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Sep 18, 2019 By Frank Valish Ecstatic Vision

Philadelphia’s Ecstatic Vision has been compared to greats like Hawkwind, Black Sabbath, Can, and Amon Düül, and with their third album of new music, For the Masses, the band has transcended these influences for its most fully realized album to date.

Formed in 2013, Ecstatic Vision-Doug Sabolik (vocals/guitar), Michael Field Connor (bass), Kevin Nickles (saxophone, flute, guitar, synths), and Ricky Culp (drums)-released two albums on Relapse Records, 2015’s Sonic Praise and the equally epic Raw Rock Fury two years later. [The band put out a covers album, Under the Influence, in 2018, including its takes on songs by Hawkwind, MC5, and ‘70s Zam Rock pioneers Chrissy Zebby Tembo & The Ngozi Family.]

But For the Masses, released on Heavy Psych Sounds, is Ecstatic Vision at its most space-y, most tripped-out, most avant-garde, and most rock and roll, somehow all at once. From the hard-driving seven-minute “Shut Up and Drive” and the horn-augmented tribal-sounding “Yuppie Sacrifice” to the succinct rock and roll blast of “Like a Freak” and the hypnotic “The Magic Touch,” For the Masses skewers through seven tracks in 36 minutes.

Says Sabolik of the album: “We are stoked to unleash our new album For the Masses to the public! We were toying with the idea of a more digestible record but at the end of the day we had to keep it real and the result was our most psychedelic, head-trip style record to date. This record mixes expansions of the elements we have touched on in the past and with the help of producer Tim Green (Melvins, Earthless) we have delivered a streamlined, clear version of our unique blend of Neanderthal, Catatonic, Semi-Articulate, Cro-Magnon Rock.”

For the Masses is set for release on September 20. We are thrilled to premiere this stomping masterpiece in full, below.

Pre-order the album here: https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop.htm#HPS109