Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA The Atomic Blast - Hypnosis
 | With influences ranging from Joe Meek and surf to Bobby Vee and Link Wray, The Atomic Blast have a refreshing and entertaining sound. Most non-surf instros that are not in the Shadows style tend to be progression riff rock and go-go or frat. This CD features much better writing and arranging than that, setting Hypnosis head and shoulders above most out there. |
Picks: Astralfant, Cosmic Fantasy V, Crazy Crazy Lightyears, Hypnophobia, Space Patrol, The Amazing Hypno-Bear (On A Unicycle), Digging My Grave, Slavedriver, Colt 45, Drink That Blood, Senor ???, Ride The Rocket, Senor ???, Shin-Okubo
Track by Track Review
Go-Go Space Surf Rock (Instrumental)
Long whammy chords and western tone on the guitar merge well with solid drums and bass while eerie organ carries the lead melody. "Astralfant" is pretty cool in a graveyard movie sort of way.
Go-Go Space Surf Rock (Instrumental)
Ringing notes and whistling lead organ lend a sort of Joe Meek / Tornados sound and feel to "Cosmic Fantasy V (long version)." Large and sweepingly visual, this track shouts out UK early sixties.
Go-Go Space Surf Rock (Instrumental)
Spacy with a good melody and gimmicky Theremin. Infectious in a pop manor, "Crazy Crazy Lightyears" is much lighter than Joe Meek instros were.
Go-Go Space Surf Rock (Instrumental)
Moody sci-fi feeling with gritty rhythm guitar and spacy organ and effects. At first, "Hypnophobia" did not really grab me, but in the end, its dark underbelly put me under its spell.
Go-Go Space Surf Rock (Instrumental)
Fanciful surf guitar patterns provide great intro hooks before playing solo melody notes. The organ adds to the eerie space theme. Goofy Theremin cements the b-movie theme.
The Amazing Hypno-Bear (On A Unicycle) Go-Go Space Surf Rock (Instrumental)
Muted surf guitar and moody bass support this spooky song. "The Amazing Hypno-Bear (On A Unicycle)" is very well thought out, with eerie mentally unbalanced imagery. It's light hearted and fun in an insane asylum vein.
Go-Go Space Surf Rock (Instrumental)
"Demolition Derby" is a bit grindy in a go-go neighborhood, being more riff rock than song. It just did not keep me interested.
Go-Go Space Surf Rock (Instrumental)
On the edge of fear there is a place where the wind and haunted tone create uneasy images. Once past the slow intro, "Digging My Grave" picks right up with bouncy rhythms and infectious sound. Very cool track!
Go-Go Space Surf Rock (Instrumental)
dark and moody, "Slavedriver" trembles with tremolo guitar and a Link Wray-ish inspiration. Its layered sound and lumbering pace create danger. The scratchy fuzz in the middle is way too cool!
Go-Go Space Surf Rock (Instrumental)
It's the infectious rhythm that makes "Colt 45" a splendid track. It has rich guitar, boss drums, and very strong bass, but it's the dry chop rhythm that really accents the soaring sound.
Drink That Blood, Senor ??? Go-Go Space Surf Rock (Instrumental)
Surf guitar lead and lumbering tremolo rhythm, with whistling organ and well-paced drums and bass. Spooky, dark, and reminiscent of The Wailers' "High Wall."
Ride The Rocket, Senor ??? Go-Go Space Surf Rock (Instrumental)
Bouncing energy in a splashy Laika and the Cosmonauts vein. "Ride The Rocket, Senor ???" is a fun track, with infectious rhythms and very well written melody lines. Its energy and intensity relentlessly rise as it works its way along. Great dramatic ending.
Go-Go Space Surf Rock (Instrumental)
"Shin-Okubo" is slow and pretty, with a gentle nod to Bobby Vee's "More Than I Can Say." Quite nice!