Phased – 3 musicians, 3 instruments, 1 sound. A collision of Sabbath-like heaviness and spacey Hawkwind riffage; the sunburned desert meets the blackness of doom. Walls of guitars and droning bass-lines team up with tribal rhythms and melt into a maelstrom of sound Phased call psychedelic deathrock.
Heavy and oft monotonous riffs, misanthropic barking vocals – it is plain obvious this sinister package delves in the darker sides of reality. But make no mistake –song-titles such as «Woke Up This Morning And Gave Myself Head» are but one hint you’re dealing with intellectual shoeshine boys of the humorous kind. These are simply not some retarded and brainless dope-heads.
Founded in 1997, the band went through various line-up changes and one slight name-change – from Phased 4°F to the simpler Phased. Today, the band consists of founding-member Chris Sigdell on vocals and guitar, Chris Walt on Bass and Marko Lehtinen on drums; a trio with members from Sweden, Switzerland and Finland. Maybe it is this mixture that is part responsible for their sheer mania?
With «Medications» Phased have recorded a straight follow-up to their highly acclaimed album «Music For Gentlemen». Once again, V.O. Pulver of Gurd produced the album. «Medications» - not only is the title a nod in the direction of Coltrane, it is also a declaration of lyrical content. While “Music For Gentlemen” generally deal with the male miss-/understanding of femininity, this time it’s all about the use and side-effects of mind-altering substances. Ten songs, no filler!
Phased, a microcosm full of giant sound!
Contact: Chris Sigdell, Postfach 591, 4005 Basel, Schweiz, kingmongol@hotmail.com
Reviews:
« ... And so, it’s only logical that Swiss musicians should find themselves on a doom-space-stoner-trip. That’s where Phased head on their second album „Music for Gentlemen“. And they do it exceptionally good, because the aforementioned styles are balanced-out well and they do not delve in endless and nervy instrumental space-jams. Instead the riffs are heavy as a brick, with dry vocals and a very groovy rhythm-section. (...) Klaus Himmelstein (7 of 10 points)» (Rock Hard / Ger)
*****
«No, there’s definitely no justice in the world: for ages I’ve been preaching the greatness of this Swiss group, which I’ve been following since they were called Mercury 4°F and later Phased 4°F. (...) Chris Sigdell has moved the band from the difficult noise-rock to the psychedelic deathrock of today, an amalgamation of punk, stoner und space-rock, dark, heavy and endearing, somewhere between Spacemen 3, Pothead and Fu Manchu. That hits the nail on its head, and surely is helped by the production, which is fatter and more through than on previous recordings. (...) Joachim Hiller (8 points)» (Ox / Ger)
*****
«Now this is a very interesting and challenging album. The band are very much fans of early Hawkwind but also industrial music and hard driving punk rock! (…) The CD begins with "Alien Think Tank". I don’t care much for the lyrics but the music gets down to business with a heavy psychedelic wall of sound. "Illiterate Snob" is a hard driving punk influenced song with a great riff. The vocal delivery reminds me of someone but I just can’t place it. "His Sordid Past" is a repetitive heavy monster of a song. "Continuously Well" has another skull crushing riff and some phased vocals and is a dark disturbing song. "Woke Up This Morning and Gave Myself Head" is a fucked up instrumental track that has a great bass groove and some sampled speaking as it builds up and gets heavier and heavier. Phew… "Like a Bomb" is another psychedelic space rock monster. "The Voices In Her Head" is a straight-forward ass kicking rocker. The CD ends with the long "N.T.T.". Quite an impressive release.» (Aural Innovations / USA)
*****
«They call it psychedelic deathrock – a fucking spacey amalgamation of old Monster Magnet, garagey Cosmic Psychos and doom-rock a la Killdozer, Melvins and Saint Vitus. There’s heavy and driving space-punk and everlasting druggy instrumental loops. But even here the songs of “Music For Gentlemen” never come across as boring or even bored. On the contrary, the three Swiss display an unheard of lust for playing. (…) “Music For Gentlemen”, as every other Phased record, belongs to every good record-collection. And live the band is just fantastic. Markus D. (4 of 5 points)» (Kasino Royal / Ger)
*****
«Brothers and sisters of The Void, Phased take a big ole' cauldron of bubbling MC5 energy and stir in a nightmarish blend of classic space rock influences to create a euphoric blend indeed. So sip carefully, and do not operate heavy machinery after partaking. (…) Phased have provided the perfect soundtrack to a zero-g mosh on a retro star liner to Proxima Centuri. Don't forget the chemicals, or risk being labelled a square forever! While you're loading up, place this one in rotation with Farflung, Datura, Gas Giant, Nik Turner, and let‘s not forget the mighty space fathers, Hawkwind. Solid.» (Stonerrock.com & Hellride Music / USA)
«Here it is then, the newest album by this Swiss psychedelic-stoner-hardrock trio. For me, they are one of the best bands out of Switzerland today. Well done from beginning to the end. Sounds as if old Hawkwind had gone back into the studio with Lemmy on bass and a brilliant Dave Brock on vocals. (…) A must for every fan of the legendary old Hawkwind, and those who prefer to listen to drug-induced psychedelic-(stoner)-hard-rock rather than anything else! (Kozmik Artifactz / Ger)
*****
«I dieci brani di “Music for gentlemen” scorrono via dinamici ed incisivi, tosti e risoluti nel loro mix di rock corposo e divagazioni lisergiche. (…) Davvero strambo come gruppo questi Phased, quando meno te l’aspetti tirano fuori dal cilindro colpi spettacolari e assolutamente sorprendenti. Perfetti come droga per perdersi in un oceano multiforme e multicolore.» (Noize Italia - I)
*****
«Phased, the trio from Basel, has sold its soul to good old rock’n’roll, and quite honourably indeed. Earthy rock music with a touch of psychedelic and some stoner rock is what this band thrives on. They belong in the family of bands like Orange Goblin, Spiritual Beggars, Queens Of The Stone Age, Monster Magnet, as well as the Über-band of all: Black Sabbath. (…) „Music For Gentlemen“ sounds ripe and well done. It’s got 10 songs and a catchy refrain like on opener „Alien Think Tank“ is no scarcity. The guitars are embalmed in sweet odours of smoke and are a trademark. The heavy groovy structures of the songs are addictive upon first listen. Phased is a group of three musicians who very well know how to play catchy and demanding rock music. (7,5 of 10 points) » (The Metal Observer / Ger)
*****
«I really like the mix of heavy and strange noises and phased out heavy guitars (though there are not many solos). These guys must be quite good live.» (Lowcut / DK)
*****
«Switzerland... famous for it‘s cheese, mountains, tradition and banks, but is that all in Switzerland? I think not! There are three people who worship the Heavy-Rock and pray the huge riff. (…) All in all, it is a fat album with a lot of good ideas. Good job. By the way, these guys also have a really good humour or wouldn‘t you laugh about titles like: „Woke up this morning and gave myself head“? Damn... Heavy rock made in Switzerland.» (Daredevil Magazine / Ger)
*****
«Toute l’ivresse de cet album hypnotique envoûte tout mon corps (qui n’en demandait pas tant)… Et la force de ce groupe ô combien talentueux est de créer une ambiance psychotique faisant ressurgir dans l’ombre du néant : des influences punky hard hypnotique… Même la voix contribue à cette douloureuse certitude rappelant parfois le râle de Biafra (mon idole de l’enfer )… J’implore Lard, Bottom, Unsane, j’implore mon devenir, ma raison… L’eau crache une couleur sale, dans ma sale salle de bain… rouge sang…» (Psycotic S.R. / F)
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