Review: Death Panels ‘Maximum Soul’
The music journey of Atlanta, Georgia’s ‘70s influenced hard rock, psychedelic fuzz power trio Death Panels is a captivating tale of sonic exploration and evolution. Introduced to me by Echodelic Records label boss Jeffrey Ferguson, this three-piece outfit first emerged in 2014 as a five-piece ensemble, before eventually streamlining their lineup down to the core trio we know today. As frontman singer/guitarist Arjun Kulharya shared, the band’s origins were marked by an expansive, jam-fuelled approach that drew deep from the well of classic rock, psychedelia and experimental.
However, over time they honed their sound, stripping away the excess to reveal the thunderous heart of their music – a relentless, fuzzed-out barrage of blistering riffs, hypnotic grooves and Kulharya‘s soulful, passionate vocals. The band’s moniker, as far as I can think, could be a clever reference to a political term that gained prominence during the heated 2009 debate over federal healthcare legislation in the United States, as lawmakers and pundits controversially warned of so-called ‘death panels’ that would allegedly determine which patients deserved life-saving treatment.
For the Atlanta-based Death Panels, this charged political terminology has clearly resonated, providing a thought-provoking and attention-grabbing name for their loud, fuzzy, mind-bending brand of rock music which culminated with their first EP Alive & Loaded. Recorded in Memphis in 2016, and then released the following year via the small underground label Automatic Dope, this two-long tracker offers a good taste of their sonic world and encapsulates their gritty, high-energy sound.
The opening track, Mystic Death/Holy Bath, is a whirlwind of distorted, acrobatic guitar fuzz, the players weaving a tapestry of sound that evokes the spirit of rock icons like Jimi Hendrix, Randy Holden of Blue Cheer or even Ron Ashton of The Stooges. The guitar work is nothing short of mesmerising, the musicians pushing the boundaries of the instrument with a frenetic, experimental edge that seems to channel the very essence of psychedelic exploration.
Beneath the swirling guitar textures, the rhythm section lays down a foundation of frenetic drumming and a barely perceptible but deeply resonant bassline, creating a driving, hypnotic pulse that pulls the listener deeper into the musical maelstrom. The second track, The Scales Of Righteousness, continues in a similar vein, with a kaleidoscopic swirl of sound that evokes a sense of psychological turbulence. The sheer intensity and improvisational nature of the playing creates an almost trance-like effect, like the musicians are channelling the very forces of the subconscious through their instruments as if escaped from the best psychedelic rock of the ‘60s and ‘70s.
The band returned to the Memphis studios in 2018 loaded with an avalanche of an energetic new musical approach that also makes room for some psychedelic acoustic country-folk to create their first ever full-length album, Maximum Soul. Unfortunately, despite the band’s tireless efforts and the album’s completion, financial difficulties threatened to relegate the record to the proverbial ‘dark room’ and destined to languish in the realm of obscurity.
a mesmerising sonic tapestry that blends fervent psychedelic blues, acid rock and moments of breathtaking beauty…
However, fate intervened when Jeffrey Ferguson, the man behind Atlanta, Georgia’s cult Georgia label Echodelic Records and friend of bass player Jack Landsdowne stepped in to offer a lifeline. So, after 6 years of recognising the album’s immense artistic merit, Ferguson eagerly agreed to press and distribute the record, ensuring that the band’s bold sonic vision would finally see the light of day and reach the ears of eager listeners around the world.
On Maximum Soul, the band has crafted a mesmerising sonic tapestry that blends fervent psychedelic blues, acid rock and moments of breathtaking beauty. The album contains within a series of three captivating acoustic ballads that transport the listener to a hazy, hallucinatory realm of 1960s acid-folk. Tracks like Free Grass, Night Sparrow and Cosmic Chooglin’ hover in a state of pure spiritual calm, their gentle melodies and introspective lyrics evoking imagery of pastoral serenity. But this tranquillity is shattered by the album’s more explosive, hard-hitting numbers.
Guitarist Kulharya unleashes a torrent of burning, hallucinatory licks that channel the spirit of Jimi Hendrix and Grand Funk Railroad, creating a searing, sweat-soaked psychedelic maelstrom. The rhythm section, anchored by the virtuosic bass work of Landsdowne that provides a solid foundation for these mind-bending sonic excursions, driving the music forward with a relentless, hypnotic energy.
What’s most striking about Maximum Soul is the band’s ability to seamlessly blend these contrasting elements – the serene and the frenetic, the beautiful and the unhinged. The album is a rollercoaster ride of emotions with moments of spectacular, almost cosmic beauty colliding head-on with the band’s more primal, fuzzed-out impulses. It’s a sound that is at once familiar and entirely new, drawing on the rich legacy of psychedelic rock while forging its own distinct path.
With this potent offering, the band has firmly established themselves as masters of the psych-rock jam, breathing new life into a classic genre and leaving listeners hungry for more of their intoxicating sonic alchemy. Maximum Soul is their own little triumph, their bold and uncompromising statement delivered at the height of their powers. The wait may have been long, but the payoff is more than worth it. Now there is one question remaining. Will this group of friends who just wanted to jam and play music together return with a follow-up? Let posterity decide.
Label: Echodelick Records
Band Links: Spotify
Scribed by: Domenico ‘Mimmo’ Caccamo
