For three years, GROOP jammed publicly at Zebulon in Los Angeles, with a rotating lineup and always a bit different. These sessions were recorded and refined, resulting in a new album with six improvised tracks.
This Place Is The Space (Six Tonnes De Chair) follows their 2022 debut album. Like before, psych rock is the foundation, but this time they stray even further from it, taking bigger leaps.
The musicians in GROOP come from quite varied bands. Space rockers Hooveriii have representatives, as does the black metal band Agriculture. Still, they settle on playful, trippy prog with free jazz elements that avoids being too abrasive.
“Marble Hall” kicks off with a free-form approach, landing in a pleasantly cool groove before finishing its trip in dense psych rock. Everything flows seamlessly together, and if you stop paying attention, you suddenly find yourself somewhere entirely new.
“House Special” is laid-back and jazzy, even allowing for a lengthy drum solo. “Fur, Baby, Fur” starts off wild but ends dreamily. The closing title track is almost conservative, maintaining a similar flow throughout. You’d have loved to be part of those sessions.
GROOP – This Place Is The Space: An enjoyably complex jam rock album. – RIFL
