"Terracid AKA Michael Donnelly returns with yet another solo album of his outback-fried psychedelic jamborees. Donnelly is extremely prolific, but that's a good thing for all of us. While he must be sacrificing something on the holy altar of the folk gods, he's surely not sacrificing quality for quantity. "Alltounia" is his first record from the always great 267 Lattajjaa imprint and is one of his finest offerings yet. This is music that will lull you into a trance.

"Alltounia" begins with the stunning "Asleep in the Frozen Woods." Bowed guitars and gently plucked acoustics create a dense moss-covered forest floor. Donnelly's vocals hang in the air, just barely, before falling to the ground and dying in the dirt. This folk composition struggles with itself, trying to wriggle free from the roots and weeds below. It's organic bliss, all wrapped in a vividly-colored blanket. As always, this is great.

There are many soft and quiet moments on "Alltounia," giving this album a more reflective tone. Tracks like "More" and the title track are steeped in meditative glory. The latter track especially. Bowed acoustic guitars and minimal percussion are reminiscent of Keijo, while the underlying sonic drone brings to mind My Cat is an Alien. It's a powerful combination and Donnelly puts his own, distinct spin on the whole affair. "More" is laced in trembling percussion and methodically picked guitars. It's like the silent build-up of tension before a massive thunderstorm. As you watch the black clouds on the horizon approach, you aren't quite sure how bad it's going to be. There's a defiant sense here, like you are forcing your nerves into submission, but in the end you lose out to the forces of nature. Donnelly's delicate balancing act pays off in spades.

One thing I've been noticing about Donnelly's work, not only as Terracid but in Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood, Ffehro, and Soarwhole as well, is that you can really hear that he is inspired by his surroundings in rural Australia. "Khepera" is like a journey over the Great Dividing Range and into the sun-soaked outback. A jews harp marks your steps while fleeting recorder notes hint at the birds flying overhead. It's a beautiful moment on "Alltounia," and with the underlying percussive thuds, it's truly magical. The other element of this homeland-inspiration is the proceeding track, "Talking Shadow Asking for Light." Not only does this piece have an awesome title, but Donnelly's frantic vocal incantations feel tribal in origin. He's channelling some serious ancient spirits here. Totally fucking mystical.

The more I listen to "Alltounia," the more I've grown to love it. It's an album that takes alot of attention. But once you've found the key and unlocked this psychedelic world, you're in for one hell of a ride. Terracid strikes again. 9/10" Brad Rose, Foxy Digitalis

"One fact I often overlook: Australia is huge. Terracid's Michael Donnelly appreciates his country's size, and he tries to invoke it on Alltounia. Donnelly has breathed the outback's open, heady air and exhaled it into this recording. His every instrumental gesture points to the space beyond the music - a wide, wobbly region dwarfing the noise from its center. But this is no ambient piece. Though apparently a solo project, Alltounia contains enough rattle, hiss, and hum to cast doubt on that claim.

Donnelly's searching fiddle occupies the foreground of much of this recording. It acts as an anchor, an emotive human pivot in an unsteady world of lurking unknowns. Percussion figures heavily in the music as well, but rhythm does not. The assorted bells, hand drums, and cymbals ricocheting through Alltounia do not support the music. Instead, by disappearing into dark corners, rolling over wavy hills, and scuttling like creatures over cracked earth, they delineate the space of the record.

Not a word is uttered over the forty minutes. Donnelly opens his mouth, but his language is pulled from within, twisted into moans and howls evaporating into the wind. It's as if the sound space invades him, coercing the individual into a reluctant submission to his environment. A powerful recording from a rising force in psychedelic music." Bryn Berge, Stylus Magazine

"Micheal Donnelly kombinerer eksperimentell folk og rock med en slags primitiv rituell greie som går hinsides det vi har vært i berøring med tidligere, Selv om det virker improvisert blir det aldri ukontrollert. Skygger av vokal, plukkende og glidende akustiske og elektriske gitarer, harpe, fele, myldrende perkusjon, mystiske blåseinstrumenter som til sammen blir en unik sound. Selv en sammenligning med en jam mellom Incredible String Band, John Cale's pre-Velvet Underground-skiver og Uton er ikke dekkende. Klart transeframkallende psykedelia som kan bli vanedannende. Gedigen!" Popopdrops

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