://seedyjeezus.bandcamp.com/
http://www.seedyjeezus.com/

https://laybarerecordings.com/
https://www.facebook.com/laybarerecordings/
https://www.instagram.com/laybarerecordings/
https://laybarerecordings.bandcamp.com/

https://www.echodelickrecords.com/
https://echodelickrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/echodelickrecords/
https://www.facebook.com/ERECORDSATL

Seedy Jeezus, Damned to the Depths (2025)

Seedy Jeezus, Seedy Jeezus (2015)

A field recording of insects begins 21-minute opener and longest track (immediate points) “Earth” on the self-titled debut from Moonseeds, but it isn’t long before the resonant, duly pastoral wandering guitar of Lex Waterreus begins to unfurl a sunrise of tone. Waterreus, known for his work in Australian heavy psych rockers Seedy Jeezus, as well as for his retro-styled graphic design, is soon joined by cymbal washes and gentle toms from Dave “Sula Bassana” Schmidt and, gradually, the exploratory bass of “Komet Lulu” Neudeck. When Moonseeds‘ Moonseeds was first recorded, reportedly in 2018 after Seedy Jeezus finished a European tour, both Schmidt and Neudeck were still members of Electric Moon — the former currently has a Sula Bassana live band going and is always doing numerous other projects and collaborations, while the latter has founded Worst Bassist Records and just released an album with a new band, The Barren Room; it’s unknown just how forever-done Electric Moon are –and with additional effects from all as well as organ and Mellotron, a recording and mix from Schmidt and vocals from Wattereus, the three-song/41-minute long-player might be a one-off, but if so, it’s one with noteworthy persona.

Comprising all of side A, “Earth” (21:10) gives way to “Sun” (7:12) and “Moon” (12:58) for the vinyl’s second side, and between the three of them, the expanse seems a little broader in scale than the 93 million miles of one astronomical unit can really account for, but is still less about space than the cosmic soul residing therein as manifest in Waterreus‘ soloing. He is a classic lead guitarist, and given the opportunity by the mellow rhythmic backdrop of “Earth,” he does not miss the opportunity to go, go, go where the fretboard seems to want to go, setting a hypnotic and winding but distinctly his own course as the chirps continue even amid the slow-mo scorch around 11 minutes in, bluesy shred and crash cymbal hitting a crescendo that carries forward in a build of swirl and effects filling out the mix with slow undulations and a thudding beat beneath that find their own evolutionary path across the next few minutes so that the change when Schmidt moves off the cymbals at around the 17-minute mark is striking and the howls of guitar stand out in a different, lonelier way headed into the comedown.

The bugs have been at it the whole time, and as “Earth” quiets down, that becomes even more apparent — visions of post-apocalyptic sci-fi in the six-legged insectoid post-human inheritors of the planet — and gentle repetitions of the guitar line lead the way out with some subtle flourish layered in, then are gone. Of course, as it makes up half the record — which was mastered by Eroc (Grobschnitt; he’s billed as “krautrock legend Eroc,” and fair enough) — “Earth” is an inevitable focal point of Moonseeds, but side B has its own statement to make in pairing “Sun” and “Moon.” If you want to think of it as a question of perspective, perhaps we’re on “Earth” with a clear view of the “Moon” and the “Sun,” which is millions of times larger than either of the others and hot enough to fuse hydrogen into helium, but the shortest piece here, at further remove as the others orbit around it. It is distinguished by a sense of melancholy even before Waterreus dares to add a human voice to the proceedings. The open reaches in the mix are complemented by a line of organ that threads through quietly, while the drums and the effects-laced voice both seem farther back.

There were recordings done in 2023 — Seedy Jeezus were back in Europe — in addition to what had been put to tape in 2018, and I don’t know if that’s part of what has allowed “Sun” to become more of a song than a jam, but its resonance extends to the emotional even before it heads to the midsection, somewhere between Led Zeppelin at their least-coked and King Crimson at their most fluid, but not really either of them. Mellow space rock, maybe, if you need a genre tag, but in the hearing it’s more about the presence of the keys and the wistfulness of the guitar. They’re not melodramatic or over-the-top, but in a third of the runtime, they manage to foster an impression apart from “Earth” — the vocals help the distinction, but aren’t the only source of it — and put the aforementioned soul of Waterreus‘ guitar to a particularly expressive use; not quite shooting for “Maggot Brain” territory, but definitely “Maggot Brain”-aware. The finish is a little janglier, but that it’s preserved rather than faded out adds to the organic feel of the entirety, making it believable that the entire proceedings were made up on the spot.

And with these players, they may have been. “Moon” begins around the guitar and unfolds quickly with an uptempo-by-comparison groove while maintaining the peacefulness that has been overarching throughout. Neudeck‘s fuzzed bass holds together cyclical low end as the drums turn back through measures and the guitar leads the build — it’s the stuff of power-trio traditionalism, wrought with individualized purpose. Right after four minutes in, Waterreus seems to propose a more active stretch, and Schmidt and Neudeck are immediately on board, which makes for a quick, easily-missed example of the conversation happening between players throughout Moonseeds, the way the material moves, allowing everybody space in a mix that’s wide enough to hold all of them and keyboards besides.

The finale, instrumental in its first half, finds itself in willful repetitions through the midsection before the drums and bass drop out and the vague swirls of vocals, maybe synthesizer, and such are established. The guitar comes back bright and joined by organ (at least I’m hearing one) for a worthy apex and subsequent noisy ending, after which they’re gone like they were never there in the first place. It’s hard to know with a project like this if it’s something that will or would ever happen again — Neudeck and Schmidt aren’t in a band together anymore and Waterreus lives halfway around the world; it’s clearly not conducive to weekly rehearsals — but as a listening experience, it’s understandable how these recordings might have held on in the back of the mind for six years before coming out. They capture a special moment in the studio and build around that central, maybe-improv foundation and hold a character that is their own. I wouldn’t hazard to predict whether or not there’s more in reserve for future release or whether or not these three will ever be in the same space again, but even if not, that does nothing to detract from the immersion and the light they offer here.

Moonseeds, Moonseeds (2024)

Sulatron Records on Facebook

Sulatron Records on Instagram

Sulatron Records website

Echodelick Records on Facebook

Echodelick Records on Instagram

Echodelick Records on Bandcamp

Echodelick Records website

Blown Music on Facebook

The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Lex ‘Frumpy’ Waterreus of Seedy Jeezus

—

How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

I play guitar and sing in Seedy Jeezus… I’d always wanted to play guitar since a kid. My father played guitar and every other string instrument, banjo, ukulele, etc. Oddly enough he never once had any interest in my playing, but my mum saw music as a healthy interest. She supported it, and well… after A LOT of gigs, jams rehearsals… then developing hand problems and stopping for many years, I auditioned for a band playing 60s Mod stuff… I clicked with the bassist, that eventuated into the first incarnation of Seedy Jeezus, and the first time I’d ever played in a three-piece band.

Describe your first musical memory.

I was kid, maybe five… My sister had been given the Shangri-las greatest hits record, and played it over n over. It was the equivalent of the Wiggles in the house. My mum threatened to smash it many times. That was the first time I took notice of a band or record. To this day I love the Shangri-las.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

Playing Freak Valley Festival. There’s plenty of them, touring jamming and hanging with Isaiah Mitchell, just being onstage with your band and playing music with one mind… but Freak Valley was like finding family you didn’t know you had. The people we met that day have become very good friends. I think any friendship made through music is special.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

You know, Covid has tested many beliefs, and also revealed many disappointments.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

I think artistic progression is reflected on life growth and experiences. It’s like those times when life kicks you down, then one day you realize you’re back up and walking. You look back and are happy you survived, you feel stronger and you’ve grown… That growth flows into art, music and outlook on life and expression.

How do you define success?

When you write a song and someone loves it and they connect to it. When your music has moved someone, they’ve responded to it on an emotional level… that to me is success. There are many bands I have loved and supported since a kid that were to me successful, they may have only played local gigs and released a demo tape or CD… but I still listen to them today. To me they’re successful. They wrote something I connected to…

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

It’s funny JJ, what came to mind first off was watching my mother take her last breath while she looked directly into my eyes. I didn’t sleep for days after. Every time I closed my eyes I relived it. Then I saw the cycle of life in that moment, she saw me take my first breath and I saw her take her last. That somehow made the trauma seem like a natural part of life. I wrote about it on “Treading Water” from Polaris. The line “breath in and set me free” that last breath and the silence after held me at a spot which seemed like forever, but it was moments… Then my world fell apart. We don’t play it live cause it’s a headspace I don’t want to visit on stage.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

For the last couple of years I have tried to raise money for an organization back in New Zealand, in my hometown, that helps the homeless with food. I have done this through producing artwork, etc., that are based from the town’s history. I have an idea of how I can set up a business model that would be a perpetual income for the organization that looks after the homeless, and would need little effort to maintain and run. I have already tested waters to raise $$ and they’ve been successful, with support from local businesses back home… Once Covid passes, I hope to get things a bit deeper and more solid. Homelessness in NZ is a problem, I have had friends I grew up with end up homeless and sadly a couple have died on the streets. It took a childhood friend who went down the drugs, gangs and homelessness and prison, to getting out and turning most perceptions people may have had of him, on their head. And showing up all these people with real action, real love and real support for the homeless who have been where he was. Inspiring stuff.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

Art for me is a place of healing and perspective. When you’re lost. Music can be your hiding place. Like most of us we all go through stuff, when I had hand problems and stopped playing guitar for many years, I took up art and painting. I’d prepare all day for it and sit up all night listening to music and painting portraits etc. Very happy memories right there.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

Buying some fish and chips and sitting by the ocean listening to the waves and feeling the sun’s warmth. That right there is something that goes back to when I was a kid… so even though I’m here in Australia, I feel I am at home by the water.

[Photo above by Stephen Boxshall.]

https://www.facebook.com/seedyjeezuspage/
https://www.instagram.com/seedyjeezus/
https://seedyjeezus.bandcamp.com/
http://www.seedyjeezus.com/

Seedy Jeezus, Polaris Oblique (2018)

[Click play above to stream ‘Polaris Oblique’ from Seedy Jeezus with Tony Reed’s limited Live in Liege LP. Album will be available on the band’s upcoming European tour (dates here).]

The front cover of the LP is emblazoned with the heading ‘The Broken String Incident,’ and indeed, Seedy Jeezus guitarist/vocalist Lex “Mr. Frumpy” Waterreus does break a string as the Australian outfit make their stop in Liège, Belgium, on July 18, 2018. “Incident” might be stretching it — so far as I know no ambassadors were recalled — but you gotta call it something, and it underscores the intention of the limited-to-150-copies, only-available-on-tour LP, which is to capture a bootleg-style feel. The artwork for Live in Liège is taken from Waterreus‘ own tour poster for their 2018 European run, which was their first — the tour they’ll sell the LP on is their second — with Mos Generator‘s Tony Reed filling in on bass for Paul Crick, who couldn’t make the trip from Australia with Waterreus and drummer Mark Sibson.

And if Reed seems like an out-of-the-blue choice, the relationship there runs deeper than just the live shows, with Reed having traveled from his home in Washington to record Seedy Jeezus in their native Melbourne for their 2015 self-titled debut and again for last year’s Polaris Oblique (review here) — he’ll reportedly produce their next album as well whenever that happens. Bottom line, then, is Tony Reed is about as close as one could get to being in Seedy Jeezus, and sometimes he is kind of in the band. He plays like it, taking on a backing vocalist role in the 10-minute side B launcher “Dripping from the Eye of the Sun,” stepping in to introduce Waterreus during the second round of band introductions before they finish the set with “Oh Lord Pt. 2” from the sophomore LP. That the two parties would fit well together isn’t a huge surprise, since both play a style of largely straight-ahead heavy rock with a strong foundation in the classics of the form, an emphasis on songwriting as well as the tightness of the presentation. In the rhythm section with Sibson, Reed‘s right at home throughout “Polaris Oblique”  and the subsequent “Everything’ll Be Alright” — billed as “Everything’s Alright” on the back cover; a notable change in tense — and all throughout the 40-minute set that unfolds.

By the time they got to Péniche la Légia in Liège, Seedy Jeezus had already been on the road for somewhere in the neighborhood of 11 days, and they sound like it. The actual audio on Live in Liège is fairly raw. If we’re going on the scale of bootlegs, it’s definitely a soundboard, and it’s gorgeous compared to some recorded-in-a-jacket-pocket DAT shows I’ve heard in my time, but neither is it a polished live record even as much as was Seedy Jeezus‘ 2016 offering, Live in Netphen: Freak Valley 2015 (discussed here). Again, it’s not supposed to be. The whole idea behind this release is that it’s something special that documents this special moment of their European tour supporting their second album. As Waterreus rips into the solo at the furious outset of “Sun in My Car” at the end of side A — stopping amid that triumphal boogie between measures to give the crowd a well-earned moment to holler, whistle, etc. — before, indeed, that string breaks and he does the first round of band introductions presumably in the midst of changing it out. If it didn’t say so on the cover, they’d have gotten away with it no problem. No one would know.

Still, if that’s something to stand the show out from the others on the tour, they handle it smoothly enough, which is the kind of thing a band can do without being derailed when they’ve already been on the road for a week-plus. “Sun in My Car” picks up in all the more energized fashion when it returns and blasts off en route to the interstellar drift of “Dripping from the Eye of the Sun” after the side flip, recalling the initial punch of “Polaris Oblique” and “Everything’ll Be Alright” at the start of the set — those two also lead off the Polaris Oblique album in succession — and prefacing “Barefoot Travellin’ Man” and “Oh Lord Pt. 2” still to come. Seedy Jeezus excel at this kind of madcap shuffle, and Live in Liège brings that out well, but their range has never been limited to just one thing, as “Dripping from the Eye of the Sun” demonstrates that with its slower roll and more spacious feel, which isn’t something that one would necessarily expect to come across on a live record, since it’s doubly hard to set the mood for someone listening when that person isn’t at the gig, but Seedy Jeezus deliver the set as it happened and the rest takes care of itself.

I imagine there are some who would hear Live in Liège and not understand the “warts and all”-style vibe it hones or why a band would even put out a recording of a set where the guitarist breaks a string in the middle of a song. But isn’t it obvious? It’s cinéma vérité — the most stripped down manner in which they could showcase the reality of what the tour was like. The only way it could be more real is if they recorded the 23 hours that day they spent driving, sleeping, no doubt, waiting for the time when they could get on stage and kick ass as they do here. By the time they get to the end of “Barefoot Travellin’ Man,” the scorch in Waterreus‘ soloing is so encompassing that whatever concerns might exist about fidelity simply dissipate. You just get into it and that’s all there is. This is the bootleg ideal, of course. Seedy Jeezus put you where the show is happening just as they put the audience who was there where they wanted them.

This may only be a limited LP, offered up in plain style through the band’s own Blown Music imprint with no super-deluxe special edition or anything like that, but it represents something special about their approach just the same, where it’s not just the fact that they boogie down or riff out or get spacey or whatever it might be, but that they do so with such obvious, resonant joy. I can’t imagine a more compelling argument to go see a band than that.

Seedy Jeezus website

Seedy Jeezus on Thee Facebooks

Seedy Jeezus on Instagram

Seedy Jeezus on Bandcamp