The first track is Golden Fields, and after a low key atmospheric beginning Dave Terry launches into a spoken word section at about a minute and a half in, the quote is taken from Dostoevsky’s short story “The Dream of a Ridiculous Man”. Heavier and slightly more upbeat than much of their work, this opening track places itself firmly in middle of Bong’s usual spaced out jams and the monolithic heavy riffs of bands like Yob, or Moss. It isn’t until the middle point of the track that the familiar hypnotic groove so familiar to fans of Bong really settles in, and from there on in we are in familiar territory, but the focus on the heavier guitar sounds remains.

The second track Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius, is the slightly longer of the two at over nineteen minutes in length. One is instantly aware of a mellower more familiar Bong type groove from the off. Less of the heavier crunchy riffs and more wistful, reflective and spacey guitar lines. Hypnotic, cosmic, psychedelia that gets inside the head of even the most jaded music fan, this is what Bong do better than anyone else. Dave’s vocals are ritualistic chants that echo across space and time, alchemical musings of the band’s collective consciousness.

Both tracks move at a glacial pace, and whilst the opener sees the band move in a heavier direction, those classic Bong tropes remain evident throughout. Bong have turned transcendental ritualistic drone into an art form that goes way beyond its roots and more than any other band they have created their own vision. Another excellent release from a band that have rarely if ever put a foot wrong.