While it may have been a bit of bummer when Canadian psych rock heroes Quest For Fire called it quits a few years back, vocalist/guitarist Chad Ross and guitarist Andrew Moszynski didn’t stay dormant for long. They recruited bassist Nicole Howell, drummer Jay Anderson, and keyboardist Christopher Sandes and formed this exciting new project that takes the work of their former band even further.

Their self-titled debut marks the arrival of a major new talent on the psych rock scene. They have a knack for merging the aggressive with the trippy, sometimes within the space of the same song. The songs on this album run the gamut from trippy explorations of sound, to more ground blasts of heavy psych rock action. It’s this ability to mix things up that makes them so special.

Opener “Blast Magic” is an eight-minute epic that features heavy fuzzed-out guitars, alternating with more mellow parts, along with solos that rise out of the muck and fly skyward. “Future Forever” and “Century” are swaggering rock songs that feature fuzz bomb guitars and incessant, driving rhythms. “The Soft Parade” opens with a gnarly riff, and features some high flying solos and an ultra-catchy chorus.

“For The Haze” and “Hats Off to Life” focus on the more trippy aspects of their sound. The former features robotic rock drum beats over shimmering guitars, while the latter sets its controls for the heart of deep space, taking the listener far out along with the band. It’s quite a stunner.

If you’re looking for an excellent slab of psych rock that is dynamic and catchy, then you should definitely take a ride on Comet Control’s spaceship. One listen and you may not want to come back down to Earth.

(Tee Pee Records, 200 East 10th Street, Box 155, New York, NY 10003)