The Third Eye

Kanaan is a fuzzed-out Norweigan psych-rock trio that’s had a hell of a 2023. They released a full-length album, Downpour, earlier this year and completed two successful European tours. Instead of taking a breather, the band released volume two of their free-flowing session/improv series on November 10th.

Diversions Vol. 2: Enter the Astral Plane is a collection of improvised tracks Kanaan recorded in 2021. They say the record shows a different side of the band, aiming to explore different states of mind and musical spheres where collective improvisation is at the forefront. It doesn’t get much more psychedelic than that, right? 

“Improvisation has been an important part of the band’s live shows from day one, but it hasn’t been as prominently documented on record – until now,” Kanaan says on Bandcamp. Along with that quote, the band has a mantra for the album and perhaps everything they do: “No Composition, No Ego, Psych as Religion.” I think Third Eye readers can certainly get behind that.

On Diversions Vol. 2, Kanaan frees itself from the constraints of song structures, enabling its eminent musicianship and boundless creativity to run wild. The new tracks vary between explosive and youthful exuberance, combined with a more mature and patient approach to song development via improvisation.

Kanaan’s most prominent influences on this record are Cream, Jimi Hendrix at the Atlanta Pop Festival, CAN, The Heads, Hawkwind, and Ash Ra Temple. That’s an eclectic mix that should give you an idea of what sounds are contained in the new record.

Diversions Vol. 2 consists of four tracks and a run time a bit over 41 minutes, and the title track – “Enter the Astral Plane” – is my favorite. The song is nearly 17 minutes long and shows the band exploring new possibilities in a hazy, atmospheric space rock that’s contemplative and heady. “Aura” is only one minute, thirty-three seconds, a soft ambient interlude.

“Aura” melts into “Blitz,” the most hard-rocking song that’s notable for its noisy chaos and atonality. “Rough Air” is another longer song at over sixteen minutes, and packs more of a punch than the other longer track, “Enter the Astral Plane.”

Overall, Diversions Vol. 2 is an excellent record from Kanaan, a band at the forefront of the European stoner rock/psychedelic scene. I like almost anything these guys come out with, and this new record doesn’t disappoint. If you like Diversions Vol. 2, check out the band’s release from earlier this year, Downpour, along with the previous albums dating back to 2018’s Windborne.

One last thing to note: Some of Kanaan’s earlier records were released via El Paraiso Records, an amazing small label that has featured other great psych bands like Mythic Sunship, Edena Gardens, and Causa Sui. If you love instrumental psychedelic music, you’re bound to love the bands I just mentioned and just about anything that comes from El Paraiso.

Support Kanaan by finding them on Bandcamp or social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook).

Also: I put together this Spotify playlist of a complete collection of Kanaan’s music. Check it out and if you like it, please support the band on Bandcamp.

Sign up for email updates from The Third Eye below:

Author’s note: Yes, I know: I said I was taking a hiatus. I am simply addicted to writing about music, I guess. But in all seriousness, I am going to try to change how I’m doing things. I was going overboard and writing way too much. The other thing I want to change is my social media use. The Third Eye Instagram account become popular way quicker than I thought it would, and the posting, likes, follows, and comments became overwhelming.

For now, I think I’ll limit the social media posting and stick to just posting here on the blog. Keeping track of social media and setting up the posts became too time-consuming. And to a certain extent, I think my fragile ego got a boost from all the validation I got on there. I need to chill on that.

I’m heading back home for Christmas next month, so I imagine I won’t be posting as much, so maybe that’s a good thing. I need to get out of the house more – seriously! The past two days have been nice, as I’ve slowed down, stayed more in the present, and spent more quality time with my wife. I need more of that, instead of obsessing over this blog so much.

Hey, maybe all this is TMI. But I’m just letting you know where my head’s at. I’m the type of person who wears his heart on his sleeve, and I also live with bipolar disorder, which is tough to manage sometimes and is a likely cause of my compulsive and obsessive writing habits. Anyways, thanks for reading, as always, and drop me a line with any music recommendations.