Psychedelic Waves Top 25 Albums of 2016
There were so many great albums released this year, that this was a really tough list to make. I started with a list of over 100 and pared it down from there. If you don't see your album on this list, it doesn't mean that I didn't love it! A happy psychedelic new year to you all! Here's looking forward to lots of great music in 2017!
25. Tarot - Reflections
Solid 1970's proto prog/psych vibes from this Australian band. 24. Farflung - 5
The legendary US space rockers return with another stellar album of heavy duty tunes. 23. Cirrus Bay - Places Unseen
Influenced by 1970's prog band Renaissance, but forging ahead with their own sound. 22. Mondo Drag - The Occultation of Light
Yet another great album from these US stoner/psychsters. 21. The Gaslamp Killer - Instrumentalepathy
Hip hop beats, samples, weird electronic sounds, deeply psychedelic freakiness from this experimental DJ/producer. 20. Wolf People - Ruins
Proggy psych folk and rock vibes permeate this UK band's music. 19. Goat - Requiem
Swedish psychonauts return for their best album yet of freak folk and tribal psych rock. 18. Darkships – Hiraeth
Electic sounds from this UK outfit featuring Jon Chinn. Pretty amazing stuff. 17. Civilian Zen - Horizones
Stunning album from this UK band. If you like your space rock dark, you'll love this. 16. Turn Me On Dead Man - Heavymetal Mothership
These guys just seem to be able to craft an endless number of catchy, memorable psych rock tunes. 15. Cavern of Antimatter - void beats_invocation trex
Krautrock inspired electronica from a member of Stereolab. 14. Architectural Metaphor - Galactus Interruptum
US space rockers return with arguably their best album yet of all instrumental improvised music. 13. Eye - Vision and Ageless Light
This US band combines heavy progressive rock with trippy lyrics and space rock vibes. 12. UFO Över Lappland - UFO Över Lappland
Terrific spacerock jams set to Krautrockish motorik rhythms. 11. Saturnia - The Real High
Few do modern psychedelia as trippy and engaging as this band from Portugal. This one is a 'real high'. 10. Floorian - At Your Surface
Dark, moody, spacey and exotic space rock from this American band. 9. Dreamtime - Strange Pleasures
Another Australian band, Dreamtime specializes in heavy psych guitar rock, with heaps of spaced out electronics. 8. Kevin Heard - Cydonia
Prog/psych rock and folk concept album about the first colonists on Mars from this legendary UK musician. 7. Moths & Locusts - Helios Rising
Everything from snarling garage rock to moody space voyages on this Canadian band's latest. 6. Gong - Rejoice! I'm Dead!
A surprisingly excellent album from the post-Daevid Allen (with his full blessings) Gong. 5. Syd Arthur - Apricity
A touch more commercial, but still those great tunes and unique sound that defined their previous albums. 4. Blackhill Transmitter - Blackhill Transmitter
A new incarnation of the Future Sound of London guys. Stripped down ambient music that will give you chills. 3. Earthling Society - Sweet Chariot
One of the wildest, free form, hallucinatory excursions yet from this UK psych band lead by Fred Laird. 2. Black Mountain - IV
The 4th album from this Canadian prog/space band is pure magic. Their best yet! 1. Psychic Lemon - Psychic Lemon
Debut from these UK psych rockers is fresh and exciting, just waiting to blow your mind!