DEEPSPACEPILOTS aim to be the soundtrack for your drunken inner-space astronaut, with bong hits providing an effective replacement for rocket-fuel. Song titles like "Ride On Into the Sun" and "Far Side of Neptune" indicate their general interdimensional trajectory, musically placed near the Hawkwind-Sabbath-Kyuss cluster. In other words, this is red-sun-blues stoner rock with a psychedelic science-fiction aesthetic. Not the most original concept perhaps, but oddly topical given the diaper-wearing, whiskey-swilling gonzo makeover NASA has gotten lately. I recommend "The Headspace of Lisa Nowak" for a future song title.

Am I implying this band will make you shit yourself? Maybe not yet, but a little bowel-quaking is certainly possible on this debut venture. Maniacal laughter signals the breakdown on "Ride Into the Sun," while the spoken elements in the near-seven-minute instrumental track "Far Side of Neptune" add cinematic flavour, increasing the "Oh my God, it's full of stars!" climactic vibe the band reaches for. More variety in their slipstream would enhance the mind-expansion potential, but this preliminary effort represents a fine start to a potential million-year trip.

- Shragge

OFFICIAL SITE: myspace.com/deepspacepilots

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