From around 1988 to their untimely meltdown in 1993, Black Sun Ensemble entranced clued-in audiences with the solar-flare incandescence of their largely instrumental psychedelic rock. In particular, Jesus Acedo's guitar work was like a newly-discovered exotic language spoken by emissaries from some dark border carnival. The band's hallucinogenic brew of eastern raga, mescaline trance mysticism and mesa-perched desert riff ritual produced a string of outstanding records (a self-titled debut on Pyknotic, another self-titled record and "Lambent Flame" on Reckless, a half-live half acoustic LP called "Tragic Magic" on Absolute Au Go Go) but the accumulated damage caused by mental instability within the ranks, vast quantities of hallucinogens and a lack of genuine recognition conspired to bring an end to the magic. Their incantations had sputtered out to a hoarse whisper by 1994's abortive "Psycho Master El" CD, released on San Jacinto Records under the name Black Sun Legion. On the release of "Psycho Master El", Jesus Acedo finally snapped, and created a funeral pyre out of half of the pressed copies, claiming that the devil had been speaking through him on the record. Then he disappeared from view - until now. We are here to tell you that Acedo has weathered his psychic storms, kicked the asses of a few internal demons, tamed some others, and is back playing live with a new version of the band and a new record that we feel sure will be counted as one of Black Sun Ensemble's finest.

"Sky Pilot" is like seeing someone stumbling out of the desert long after being given up for dead, and somehow giving every appearance of being stronger for the experience. The record begins with the title track, a majestic 22:30 minute mostly-acoustic suite recorded live in the studio earlier this year. Waves of 12 string acoustic guitar, electric guitar, clarinet, Egyptian hand drums and bass crash on a modal shore whipping the locals into an ecstatic fugue. Rare 1994 single track "Staying Power" follows, where, unusually, Acedo takes on vocal duties, and the sentiments of the track are telling given what he has been through. The remaining 12 tracks are the "Psycho Master El" sessions remixed and remastered as they should have been in the first place - with utmost clarity and focus, and without the irritation of the very dodgy vocals that appeared on the original release. The results are an complete transformation of the material. The thunderous bass and drum introduction to "Moby Worm" is quickly joined by the devotional fire of Acedo's guitar, and it's clear that brains are going to fry. Forty minutes later all that is left is ash. Welcome back Jesus indeed.