Back in 2013, psychedelic Seattle shapeshifters Lesbian released Forestelevision, a 44-minute tangle of mossy doom and organically blackened metal. When I spoke with the band, guitarist Dan LaRochelle called the album “drug music” that reflected the universe, continuing to say it’s “vast and varied and fucking crazy, and sometimes you can’t control it.”
Well, now the universe gets a little crazier with Lesbian’s new collision of gonzo sci-fi storytelling and self-described “phantasy thrash,” Hallucinogenesis. Below, catch the denouement of a bat-shit fable of fungal Armageddon, complete with killer shrooms spore-bombing the human race and duplicitous aquatic mammals. Picture Bathory munching on Liberty Caps, then fading into a kaleidoscopic bizarro realm. Or better yet, just stare at Dan Seagrave’s killer cover artwork until you live in his apocalyptic cross-section of prehistoric and future events.
The band offered the following insight into Hallucinogenesis closer “Aqualibrium,” describing the final chapter of the world’s assault from above, beyond, and below:
“Shapeshifting dolphin-warp comin’ alive!! “Aqualibrium” tells us a haunting tale of the fantastical underwater paradise realm of the Encante. They know not of human suffering, so they morph at night to come ashore and visit our world to witness it. Once they’ve seen enough, they try to find the party!
“Watch out for the wildest party animals casting blue shadows, they’ll likely be wearing hats and they could steal you away to their nether world, never to return! Hails to the creator and destroyer, the bringer of life and death, ancient and eternal! Hails to the mystic water!!”
I know what you’re thinking: You probably already have thirteen records on your shelf with shape-shifting dolphins in the lyric sheets. Well none of them possess the power and strangeness of Lesbian’s newest mind-bender. Pre-order Hallucinogenesis from Translation Loss HERE, and beware of malevolent mushrooms during your woodland excursions.
