This is one of my favorite Acid Mothers Temple albums and one of their most underrated. I know that they’ve got a famously large discography but I’m still shocked that Benzaiten isn’t widely considered one of their all-time classics. It was recorded during the last year of the classic phase 1 lineup and it’s got a little bit of everything that makes the band great.

Benzaiten is centered around a cover/reinterpretation of the 1976 album of the same name by Osamu Kitajima. Benzaiten (1976) is one of the earliest and most successful records to merge Western psychedelic/progressive rock and Japanese folk influences. To this day it remains one of the best works merging non-western traditional music and classic psychedelic rock. Acid Mothers Temples Benzaiten (2015) is equal parts cover album and psychedelic exploration of the themes present in the original. It’s still got that classic AMT magic so come prepared for massive drones and dizzying, searing electric guitar.

The first track is the most direct reinterpreting of Kitajimas original work, though in typical AMT fashion they’re not covered in the strictest sense. The volume is high, the drones are intense and the rock is fuzzy and heavy. The middle of the record consists of originals that are in some ways truer to the spirit of Benzaiten (1976) than the actual title track. The second track has got that same free flowing, folksy looseness as the original but with modern improv sensibilities and excellent electronics. The group is really tight and while the emphasis is definitely on contrasting and surprising textures and tones, there are really great little moments of interplay. The third track eases back into the rock but keeps it closer to the classic psych sound that influenced the original, at least relative to the high adrenaline high volume music AMT makes. The final track again owes a lot to Benzaiten (1976) but could never be mistaken for anything except Acid Mothers Temple. Shifting rhythms and noise slowly reveal a transcendental space rock that pushes your ears to the limit before vanishing, leaving only a long meditative drone.

If you’re looking for an original era AMT album with its own distinct flavor, a good bit of variety, and none of their endlessly recorded set staples, then this album shouldn’t be missed. For a record that’s a direct homage, the sublime originality of Acid Mothers Temple is on full display throughout Benzaiten. Newcomers and old heads will both enjoy this one thoroughly.