Tangle Edge – Serpentary Quarters. 2006. D: 12. Norwegian space rockers Tangle Edge are an A-List group for me, and it’s been 9 years since their last album “Tarka”, so to say I’ve been anticipating their new album would be a bit of an understatement. The centerpiece is a two part, 33 minute jam called “Transcendental Virtue”, which locks into a serious groove while the guitar solos, sometimes quite intensely. The drummer doesn’t just keep the beat either, but constantly adds fills and mixes up the sounds. This is exactly what I would expect a band like Acid Mothers Temple to do, rather than the racket they choose to create. The band states that their philosophy is they only will release an album if it’s something worth bringing to the public (which explains the long gaps in between albums). And they knew they had something special with this segment. Tangle Edge may jam in acid rock mode for hours at a time, but it never sounds noisy or out of tune. It’s orderly chaos verse pure chaos. You find yourself in a tantric state, completely zoned into the groove. So rare that a modern band pulls this off anymore. Superb! The other 3 tracks aren’t shabby either including another great jam to close it off. Instant classic.

Climax - Gusano Mecanico. 1974. D: 12. While on the topic of obscure South American countries (see Psiglo), how about one from Bolivia? Up until about 2 years ago, the only band I knew from there was Wara (not exactly a household name that). Then came an original copy of “Gusano Mecanico” on ebay, and I think it went for well over $1,000. World in Sound, as they tend to do, followed up not long afterwards with an LP reissue, so that most of us can hear it now.  What an amazing release from such an obscure place. There’s a slight jazz bent with piano grooves -  but generally this is crazed instrumental jamming, with fuzzy and freaky guitar solos all over. Primarily instrumental with some aggressive vocals. Has that true sense of adventure that was more common in its day. Some of the guitar sounds like Heldon! No indigenous sounds like most albums from the northern and central parts of South America (excepting a short tribal percussion piece and even that is more Anglo sounding). Comes with a 4 track ep as well, which are just throwaway cover tunes, but fun. Grading a little easy tonight, but if I get two great papers in a row – I’m giving them an A!  Get this before it disappears. Though I suspect WiS will issue on CD sometime in the future.

Couer Magique – Wankan Tanka. 1971. 9+10. And here’s another one that I haven’t heard in well over a dozen years. The LP used to be relatively common, so I picked it up back in the day for about $15 I think – and promptly sold it for $15. Shrewd. In any case, nice to get another shot at hearing it. Interesting to hear the French language in such a standard rock setting. I’m so used to the dramatic approach of Ange and their brethren. Album is at its best when Claude Olmos rips on guitar over some West Indies tribal percussion. Long track towards the end catches a nice groove as Claude jams in the same style Sugarloaf did on ‘Green Eyed Lady’, which is cool. Nice West Coast rambling guitar piece to close. This is better than I remembered – with the strong ending noted. Goes up a point.