Timeline Traveller by Hypnos 69, a 2001 album.
On Progressive Rock World we have already had the chance to talk about Hypnos 69, a standout band in blending psychedelia and art rock. Albums like Legacy are seen as milestones of progressive music.
The group is known for its ability to fuse stoner sounds with refined prog structures.
Timeline Traveller, their second studio album after an EP released the year before, marks a crucial moment in their evolution. The album represents the shift from the early stoner rock sound to a more psychedelic, more intricate progressive rock.
This album was born as an autobiographical work, with the title and concept embodying the band’s philosophy: being “time travellers” who favor the sounds of the ’60s and ’70s, rather than chasing today’s music trends. Recorded and mixed in just six days (April and May 2002) at Artsound Studios in Houthalen, Belgium, the album featured Hypnos 69 as a power trio made up of:
Steve Houtmeyers: Vocals, electric and acoustic guitar, Theremin, synthesizers. Founder of the band together with his brother Dave in 1994, he is the creative mind and lyricist. Before Hypnos 69, he played in the grindcore and death metal bands Agathocles. He is known for a guitar style that blends heavy stoner riffs with long psychedelic improvisations.
Dave Houtmeyers: Drums, percussion, glockenspiel, timpani, synthesizers. Co-founder and Steve’s brother, Dave provides the complex rhythmic backbone typical of the band’s prog. Besides Hypnos 69, he played in the punk band Intestinal Disease. He also handles the arrangement of the electronic parts and vintage synths.
Tom Vanlaer: Bass, baritone guitar, Moog Taurus, Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes. A founding member, before joining the Houtmeyers brothers he played bass in several local rock bands. His contribution is essential to the band’s wall of sound, thanks to the use of Moog Taurus pedals that add depth to the spacier, more progressive parts.
Initially released by the RocknRollRadio label, the album sold out right away. In later reissues (such as the 2006 one and the 2015 vinyl), contributions by Steven Marx (sax and keyboards) were added; he joined the band after the original release, the version I’m discussing in this review.
1. The Timeline Traveller
Explosive track that blends classic hard rock and psychedelia, creating a hypnotic, spacey atmosphere. Steve Houtmeyers drives the piece with swirling, cosmic guitar solos, while the rhythm section keeps a tight, pulsing pace. Despite its length, it’s one of the album’s most accessible tracks. Gripping.
2. N.O. Mustang
A piece with a more improvised feel, with sounds that recall the German prog scene of the ’70s. Tom Vanlaer’s bass is forceful, acting as the backbone for vintage-flavored guitar forays. Great groove.
3. Voodoo Dancer
The wildest track on the record, a psychedelic boogie in which Dave Houtmeyers on drums, together with the bass, creates a base for the repetitive yet effective guitar parts. A hard, straight-ahead song that serves as the perfect contrast to the album’s more complex suites. Tough.
4. A Neverending Enigma
The most complex track, split into two parts, starting with a jazz-rock sound and then turning into a journey through ’70s prog-rock and psychedelia, alternating Crimson-esque moments with near-metal sections, and toward the end Eastern atmospheres add an unexpected exotic touch. Enigmatic.
5. Like Waves on the Wind
Epic, atmospheric closer, with relaxed instrumental parts that never truly explode but evolve into tasty jams, between vintage keyboards and dreamy guitars. Moving.
The album is an experience that embraces different styles.
From Space Rock that evokes early Pink Floyd and Hawkwind. Theremin and vintage analog synthesizers paint “galactic” soundscapes and create eerie, hissing backdrops. The songs, long, often start from minimalist ambient intros and then burst into heavy crescendos.
Despite the complexity, the band keeps its “heavy” sound. The influence of Black Sabbath is palpable in the guitar riffs. The drums, powerful and jazzy, alternate frantic rolls with steady, hypnotic rhythms.
The album foreshadows the influences of King Crimson and Yes that would define their next masterpiece, Legacy. Tracks like “A Neverending Enigma” are suites split into distinct movements, alternating acoustic melancholy and electric fury.
The production, deliberately free of modern, “polished” sounds, favors a warm ’70s analog feel, with Moog Taurus pedals and Hammond organs. An immersive, hypnotic trip, where atmosphere prevails over traditional song structures. And on listening it doesn’t seem possible it’s an album from this century.
Great album. Highly recommended.
My Version
Label: Elektrohasch Schallplatten – ELEKTROHASCH 110
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue
Country: Germany
Released: 29 Jan 2015
Tracklist
1. Timeline Traveller (8:31)
2. No Mustang (7:46)
3. Voodoo Dancer (5:46)
4. A Neverending Enigma (9:37)
5. Like Waves On The Wind (8:53)
Duration 40:33
LineUp
Bass, Organ [Hammond], Synthesizer [Moog Taurus] – Tom Vanlaer
Drums, Percussion, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Synth – Dave Houtmeyers
Guitar, Vocals, Theremin – Steve Houtmeyers
Recorded by, mixed by – JP Kerckhofs
Saxophone, Mellotron, Keyboards – Steven Marx
Listening links:
You can listen to the full album on the main streaming platforms and on the band’s official channels.
- Bandcamp (Official): The best way to directly support Hypnos 69. Here you can listen to the tracks in high quality and read the original credits.
- Spotify: The album is available in the band’s full catalog.
- Also available on YouTube and Apple Music
Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the page "Artists"
