Smokemaster - Cosmic Connector (2023)

2nd studio album by the psychedelic rock band Smokemaster from Cologne. With Cosmic Connector, the quintet from Cologne presents 6 brand new pieces with a high level of stylistic variety and great attention to detail. While the first album still had a large proportion of degenerating jam and instrumental parts, now the integration of singer Björnson Bear's warm baritone voice succeeds fluently and effortlessly and new strong accents can be recognized in terms of songwriting and arrangement. This can be observed particularly well in songs such as the up-tempo number Animal, which is suitable for radio, or the groove-heavy 70s rock number Rolling, which the band cleverly leads to a fiery final section reminiscent of Spanish guitar music and flamenco. Smokemaster sends a clear message with the song War Piece. In their first genuine rock ballad, the band reaffirms the motto of the hippie movement: Peace & Love. "Full of the sounds of the 60s and 70s. Stoner rock meets psychedelic meets blues. Everything with handmade charm, with sweat and with passion" wrote the eclipsed rock magazine.