ON TRIAL (Live) CD
I've witnessed On Trial several times in my life, and this shows are belonging to the best heavy psychedelic events I've ever seen and are in best memory, due to the hypnotic brilliance. And as always, my impression was that no studio-album of this Danish masters really captured their intense powerful psyched-out live sound, although I totally dig all of their albums. Maybe, the guys of UK-based label Molten Records must have had the same feeling, and decided to release this goddamn hot show, recorded in 2003 in Denmark's anarchist village Christina. On this moon-lit night On Trial were on top and the enthusiastic response of the audience ist only one proof for it. One can listen to the tightness and passionate playing of this group at that evening, where wonderful melancholic psychedelic heavy Rock 'n' Roll filled the nordic night.
The set-list it not only a good mix of the last two albums "New Day Rising" and "Blinded By The Sun" ( plus a few cover-versions like Mose Allison's "Parchment Farm" that became famous by Blue Cheer), it's also offers a good variety between heavy rockin' tunes as the furious opener "Higher" and pure emotional heartbreakers like "Sleeper". In the middle of the set is a number, entitled "Jam" that is unknown to me and I'm not sure if it happened spontaneous (due to the title) or it's a new track, but whatever anyway, it's a magic groovin' number that shows the sensibility of On Trial.
Although it's not fair to mention just one member of the band, because the entire unit is striking, I have to lose a few words about singer Bo Morthen. His authentic rough, but melodic style of singing is kaleidoscopic, heart-warming, full of soul and passion and not to easy to compare with other vocalist. Only Roky Erickson comes to mind, but Bo Morthen doesn't make the mistake to follow the footsteps of the master. At that evening, On Trial have unleashed nothing less than a musical manifesto for mind expansion.
(KK)