Black Explosion
Atomic Zod War

A freakin’ free spaced out to the top album with a twist of dark infinity, is how the press release describes the third release of Swedish trio Black Explosion called Atomic Zod War. A piece which music was arranged and recorded while the band was stranded on Earth for a short while during their universal tour. Instead of wasting time waiting for their ship to be repaired they decided to enter SGV Studios. The result is an album full of very retro space rock soundscapes. This is how this album is being sold and it is a clever way to say that if you want a Hawkwind or MC5 clone or just want to remember a time when you were fit and healthy, it is an album for you.

Retro rock is certainly a good description of how this album sounds, it sounds like anything from the sixties or early seventies. Hardly unique in any sense of the way, even the production and soundscapes feels old and had I not known that it was recorded recently I would have believed that it was some recording that had been lying in a box somewhere collecting dust for forty years. It certainly feels made for those who live under the false pretence that it was better in the past, I wonder if anyone can ever give a valid argument for such a standpoint – these guys doesn’t.

If you are one of those old geezers dreaming of a younger version of yourself I am absolutely certain that you will find this album extremely appealing. I think the sound hurts my ear to such an extent that it becomes painful just listening to it; fortunately the album is short enough not to do any permanent damage to my hearing. But I guess that since I wasn’t born when this music had its peak of popularity I fail to understand the appeal, I am nostalgic to music I grew up with as well but also realise that it isn’t really better than the good stuff that comes today - they just have some memories and feelings attached to them making them appear better than they are. So if you have that attachment to bands like Hawkwind and similar stuff I think it is fair to assume that you will like it.

It is an album for the old, those who were young around the time when my parents were born. I fail to see the appeal, I like some retro stuff but I have never ever thought music was better in the past as it always seems to evolve and become better and better as time passes. I guess that is why I fail to be impressed with one more of those albums that tries to ride on past glories but fails to understand what made those past glories possible. Ironically I think that this band’s past albums are much better than this one, Black explosion was better in the past.

Simply a great album for those old geezers who wish they were young again.

HHHHHHH