ALCHEMIST: Lunasphere

Produced by John Hresc and Alchemist

Released: 1995

"We do not die! We only change!"

With this exhortation begins what is one of the finest and most legendary Australian metal albums of all. Lunasphere remains the favourite Alchemist album for many fans and ten years on it still hasn't lost its appeal. This is where Alchemist's musical vision really began to come together, where the somewhat haphazard experimentation of Jar of Kingdom coalesced into a more coherent but still remarkably inventive form.

"Soul Return" begins this eclectic journey with two and a half minutes of flat-out grind that suddenly veers into expansive, atmospheric ambience for five minutes or more before swerving back to grind again. It sets the scene for the journey to come, one where seemingly incongruous musical elements interact in a surprisingly effective way. Alchemist is often compared to Neurosis but on both "Soul Return" and the album's crowning glory, "Garden of Eroticism", they sound like no one more than diSEMBOWELMENT, though perhaps somewhat less evil and with more Middle Eastern stylings. Indeed, while Nile are renown for their use of Egyptian themes, most of the time they use them as little more than window-dressing. Alchemist, on the other hand, actually work Middle Eastern motifs into their songs.

Lunasphere is awash with them, from mere sprinklings in the likes of "Unfocused" to the distinctly Middle Eastern flavour apparent in "Yoni Kunda", featuring the most tasteful use of the word "vagina" in any song ever written. These elements, the ethnic and the ethereal, weaved so effortlessly and effectively into the fabric of the sound, are what makes this band and this album such a special one. Without them, Lunasphere would have been just another grind album, albeit one with some remarkable lyrics.

Like the music, this also offers something different from a lyrical perspective. Even with grind as a musical base, you would have to suspect that a band using Eastern scales would incorporate some metaphysical philosophy into their songwriting. On Lunasphere, songs discuss reincarnation and spiritual rebirth, along with mysticising female genitalia in "Yoni Kunda" and "Garden of Eroticism" with made-up words like "salacrophobia" (a fear of marihuana, according to the band) and "testrodelia". Again like the music, Alchemist goes places lyrically where few others dare.

With its combination of diverse musical elements and esoteric lyrics, Lunasphere cemented Alchemist's place in Australian metal music and reaffirmed their reputation as a wildly creative and interesting act.

1. Soul Return


2. Lunation


3. Unfocused


4. Luminous


5. Clot


6. Yoni Kunda


7. My Animated Truth


8. Garden of Eroticism


9. Closed Chapter

Rating: 97%