Band: First Band from Outer Space

CD Title: “The Guitar is Mightier than the Gun”

Band Website: www.myspace.com/firstbandfromouterspace

Label: Transubstans Records

Release Date: 2009

Well those wacky space-rockers from Sweden are back with their third trippy, mind-melting CD and its called The Guitar is Mightier than the Gun, or at least I think that’s what it’s called. Of course I’m talking about the quartet known as the First Band from Outer Space otherwise known as FBFOS. Originally formed in 2001 the band today consists of Carl (drums), Johan (vocals, guitar, synthesizers), Fredrik (bass, synthesizers, vocals) and Petrus (organ). As of late, they’ve begun playing with other musicians too which has opened the band up to incorporating a wider pallet of musical sounds into their music.

The Guitar is Mightier than the Gun showcases 4 long tracks that bristle with psychedelic spaciness and inspiration ranging from the obligatory Hawkwind to the more esoteric Pink Floyd and then filtered through their own distinctly Swedish home-grown influences. It’s all mashed together and fermented into a heady brew that is distinctly FBFOS. Track one is the shortest of the bunch, “Demons & Haze” [9:57] gets off to a raucous start before settling down into a nice groove and features a pretty catchy set of vocals. The track slides directly into the more low-key “Turn left at the Mexican Barbeque” [10:42] which begins with some nice acoustic guitar overtop of some soft organ and spacey synth. The sheer length of these tunes allows for plenty of musical change-up and they certainly take advantage of this. They go from soft acoustic ballad segments into rip-roaring jamming that build and build in intensity. Then back again. The music turns the corner and hammers away at a riff, pretty much beats it to death and then softly peels back the layers to become something soft and delicate. There are hints of Grateful Dead, the Doors and Quicksilver Messenger Service littered about, but then again this is also the most proggy of their releases with among other things, some very nice musical crescendos buried in the grooves. The music of FBFOS is layered and complex with many dense passages but it’s the musical groove that gives them a solid direction.

If ‘third times a charm’ means anything, FBFOS have hit it big with this release. This is music you can really get lost in as the music moves from one vibe to the next. It is quite literally a musical trip. Fans will no doubt already be onto this disc, but if you are into space-rock with equal measure of psychedelia and progressive rock, look no further than The Guitar is Mightier than the Gun. You owe it to yourself to check these guys out.