Tune In, Turn On, Electrify! The Lords of Altamont

With an album title referencing to the hippie mystic Timothy Leary's, hippie or FBI/CIA agent?, famous phrase and a band name referencing the end of the 60s and peace and love, The Lords of Altamont seem not to be afraid to raise some expectations. Are they met?

Oh, yeah!

On Tune In, Turn On, Electrify! a couple of both worlds meet. Rock meets a psychedelic organ and a lead guitarist his wah wah pedal. The result is an album that scales the best of the 60s and the best of the modern psychedelic revival. This band foremost is a rock band. The music is tough, loud and all out. Built up from the grassroot drumming, the guitars, from bass to rhythm and lead guitar, can go all out. Through it all this warm Hammond organ stokes up the temperature as if there's no climate change in the state of California. The singer with his rough rock voice only has to make sure he delivers his melody lines and finds the musical bed laid out to do just that. The rock sound is so authentic, that, had the power of the recording not been something impossible to record in 1968/69, the band could have fooled me.

I could not help but muse about the band's name. Not having been present and only having seen 'Gimme Shelter' decades later, I can't help but muse: who were The Lords of Altamont? Not the musicians, that's for sure. The magic of rock stars wore very thin that day. The audience wasn't, as it was pummelled and in the end one member of the audience was killed, under whatever unclear circumstances or whatever pretext. So, all who remain, are the members of that biker gang, that by the way was outlawed in this country fairly recently. Hell's Angels it is then.

The Lords of Altamont is not a new band though. It was formed 22 years ago in California. Tune In, Turn On, Electrify is the band's seventh album, with only organ player and singer Jake Cavaliere as original member left. Whatever the past incarnations delivered, with this album the band reaches for the top of the genre. Far more direct that e.g. The Black Angels. By lending directly from the classic hardrock Deep Purple sound, the impact of the band's psychedelic rock is so much more in my face. The interaction between drummer and bassist is excellent. The foundation of the album is rock solid. The way that a piano is poking its head up every once in while underneath all the sonic onslaught is simply very well done. The harmonies, of the tough, male kind, are the icing on the cake. 'Burn Me Out', alright.

Admittedly, if I'm not in the mood, Tune In , ...! tends to become a bit much. On all other instances it's a feast. Rock and roll party time. The Lords of Altamont even get away successfully with a 'Gimme Some Loving' rework, including the "hey". In a song like 'Million Watts Electrified', with the album title in the lyrics, the whole of classic rock comes together. From Spencer Davies Group to Deep Purple and modern psychedelia, it's all there as if it has always meant to be like this. "Hey!"

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Tune In, Turn On, Electrify here:

https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-lords-of-altamont-tune-in-turn-on-electrify

or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g