Starlight

A follow-up to Hymn of the Master, which marked the Black Sun Ensemble's re-activation in 2002, Starlight offers a blend of heavy space rock anthems following in Hawkwind's footsteps and drug-abused psychedelic songs with a North African flavor. If Jesus Acedo's guitar playing takes center stage in most tracks, it is Eric Johnson's production, writing, and vocals that keep the album together. The core of the band is completed this time by Brian Maloney (sax), Otto Terrorist (percussion), and the versatile Duane Norman, who comes close to playing a different instrument in each piece: his credits include flute, clarinet, trumpet, sax, guitar, and bass. "Jewel of the Seven Stars" kicks things off with a stretched-out Arabic-sounding jam. "Loki's Monstrous Brood" gets close to being funky lumberjack-style, which is actually better than what may transpire from other observations. The instrumental "The Lycian," which is relentlessly heavy, and the obsessing "Arabic Satori" (featuring Joseph Graves' stream-of-consciousness lyrics) provide the disc's two highlights, while the bland ballad "Sun Beam Angel" and the obligatory acoustic guitar number "Tralaine" could have been left off. The playing is not always as tight as you would expect from a band that's been around for 15 years, but Starlight has enough strong moments — and far-out acid guitar solos — to send you flying on your way. ~ François Couture, Rovi