Satori Junk – Venezia

Satori Junk – Venezia
Industrial Ölocaust Recordings – 2024
Rock, Ambient, Classic, Prog, Doom, Psych, Instrumental
Rated: ****

Somewhere around 2012 we were ordered to go to Milano and do a travel story for a magazine about a rock and roll weekend in the grand old lady of Italy. Around the same time the four from Satori Junk started jamming somewhere near the many urban landfill sites of the wonderful but bandaged city. Those dubious smells and drifting grime have always been an inspiration for Satori Junk. Just listen to their earlier self-titled record from 2015 or The Golden Dwarf from 2018. But it might be ever so clearer for the new one track suite called Venezia. Inspired by all that human created filth and those questionable aromas they must see and sniff every time they enter their rehearsal space, they felt drawn to what happened in Venice all the way back in 1630. As the plague rushed through the canals and alleys of the city, killing approximately 50.000 people, the people searched for meaning and for a way to fight the disease. That horrific piece of history is translated into some damned beautiful music, that borders on going full prog rock constantly and especially during the ending segment. The rising tones, the guitar solo climbing towards the sunlight above, signifying the triumph over the disease. Damned beautiful music indeed. Damned, for not only the dubious sites around Milan and the old plague tale from Venice inspired the four Satori Junkies, Covid was surely and inspiration as well. For they started recording as the Covid pandemic hit Milan, and the first lockdown was announced. And that menacing and uncertain quality of what the future might hold can be heard throughout the first segments of Venezia. Charming, yet forlorn piano work offsetting these parts and signaling the flowing of the diseased ridden tides of Venice. A tale of horror translated into a grandiose piece of music, often feeling like this is the kind of compositions that Satori Junk will ultimately need to dive further into, the classic, prog and cinematically rich music that will make the listener envision all those crows picking at the bodies and the rats scurrying about…

Ps. And I love that artwork!

(Written by JK)

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