Inspired as much by the space-tinged stoner rock of Kyuss and Monster Magnet as by progressive rock icons like Pink Floyd and early UFO, Tortona, Italy's UFOmammut was formed in 1999 by Urlo (bass/vocals), Poia (guitar/keyboards), Alien (keyboards/guitar), and Vita (drums). After releasing their well-received Godlike Snake debut in the year 2000, UFOmammut toured sporadically and contributed odd tracks to numerous compilations and tribute albums -- most notably the Blue Explosion tribute to Blue Cheer. Recorded in 2003, their superlative sophomore effort, Snailking, saw Alien replaced with long-time producer Hendrix R., and was released by the Music Cartel a year later. A special DVD/mini-album entitled Lucifer Songs followed in late 2005 and found UFOmammut reduced to a trio once again.

Two years later, the trio collaborated with fellow Italian band Lento on the release Supernaturals: Record One. Less than a year later, they unveiled their first full-length in five years with Idolum, which simultaneously openly acknowledged Pink Floyd's influence with soaring female vocals à la "Great Gig in the Sky" (courtesy of Rose Kemp), and their fascination with post-rock. In 2010, they issued their most provocative recording to date with Eve, a single 45-minute track divided into five distinctive movements. Eve, its theme and subject, is depicted as a figure whose personality embodied traits of Lucifer (rebellion) and Prometheus (the sharing of secret knowledge). Touring Europe and the U.S., the enthusiastic reception to the material prompted UFOmammut to take their proggish aspirations even further. 2012's Oro was created as a single ten-movement work, and was issued by Neurot in two parts -- Oro: Opus Primum appeared in April, followed by Oro: Opus Alter in September, but the latter sounded as if it came straight out of the former. Global touring and festivals followed for nearly two years. The band entered the studio in late 2014 and emerged with Ecate in the spring of 2015; it too was based on a theme. The title is the pre-Greek name for the goddess Hecate, and its songs revolved around the characteristics of her mythical archetype: She was able to move in and out of the world of humanity and manipulate not only beings, but events governed by emotions. After wildly successful performances at Roadburn and other festivals, the trio returned to Italy.

In the fall of 2017, UFOmammut emerged with 8. Though it was the band's eighth release, the concept again went further: There are eight tracks, each with its own symbolic theme reflecting a characteristic of the number. Its immersive tracks flow into one another without interruption as if the set were a single long jam. It also signifies the horizontal portrayal of the 8 morphing into the algebraic geometry character ∞, a plane curve that meets at a central point -- commonly known as the infinity symbol -- creating a continuous stream of movement reflective of the uninterrupted nature of the album. In its press materials, UFOmammut stressed that there was no singular pronunciation of the title: 8 could -- and should -- be spoken in every language: "Eight" in English, "otto" in Italian, "acht" in German, "huif" in French, etc.

Eduardo Rivadavia
AllMusic.com