“Apollo burns night across the sky…
Firing faint echoes of Lost Transmissions
An untethered satellite
Man, Hurtling Towards Oblivion…
Breaking Free From Orbit
Endlessly after…
Slowly Reaching Aphelion”
You’re probably asking yourselves what that means right now, and to be honest, I’m not entirely sure either, but we’ll get to that later. On its surface, it is a short bit about the story behind the music, one that uses the title of every track from Aphelion, the fantastic new album from a Baltimore band called Severed Satellites.
About Severed Satellites and Aphelion
Severed Satellites is composed of members of Foghound, Internal Void, The Exponentials, Serpents Of Secrecy, Sixty Watt Shaman, Pentagram, and Distinguished Gentlemen, including Charles Dukehart III and bassist Adam Heinzmann, guitarist Matt Naas, and Dave Drell on Keytar and Moog.
Remember the beginning of this article, where I said I wasn’t sure what the “Song Title Paragraph” meant? It ate at me while I was writing this review, so I sent Chuck Dukehart a Facebook message and got the info directly. This is what he told me …
“Yea, there was originally an idea of writing a short story, with possibly animated visuals to go along with the music, as a sort of narrative. Something to tie the music together in a concept.
The original idea was of a satellite that has broken free from its orbit, losing contact with the outside world and being sent hurtling out towards the unknown.
And the feelings of desperation and isolation. The concept was sorta born from the pandemic and lockdowns. And people feeling detached, lonely, and isolated and all that came with that. We started getting together when things were still uncertain and ongoing at the time, and no one really knew where things were going to go.
How life things go, we never really got to fleshing out the concept fully, but we may be working on that to go with the next batch that we intend to start recording this fall. Hopefully, take these next handful as a Side B and go with a full-length release combining the 2 EPs.”
The Songs
1. Apollo (04:43)
As most of you know, groove is an essential aspect of any song from any genre. If the music doesn’t make you want to at least tap your foot or bob your head, then it’s either not good music or a weak attempt by the band to create said music. Severed Satellites don’t have that problem, and they display that from the onset of this song. Another thing worth noting is that while each member supplies interesting parts, none of them are ever overplaying and they’re working together for the track’s benefit.
2. Lost Transmissions (06:16)
Like the first song, this one starts with a brief drum intro. There is, however, a much slower tempo going on, which, when partnered with the guitar parts, helps to add a heavy psych feel to the proceedings. I love the wah-soaked guitar parts even though other bands have played out that effect, but Severed Satellites uses it as flavoring for their musical stew and not as the main effect (I’m looking at you when I say this, Kirk Hammett).
3. Hurtling Towards Oblivion (06:11)
The intro has a space psych vibe and some excellent drumming as well. The other thing that sticks out is this beautiful bass guitar tone, as well as the masterful playing of it. The guitars are once again utilizing a tasteful amount of wah, the riffs are wonderful, and everything going on is a perfect exhibition of what heavy psych should be.
4. And 5. Breaking Free From Orbit (07:20) And Reaching Aphelion (02:33)
I’m doing these two in one spot because I believe “Reaching Aphelion” is the true outro to “Breaking Free From Orbit.”
“Breaking Free From Orbit” is my personal favorite track on Aphelion. The intro is a space psych type of thing, powered by what I believe is a Moog, and its eerie, deep space sound would be right at home in any Sci-Fi series. I wish I could adequately describe how incredible this part is, but hopefully, you’ll hear for yourselves.
Things begin at a mid-tempo type of feel once the guitars and full band come in. There’s a lot of groove and a mix of bluesy stoner rock creating it. The intensity rises as the track hits its midpoint, the tempo feels faster, and the drums and bass power the entire section with a speedy flow. The main theme makes a reappearance for a killer solo to fly over, and then the quick tempo comes back to complete the track. Leaving just the Moog to seamlessly flow into “Reaching Aphelion.”
This one is all space psych sounds, thanks to the synth work, creating a sense of completion to the story and the album.
Final Thoughts
Like I said earlier, groove is a crucial aspect of any song from any genre, and it is an integral part of the Severed Satellites approach. The power of the riff is ever present, and the way each instrument works with each other is beyond reproach, helping to make Aphelion a thoroughly enjoyable experience from beginning to end.
With that, I will end this review by suggesting that every one of you go to check out Severed Satellites’ Aphelion album. It can be found on Bandcamp and YouTube, but I assume that it’s anywhere that you listen to great music! Enjoy!
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