Formed in Paris, and with roots stretching back to 1967, Gong soon became associated with the “Canterbury Scene” and were pivotal in shaping what commonly became known as “prog rock”. With a history as colourful and diverse as their sound, Gong have left a tantalising trail of vinyl that’s all the more impressive considering the high turnover of band members. However, Gong was always more than music, it was a living, breathing project that took on a life of its own. And while the current incarnation of the band features no founding members, their latest album, Bright Spirit is undeniably a Gong album and can hold its own with anything in their deep and diverse discography.
When band founder and creative compass Daevid Allen passed in 2015, not only did he leave an enduring legacy, but the intention that the band should continue and that guitarist Kavus Torabi become front person. It means that anything the current line-up of Gong releases is going to be held up against all the great albums from their past, but it is a challenge they’ve risen to, with post-Allen albums such as Unending Ascending rivalling anything in their previous incarnations. Continuing their upward trajectory, latest album Bright Spirit collects seven tracks that both celebrate their history and signpost the future, and are certain to please Gong fans both old and new. Full of Eastern promise, opening track ‘Dream Of Mine’ uses various motifs to create a sense of place and time, a mythical world that exists somewhere in that twilight zone somewhere betwixt wake and sleep. It’s a psychedelic-tinged song that alters the very fabric of space and as such it compresses its ten-and-a-half minute running time into mere seconds.
Fans of both progressive rock and psychedelia will find a spiritual home inside the warm grooves of Bright Spirit. Songs such as ‘Mantivule’ bring to mind both Hawkind-era In Search Of Space and Voivod’s Dimension Hatröss. It has an effortless crossover appeal that’ll adhere itself to fans of prog and rock (and beyond), and no matter what your musical preference, it’s hard not to get swept along in the ethereal cloud that is ‘The Wonderment’. Aided by a wide and expansive production, Bright Spirit flows like a smooth river of silk (no mean feat considering all of its twists and turns) and as such it is best consumed in one sitting to fully appreciate its ebb and flow. While it is perfectly feasible to dip in and out and enjoy each song individually (indeed, the aforementioned ‘The Wonderment’ has made for a great single), devouring this album whole will give a greater appreciation of the recurring motifs and the musical journey on which the band take us, and make the destination of closer ‘Eternal Hand’ all the more impactful. A rich canvas painted with cascading guitars, fluttering flute and sublime saxophone ‘Eternal Hand’ is (like all Bright Spirit) a song that will haunt you long after the disc has stopped spinning.
By taking all that was great about their past and setting their sights on the future, Gong have created an album not only for our times, but for all times.
- Bright Spirit is released via Kscope on 13th March 2026.
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Track List:
- Dream Of Mine
- Mantivule
- The Wonderment
- Stars In Heaven
- Fragrance Of Paradise
- Relish The Possibility
- Eternal Hand
