St Mikael

There is a question that every self-respecting psych fan must ask his or herself: do I believe these fucking guys? Is it worth indulging some barefoot kook who I would cross the street to avoid just to enjoy some good tunes? ST Mikael, a rather spiritually inclined Swede, really puts a ’60s music fan to the test. His meandering guitar work, ramblings about the "light of wisdom” and awful goatee are impossible to ignore, but the verdict stands: this is really, really good. ST Mikael touches all the bases — hard psych, exploitation soundtrack-style groove and "Eastern-influenced” — and pulls it all together the way only a truly permafried wackjob can. After developing a following in the ’80s and ’90s, ST Mikael took a long break/journey/mind expansion/God only knows what. With help from members of Dungen, he’s put together Mind of Fire, his first record in 11 years. You might want to skip a few of the nine previously unreleased bonus tracks but among the five newbies there isn’t one dull moment. Aleister Crowley nuts and their ilk will find ST Mikael’s return a cause for celebration. Those of us who want the nuts to stay the hell away will love it too, if reluctantly.