| Psych-Rock, Stoner Rock |
A psychedelic journey between cosmic heaviness, hypnotic rhythms and ancient spirits
With Medicine Sound, French trio Odonata X-1 delivers a remarkable third album, an ambitious and thoroughly captivating musical experience that confirms the band’s singular place in the contemporary psychedelic and stoner-rock landscape. Somewhere between psychedelic rock, atmospheric doom, progressive excursions and hypnotic trance, this is music that refuses to follow familiar paths. Powerful, immersive and occasionally downright mesmerizing, Medicine Sound is an invitation to leave everyday reality behind and embark on a journey into another dimension.
Formed in Limoges in 2020, Odonata X-1 is built around the complementary talents of two guitarists and vocalists, Fabienne Albiac and Steff Tej, accompanied by drummer Stéphane Lhopiteau. What makes this unusual configuration so fascinating is the contrast between the two guitar personalities. One brings an airy, fluid and almost weightless dimension, allowing melodies to drift into vast cosmic spaces, while the other develops a much darker, thicker and more hypnotic sound, with riffs that seem to emerge from the deepest layers of the earth. Rather than competing, these two approaches constantly interact, creating a wonderfully musical architecture. The result is a fascinating combination of heaviness and light, tension and release, darkness and unexpected melodic beauty.
The album’s concept is equally compelling. Inspired by the indigenous civilizations of North America, particularly the Sioux peoples, Medicine Sound pays tribute to societies whose relationship with the natural world was founded on respect, balance and an awareness of humanity’s place within a much larger living environment. With lyrics in English and Lakota, the musicians invite us to imagine a world before the arrival of Europeans, while also encouraging us to reconsider our own increasingly destructive relationship with Nature. This is not simply a historical or cultural subject used as a backdrop for rock music: it gives the entire album a genuine sense of purpose and spiritual depth.
From the opening moments of “Eagle”, Odonata X-1 establishes an extraordinary atmosphere. The guitars initially create a solemn, almost ceremonial setting before a deep, insistent riff gradually takes command. The rhythm is immediately hypnotic, while Fabienne’s vocals add an evocative ritualistic quality. There is a wonderful sense of movement here, with more ethereal guitar passages, a memorable melodic refrain and a particularly inspired psychedelic solo. The composition evolves naturally, moving through different textures before reaching a beautifully restrained conclusion. An excellent opening statement.
“Land” takes us further into the band’s heavier territory. Its powerful, almost tribal rhythmic foundation provides the perfect setting for the guitars to explore distant sonic landscapes. The vocal delivery has a strikingly spiritual quality, while the fuzz-laden guitar interventions add considerable weight to the composition. There is something particularly effective about the way the musicians alternate between massive, grounded passages and more atmospheric moments. The track feels simultaneously ancient and futuristic, as if two very different worlds were communicating through sound.
With “Mother”, the group reveals another side of its musical personality. This extended, predominantly instrumental composition leans more towards progressive and psychedelic territory, with a beautiful interplay between the guitars and a particularly attractive vocal contribution from Fabienne Albiac. Her clear, expressive voice brings a welcome sense of luminosity to the music, especially when combined with the other vocal parts. The arrangement develops patiently, allowing the instrumental passages to breathe, while the guitar work occasionally takes flight in wonderfully expansive directions. One of the album’s most beautiful and intriguing moments.
“Tribe” is another major highlight. Built around a compelling, repetitive bass foundation, the composition gradually establishes an almost irresistible rhythmic spell. The vocals are particularly engaging, moving between clarity and mystery, while the guitars add delicate atmospheric details and increasingly adventurous psychedelic textures. The changes in rhythm are handled with great intelligence, preventing the extended structure from ever becoming predictable. There is a remarkable sense of cohesion here, with every element contributing to the overall atmosphere rather than simply serving as an opportunity for individual display.
Finally, “Taku Wakan” brings the album to another impressive peak. Its captivating stoner-rock riff, persistent rhythmic drive and deeply expressive vocals make it an especially memorable composition. The guitar work is once again outstanding, with a warm, expansive solo that seems to escape the confines of the arrangement before the musicians gradually bring the piece towards its more subdued closing moments. It is a powerful and highly effective conclusion to the album’s five original compositions.
The two additional versions, “Eagle (Edit)” and “Tribe (Edit)”, offer shorter, more immediate interpretations of two of the album’s strongest pieces. They provide an interesting alternative to the longer original arrangements without diminishing the appeal of the complete compositions.
What is particularly impressive about Medicine Sound is the way Odonata X-1 manages to combine such substantial sonic power with a genuine sense of sensitivity and imagination. Stéphane Lhopiteau’s drumming provides a remarkably persistent rhythmic foundation, almost like a ritual heartbeat, while the two guitarists continually explore contrasting sonic territories. The vocals, sometimes deep and incantatory, sometimes clear and melodic, add another essential dimension to this musical universe.
There are echoes of the great psychedelic and progressive bands of the past, but Odonata X-1 never sounds like a trio simply revisiting familiar territory. Its music possesses its own identity, shaped by the meeting of atmospheric guitar work, massive riffs, trance-like repetition and an unmistakable taste for extended musical journeys. The compositions are adventurous without being shapeless, heavy without sacrificing atmosphere, and melodic without losing their mysterious edge.
Ultimately, Medicine Sound is much more than an excellent psychedelic stoner-rock album. It is a coherent, imaginative and deeply engaging artistic statement, one that manages to connect musical exploration with a subject of genuine human significance. Odonata X-1 has created a world of its own here, and the listener is invited to enter it, surrender to its rhythms and discover its many fascinating landscapes. A truly impressive achievement from a band whose originality deserves considerably wider recognition.
Fabienne Albiac, a graphic artist as well as a guitarist and singer, also created the cover. It shows a majestic buffalo, and it is the right image for a record this rooted, powerful and dignified. In our modern world that seems unable to slow down, Medicine Sound does something fantastic: it makes you stop, listen, think, listen again and think again. It is introspective and epic at once, and it is an original, generous and deeply human record.
Great compositions, outstanding guitar interplay, hypnotic performances and an atmosphere that stays with you long after the final notes have disappeared. Highly recommended!
Frankie Pfeiffer
Editor in chief – PARIS-MOVE
PARIS-MOVE, November 1st, 2026
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Tracklisting:
1.Eagle (original) 06:03
2.Land 04:21
3.Mother (original) 09:43
4.Tribe 09:26
5.Taku Wakan 06:21
Bonus tracks
6.Eagle (edit) 03:19
7.Tribe (edit) 04:05
Lyrics & music: Fabienne Albiac and Steff Tej
Musicians:
Fabienne Albiac: guitar, vocals on Tribe & Mother
Steff Tej: guitar, bass, vocals on Eagle, Land, Mother, Taku Wakan
Stéphane Lhopiteau: drums