SLIFT - Ilion

Maybe it's their historic intermingling with the Kobaians which makes my thoughts move into that direction, but let's just presuppose it as given fact that the French have a special knack for the monumental and monolithic!

If this is the case, can we subsequently postulate that Slift's new double album "Ilion" is the Arc de Triomphe of modern Psych Rock?

Yes, but only under certain conditions...

SLIFT - Ilion (Space Dust Marble vinyl 2LP) (2024)

Slift's new double album "Ilion" is modern Psych Rock's Arc de Triomphe - but only if the Arc de Triomphe is made of a meteoric alloy of unknown origin.

Slift's new double album "Ilion" is modern Psych Rock's Arc de Triomphe made of an unknown meteoric alloy - but only if it's actually a colossal Mega-Arc formed by a thousand Arc de Triomphes.

Slift's new double album "Ilion" is modern Psych Rock's colossal meteor alloy Mega-Arc de Triomphe - but only if speeds towards the edge of the galaxy powered by the energy a thousand suns.

Slift's new double album "Ilion" is modern Psych Rock's thousand-suns-powered colossal meteor alloye Mega-Arc de Triomphe speeding towards the edge of the galaxy - but only if is inside is a cosmic temple of Doomsday.

Slift's new double album "Ilion" is modern Psych Rock's cosmic Doomsday temple, housed by a thousand-suns-powered colossal meteor alloy Mega-Arc de Triomphe speeding towards the edge of the galaxy - but only if its priests are flagellating themselves until they dissolve into stardust.

Slift's new double album "Ilion" is modern Psych Rock's cosmic Doomsday temple filled with the stardust of dissolved priests, housed by a thousand-suns-powered colossal meteor alloy Mega-Arc de Triomphe speeding towards the edge of the galaxy - but only if its headed towards a black hole, which is birthing a new universe on the other side.

Slift are alone.

Slift are alone in the void of a new universe.

Slift sing, scream, live and die with a thousand unison voices in existential pain, speaking "The Words That Have Never Been Heard", telling "The Story That Has Never Been Told".

Slift are our greatest, our saviours, yet lost in another plain of being far beyond our reach.

We are alone as our world is dying.

Slift live at Roadburn Festival 2022

Who would have thought that the answer to the high expectations raised by their game-changing 2020 masterpiece "Ummon" would be to create a work that's even bigger?

"Ilion" doubles down on the cosmic scale, on the unfathomable energy, the inescapable air of impending doom. It's unbelievable that only three mortal people (plus a couple of guest on synths, saxophone and heavenly voices) can make something that feels and sounds so incredibly huge.

Slift are really taking Space Rock to new levels of size and intensity without sacrificing the genre's spirit. It's not just amps, distortion and delay which blow up their sound to planetary proportions. No, while all this applies, it wouldn't work without chops! And boy, are they killing it! Those restless bass lines alone! Or those drums which are constantly exploding as if the world was ending in five minutes...

No, Slift don't rely on a single trick or shtick. It's their unique voice and the totally of awesome songwriting, performances and production which make them stand out. And the artwork once again brilliantly complementing and increasing the greatness of the music doesn't hurt either.
(Yes, the marble effect on my vinyl is quite soft and not captured in the image below at all.)

If you escpecially loved the Punk spirit and catchy lead guitars of the predecessing album you might be a little disappointed by "Ilion" at first, because Slift don't try to duplicate all the elements which made "Ummon" successful. There's no Über-Punkrock chorus like the one in "Lion, Tigers and Bears". There's neither a copy of those iconic title track guitars nor a synth intermezzo recalling the brilliant ending of "Citadel On A Satellie".

"Ilion" goes deeper. It takes a bit longer to stick and reveal those moments behind the overpoweringly monumental first impression - but once you're there it rewards you with stunning Kraut on steroids majesty at every of its many twists and turns.

Anyone who claims to love Psychedelic but even more so heavy music should give this double album a try! Easily my favorite release of the (admittedly still young) year so far.