Spirits of the Dead – The Great God Pan
Spirits of the Dead – The Great God Pan CD (Big Dipper Records)
A band that’s not afraid to tag itself with the stoner label, something of a rarity these days. SOTD lean more towards the psychedelic/folk end of the spectrum, with some of the jazzy 70s vibe of Blood Ceremony minus the Sabbath influences. Instead there’s more of a quirky vibe more reminiscent of Caravan or King Crimson. Based on the album title I’m guessing the band are fans of Arthur Machen’s seminal occult novel and there seems to be something of a concept running throughout the six tracks with a definite Pagan/Nature based theme (‘Mighty Mountains’ and ‘Leaves of the Years Fall’ for example), although the band give a nod to their Norwegian heritage with the heavier prog of ‘Casting The Runes’. The Nordic nations have a knack for turning out bands of a high calibre with a canny knack of referencing the 70s and yet retaining a fresh modern sound, Graveyard immediately comes to mind. Add Spirits of the Dead to that list. Ian Pickens
