Velvet Grooves

The 'Psychic Ills' return with their 'new' album - first release on Social Registry; which is actually a compilation of their first two singles - 'Mental Violence I' & 'Mental Violence II'. As the press release states - 'single one' was their introduction, their prototype record - recorded only as a two piece by members Tom Gluibizzi & Tres Warren. Then for 'single two', Elizabeth Hart & Brian Tomborello joined, to turn it into a full band. It was then that their musical direction came into full bloom, gigs started a buzzin, and people started talking.

'Early Violence' is a lovely album of psychedelic, garage-drone retro-electronic-pop madness. First track 'Vice' has this adrenaline rush of a feeling with the decent percussion, droning bass tones and high pitched guitar harmonies in the background. Sounding like something similar to new band Zombi. 'Killers' is another adrenaline kind, sounding like something you'd get in a game from the 80's to start off with until the guitar comes in for the attack, whilst the vocals add some hard emotional dimension to it.

'Diamond City' has this Serena Maneesh feel to it, and I love SM so all is good, but then WAH pedal comes in adding some attack...- although admittedly it does go on a bit. Still nice though... 'Days' is their rockier attempt - still Lo-Fi shogazing style, but with the slightly less droning guitars. Pumping into something which could portray a pop attempt. Maybe a bit Brian Jonestown Massacre or even My Bloody Valentine.

'Highway Of Death' is the quiet track of the album, focusing on the slow moving guitar which pitches the rhythm along the way, with a wailing 'airy' sound in the background to the vocal humming. '4AM - Psychic Ills' hovers quietly on the psych elements... it's beautiful! There's so much richness to all this in their sound, it reminds me of a more active 'Her Name Is Suicide' from Serena Maneesh's debut - and just as scary. 'Red Split' carries on the retro sound to a retro horror move from the 80's, like they're remaking a Jon Carpenter soundtrack. 'Diamond City Redux' is perhaps the most disturbing one as structure wise, it's screwed. Slicing guitars with some decent reverb on a Lo-Fi scale... it's like the soundtrack to torture. But at the same time, it's beautiful.

So... the next Serena Maneesh? I doubt it, maybe Serena Maneesh are the next Pyschic Ills, but hardly anyone heard them before - BIG fuckin shame...