SONIC MOON is a Stoner Rock band out of Arhus, Denmark. They emerged on the scene as early as 2017 with their first single followed by two EPs: "In Orbit" in 2018 and the quirky titled "Usually I Don't Care About Flowers" in 2019. On August 4, 2023 they released their debut full-length album, "Return Without Any Memory," on Olde Magick Records-an appropriate label for this analog, fuzz-laden quintet. You can easily imagine Alister Crowley rocking this album as he performed Thelematic rites on the shores of Loch Ness.

"Return Without Any Memory" is all new material-i.e., for fans of SONIC MOON, this LP doesn't rehash content from their previous EPs. So that's cool. The seven tracks lean heavily into the down-tuned, leaden-tempo inflections of Doom accented by Oliver Lyngkilde's clean vocals that are slightly reminiscent of Anders Manga (BLOODY HAMMERS). There is an oddity about the album though. The slow tempo, clean vocals, and light distortion make it hard to tell if what you are hearing is the result of an intentional aesthetic underpinned with analog equipment and or just a less-than-confident performance. Like the title of the album, the tracks come across as slightly overwrought. Add to that the tendency of the band to go into jam mode and portions of the album seem unrehearsed and shaky.

High spots on the album include the menacing "Tying up the Noose" which serves up a sweat Stoner-fused movement mid-track and "Give it Time," a solid if brief rocker that devolves into a treacle morass before reforming itself one more time in its final breath.

For lovers of languid Stoner Psych, "Return Without Any Memory" is a solid find. For me, it lacked the viscera and dark intent to really keep my attention. Just not my bag.