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Rating: Another interesting production from Black Widow: this time it’s the turn of Desert Wizards, a group from Ravenna. The multicolored cover evokes vivid psychedelic suggestions, harking back to an unrepeatable historical period when music and art were experiencing a new creative season. In America, names like Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Quicksilver Messenger Service were the heralds of psychedelia, while in England there were the early Pink Floyd with the Madcap Syd Barrett. The music of Desert Wizards actually takes only some of the cited influences, particularly something from the early Pink Floyd, but it mainly pays tribute to a sort of Black Sabbath-style doom although there is also a garage attitude reminiscent of the revival of bands like Plan 9 and Fuzztones. The first track “Astral Master” is a little masterpiece: a pulsating bass and effected guitars create a genuine and psychedelic atmosphere that seems to come straight from “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.” Everything sounds "dated” in Desert Wizards' music, but this is not necessarily a bad thing: perhaps some may turn up their nose, but those who love the sound of the late '60s and early '70s will find something to sink their teeth into. Desert Wizards certainly do not lack grit, as can be heard in “Born Loser,” with a typical '70s organ and the guitars prominently featured, making it hard to resist. “Red Sun” is another strong piece, featuring another fine bass introduction leading into a beautiful rarefied psych-hard ride. Highly evocative is the track “The Man Who Rode the Time,” a sort of space-time journey from which a single and a video were made. Overall, there are no weak moments: the context is as derivative as it can be, but on the other hand, this was also a criticism directed at the neo-psychedelic movement of the '80s. Perhaps the vocals are not completely in focus, but this does not detract from the quality of this project. Available at Black Widow: http://blackwidow.it/ .
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