Japanese psych collective Acid Mothers Temple have some 30 members depending on the scenario. But whatever name the line-up happens to be playing under, it can generally be accepted that when the Temple do land in Cork for their latest love-in/freak-out in the Crane Lane on Monday, August 4, one of the most exciting gigs of the year awaits. With their revolving line-up's and numerous off-shoots, AMT have dazed and confused in equal measures.

From ear shredding guitar noise to an ambient electronic pulsing drones, traditional Japanese folk to the sweet sound of a handmaiden warbling, percussive heavy free-jazz to bluesy Krautrock, this acid-tinged collective's celestial talents lays in their ability to tune in and freak out whatever musical orbit they happen to be floating in. They do so with extreme authority although the very nature of the beast means that sometimes it's hit and miss. But when you've been swallowed up whole in their bug-eyed, flailing psychedelic, kaleidoscopic sound cauldron you'll rarely be able to pause for breath long enough to contemplate what's gone before, but be warned – flashbacks may occur!

This time around we're getting Acid Mothers Temple & The Cosmic Inferno, the second most prolific of all AMT line-ups and, unquestionably, the most hard-rocking! This is the collective getting back to the relative basics, channelling the psych and acid-freak-out groups of the late 60s and early 70s and the hard-rock outfits of the late 70s. They once released an album called Starless and Bible Black Sabbath – as in the King Crimson album Starless and Bible and metal über-lords Black Sabbath, giving you some idea of where they're coming from. Careful with that axe!

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