Psychonaut - Liber Al Vel Legis

Liber Al Vel Legis is Psychonaut's recording of Aleister Crowley's The Book of the Law. In Egypt in 1904 Crowley was visited by an entity regarded by Crowley to be his Holy Guardian Angel, and for three consecutive days at an appointed time Aiwass dictated to Crowley. By the end of the third session the text was complete. It was called The Book of the Law, and it prophesised the dawning of a new aeon for mankind. Its main tenet was the much quoted and much misinterpreted: Love is the Law, Love Under Will.

This recording conducted by Michael Ford alone represents the first ever Psychonaut recording, although its release was much delayed and was in fact preceded by The Witches Sabbath and a single dedicated to Austin Osman Spare. Remarkably this represents the first ever recording of The Book of the Law.

Liber Al Vel Legis is constructed from looped rhythms many fashioned from human bones, and eerie atmospheric backing created by woodwind instruments. A multi-tracked voice intones the text. At times almost Eastern motifs appear as if to represent the street sounds of Cairo. Psychonaut have claimed inspiration from both early Current 93 and Zero Kama and it is to the nightmare twilight world that Liber Al Vel Legis inhabits.

Michael Ford, Chaos author and guiding force behind Psychonaut, hopes that listeners treat the album as ritual musick to provide a magickal link between the self and the Holy Guardian Angel.

Released sometime ago by the supreme French label, against the odds Psychonaut have produced an engaging release that is worthy of the attention of the magickally inclined. For more information go to www.infernalhorde.com/psychonaut