New Music Review: GONG ‘Bright Spirit’

Rating: 8 / 10 Stars

GONG is: Kavus Torabi (vocals/guitar), Fabio Golfetti (guitar), Dave Sturt (bass), Ian East (saxophone/flute), Cheb Nettles (drums)

REVIEW – Few bands in the history of progressive and psychedelic music have maintained the sense of cosmic exploration that GONG has carried since their beginnings in the late 1960s under visionary founder Daevid Allen. With ‘Bright Spirit’, released March 13, 2026 via Kscope, the band completes the Ascension Trilogy that began with ‘The Universe Also Collapses’ (2019) and continued with ‘Unending Ascending’ (2023). The result is an expansive, dreamlike journey that feels both rooted in the band’s legacy and boldly open to new sonic dimensions.

‘Bright Spirit’ opens with the sprawling “Dream Of Mine”, a ten-minute cosmic transmission that slowly unfolds with shimmering guitars, fluid rhythms, and layered harmonies. The track gradually blossoms into one of the record’s most mesmerizing moments, its angular melodies and shifting textures feeling like stepping through a portal into Gong’s ever-evolving universe.

“Mantivule” continues the exploratory spirit with pulsing grooves and swirling instrumentation. The band’s signature blend of psychedelic rock and progressive improvisation shines here, with guitars and saxophone weaving around each other in hypnotic patterns. It’s adventurous yet accessible, maintaining a steady momentum that keeps listeners suspended in the album’s surreal atmosphere.

The mystical tone deepens with “The Wonderment”, one of the record’s most meditative pieces. Built around gentle rhythms and atmospheric textures, the track feels introspective and expansive at the same time, as if floating between worlds. “Stars In Heaven” shifts the pace slightly, offering a tighter composition filled with cosmic melodies and uplifting harmonics.

One of the most unexpected moments arrives with “Fragrance Of Paradise”, described by Torabi as his first true love song. Yet in true Gong fashion, even romance is filtered through psychedelic wonder. The track unfolds slowly, drenched in dreamy instrumentation and emotional depth.

The album’s shorter piece “Relish The Possibility” acts almost like a moment of breath within the record’s journey, a brief but vibrant burst of musical optimism. Finally, “Eternal Hand” closes the album on a sweeping, spiritual note. The song gathers the album’s themes of dreams, transcendence, and cosmic awareness into a powerful finale that feels both reflective and hopeful.

Throughout ‘Bright Spirit’, GONG continue to channel the adventurous energy that defined their earliest work while allowing the modern lineup to shape its own identity. The band never feels nostalgic; instead, they sound curious and alive, constantly searching for new sonic pathways.

With its blend of psychedelic exploration, progressive musicianship, and spiritual atmosphere, ‘Bright Spirit’ stands as a fitting conclusion to the Ascension Trilogy and another strong chapter in the long and strange journey of GONG.