Home Read Motorpsycho | The Crucible

Motorpsycho | The Crucible

The Norwegian psyche-metal proggers forge a disc that lives up to its name.

With some albums, less is more. With others, more is more. And with Motorpsycho’s The Crucible, both are somehow true at the same time. But perhaps only because the ever-expanding vastness of the Norwegian psychedelic prog-metal power trio’s singular sound renders words like less and more virtually meaningless — much in the same way our Milky Way galaxy pales in size next to the rest of the universe. If you have heard their all-engulfing 2017 double-album The Tower, you essentially know what you’re in for. If you haven’t, here’s what to expect: A 40-minute album with just three songs. Though again, referring to these creations as songs does not begin to tell the tale. They are wide-ranging, shape-shifting epics that balance the technical precision and virtuosity of King Crimson or Yes with the narcotizing space-walk languor and dusty vocals of Pink Floyd. That is, when they aren’t detouring into folk or jazz or one of the other sonic and stylistic wormholes that writing 20-minute songs gives you time to patiently plumb. And combining them all into a musical melting pot to forge another massive undertaking from one of the most adventurous bands in rock. And an album that lives up to its title. More or less.

Previous articleDrenge | Strange Creatures
Next articleNext Week in Music | Feb. 25-March 3, 2019 • Music on TV