Hey, you: Do you like dreams, myth, psychedelics, and honeybees? Then I’ve got a band for you. The Twin Cities, Minnesota-based Lykoi Fel uses all these things to inspire their heavy psychedelic and psych-metal music. I’m not sure where the honeybees fit in, but I’m sure there’s a perfect explanation for this.
Lykoi Fel released a new EP on January 13th entitled “Moon Diver/Sun Chaser,” which is a “two-song, seventeen-minute psychedelic and impressionistic rock/metal exploration of death, trauma, and other major endings and injuries in life, love, family, and friendship.” The two tracks also offer the possibility of hope for new beginnings and a better tomorrow, even if our tomorrows are strange, if not alien, to us at first.
The band’s Outlander Mari (primary songwriter, vocals, rhythm guitar) wrote that description, encapsulating many things in a few sentences. Lykoi Fel also features Travis Bolton (songwriter, lead guitar), John Acarregui (drums), and Trent Hutchins (bass). With Travios and Outlander as the two songwriters, I imagine they dug deep into their creative wells of inspiration to conceptualize the themes behind “Moon Dive/Sun Chaser.” While the themes tread familiar ground, it’s the music of the two songs that make the band stand out.
Lykoi Fel calls themselves a heavy psych band, but “Moon Dive” is much more atmospheric and nuanced than I expected. Outlander’s vocals are a bit hushed, and as the song develops over seven-plus minutes, Travis’ lead guitar guides us through a hazy psychedelic soundscape. Yes, the song has heavier parts, but “Moon Dive” lives up to the psychedelic genre tag.
“Sun Chaser” begins with haunting whistling and feels like an excellent spooky song to play in the nighttime. Outlander’s voice shines in this one, too, and the song reminded me a bit of weirdo alt-rock legends Faith No More. The song’s vibe is very much nocturnal, conjuring images of a full moon on a cold night.
Lykoi Fel celebrated the release of the new EP with a show at Palmers Bar in Minneapolis, and with it being Minnesota, I’m sure the winter temperatures outside provided an excellent setting for the new frosty psychedelic tunes.
If you like “Moon Dive/Sun Chaser,” check out Lykoi Fels’ previous releases, including their 2020 debut LP, Terran at End Dream. Many of the songs on that record are just as experimental and spooky, including the eleven-minute-plus “Fly Over Dead Cities Still Groaning,” which features spoken-word lyrics reminiscent of Jim Morrison and All Them Witches. Enjoy!
Support Lykoi Fel by finding them on Bandcamp or Spotify.
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