Crippled Black Phoenix are an underappreciated UK act that on the surface can be dismissed as mopey post-rock or 70s psych revivalists. Their nods to psychedelic, progressive, and space rock of old may not be fashionable but this uncompromising double album set was a 2009 standout. Only two years since debut A Love of Shared Disasters, this anthology of songs was recorded in multiple sessions over 2007-2008 with some credits dating back earlier. Core member Justin Greaves (Gonga, Electric Wizard) is the main songwriter, recording with a cast of instrumentalists including Mogwai bassist Dominic Aitchison and singer Joe Volk whose 2006 acoustic Derwent Waters Saint is also worth checking out.

An immediate takeaway is that they love mid-era Pink Floyd. Slowly shimmering synths opening The Resurrectionists‘ (sic) “Burnt Reynolds” reflect on multi-part “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”. The subsequent track “Rise Up and Fight” kicks in with a heartbeat harmonized bassline straight out of Meddle side A “One of These Days”. The last all-instrumental half of Night Raider 19 minute opus “Time of Ye Life/Born For Nothing/Paranoid Arm of Narcoleptic Empire” touches upon Animals‘ “Dogs”. These homages make up a small percentage the two hour runtime, so the release isn’t merely hero worship.

Thirteen minute hallmark “Song For the Loved” will attract post-rock aficionados with its extended cinematic journey. Introduced by actress Lindsay Duncan’s The Reflecting Skin monologue on the horror of human mortality, then Joe Volk’s piano-led folk transitions to foreboding Gregorian chants (think “Long Cold Summer” from their debut) overlaying tense drones and windy synths for multiple minutes before cello and rock instrumentation are blown apart by David Gilmour-ish dueling guitar solos.

“200 Tons of Bad Luck” is a Tom Waits-like number of accordion folk with eerie background voices thrown in. The heaviest moments of this boxset comes from “444” and its cello/violin Middle Eastern motif complimenting stoner metal. The Resurrectionists closes out “Human Nature Dictates The Downfall of Humans”, an eight minute ballad in despair that transitions into triumphant sunshine.

On second disc Night Raider, many of its songs are dominated by instrumentals across many styles. “Along Where the Wind Blows” gravel-voiced Matt Williams (the Beak> member credited as “tramp”) carries on a drunken saloon story over trombone, accordion, and banjo. An industrialized buzzsaw of engines on “A Lack of Common Sense” and mad Victoria circus-freaks-on-display “Onward Ever Downwards” intro sample (also found after “Burnt Reynolds”) paints pictures of mankind’s transition into industrialization. Instrumental finale “I Am Free, Today I Perished” is a downright pretty composition of simple piano, controlled feedback and drones.

Key to the central theme of this release is a sampled Evil Kenevil inspirational speech opening Night Raider, speaking of waking everyday with a mind tipped towards self-improvement. All is not lost when a hopeful outlook doesn’t let fear win. By using non-flashy recording techniques (this isn’t your compression-happy rock radio production), CBP is able to communicate nostalgic motifs that stay grounded, carrying the torch of majestic albums that once dominated popular music three decades ago.