The Italian psych and acid rock wizards known as Giöbia will release their sixth album, Acid Disorder, on April 28th, with vinyl, CD, and digital formats available through the Heavy Psych Sounds label. It is eight tracks of some of the best psych we’ve heard so far this year; keep reading to find out why!
About Acid Disorder
Acid Disorder was recorded at Elfo Studio in Piacenza, Italy, between March and October 2022, and features band members Stefano ‘Bazu’ Basurto on string instruments and vocals, Paolo ‘Detrij’ Basurto handling the bass guitar duties, Melissa Crema on synthesizers, organs, and vocals, and drummer Pietro D’Ambrosio. The music on this album helps strengthen Giöbia’s “reputation as one of Europe’s most bedazzling purveyors of psychedelia with eight weighty and effects-drenched tracks that will drive the listener in altered states of consciousness.” They do this by utilizing elements of neo-psych, space rock, stoner rock, and acid rock, and the result is one of the most captivating psych albums from the first quarter of 2023.
The Songs
“Queen Of Wands” was the first song I’d ever heard from Giöbia. I was bewitched by its space psych sounds within the first 60 seconds, prompting me to dig into the album and write this review. The band can sound almost angelic, delivering an extremely vast sense of what this genre can and should be. The floating feel they can accomplish is a recurring theme of Acid Disorder that adds to the record’s charm.
“The Sweetest Nightmare” has a trance-like quality that bends to the will of whatever section of the song is being played. The fact that Giöbia can keep that vibe steady while still adjusting it to fit each part is astounding, as is the track as a whole.
“Consciousness Equals Energy” is one of, if not the best, songs on the record. It’s a tad quicker than its two predecessors and has more of an acid-rock vibe. It still has that floating feel, the trance-inducing characteristics that are a hallmark of the Giöbia sound, and plenty of space-psych elements. I also feel that this one has the best vocal performances on the record; the way they flow and shift with the music takes things to another realm altogether.
“Screaming Souls” starts by being quite similar to “Consciousness Equals Energy” but takes on an identity of its own by the time the verse parts enter. The way the band mixes their psych influences with rock creates a sound that will appeal to bands like King Buffalo fans, and the organ work is musical perfection.
“Blood Is Gone” brings a bit of desert rock to the mix, adding the western desert psych sounds that I adore. There’s a gunslinger vibe to the verses, making me envision a dusty town with two men facing each other, their fingertips hovering just over their pistol grips. The psych influences change them in my mind, from humans to hybrid beings, possible descendants of some time-traveling alien race, each ready to prove their dominance by killing the other. The fact that the music is amazing, along with the visuals it placed in my mind, elevates this song above its brothers. I’d even go so far as to say that this is the best track on the record, beating out “Consciousness Equals Energy” for that title.
“Circo Galattico” has the sounds that one might expect from a demented and deleted scene from the original Willy Wonka film, perhaps from the room where they take the bad children to unsuccessfully reverse the effects of their bad behavior. The spacey psych of this one is weird, but just the right amount of weird to keep me invested in the song.
“In Line” begins with a surf-psych feel that doesn’t last long before Giöbia drops into an acid rock-influenced verse. The vocals slightly remind me of Russell Brand’s musician character from Get Him to the Greek, but deeper into the psychedelic genre than you’ll ever hear in that film. There’s a space rock feel running throughout due to the effects-laden guitar parts that perfectly complement the track as a whole.
“Acid Disorder” has a cosmic quality that will entrance those that hear it. It floats amongst the clouds on psychedelia wings, harnessing each band member’s talents and amplifying them into space and time. This is the perfect track to close out an incredible psych-rock journey.
Final Thoughts
This record is a beautiful demonstration of what psychedelic music can be, creating an atmosphere that soars to lofty peaks and dives into the deepest valleys that this type of music can offer listeners. To further that sentiment, the Heavy Psych Sounds Bandcamp page says that …
“With this surprising album, Giöbia invites us to enter their realm, that hidden place in the depths of their mind where anything can happen. Once again, we abandon ourselves to altered states of consciousness, enchanted by the lysergic side of music that is both familiar and new.”
This description hits the nail squarely on the head, helping to explain what listeners are in store for when playing Acid Disorder, which, as I said earlier, will be released this April 28th through the Heavy Psych Sounds label. There are currently two tracks available, so head to wherever you stream music and give them a listen. Enjoy!!!
Support Giöbia by checking out their Bandcamp or find them on social media (Facebook, Instagram).
This review was written by Tom Hanno, who has been writing reviews for the last 7 years but has been sharing his love of music for the majority of his life. Originally starting out at the now-defunct Chimera Magazine, he is currently contributing to Doomed and Stoned, The Sleeping Shaman, The Doom Charts, Tom’s Reviews, and The Third Eye. Read more of Tom’s reviews by checking out his Linktree.
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