After nearly four years of squeezing every last drop out of the fruits of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, the Flaming Lips are once again knockin’ on the door with the much anticipated At War With the Mystics. And after 20 years of hard work, influencing much younger and more successful bands along the way, who can blame ‘em for making the lucrative rounds? If anyone has paid their dues, the Lips have. (Go see The Fearless Freaks… Now!) Outside of the leaked mp3’s, The W.A.N.D. is the first real taste of what magic these seasoned Okies have been conjuring. And that magic is black… as in Sabbath!

“The W.A.N.D.” is a rockin’ riff-based diatribe on American current events. It displays the kind of raw power that the band hasn’t showcased since the exodus of lead guitarist Ronald Jones in 1996. After a mood setting backwards click track (more likely to make sense in the context of Mystics) and hand clap intro, the boys launch into a balls to the wall Sabbath Vs. Zeppelin mash-up, flaunting the insane ability of the world’s best living drummer, Steven Drozd. With an immediate right hook, Wayne Coyne let’s the Crawford dynasty have it with, “Time after time those fanatical minds try to rule all the world / Tellin’ us all it's them / Who's in charge of it all.” He continues with my favorite non Jesus, Mars, egg, animal, or fruit lyric in the canon… “We've got the power now, motherfuckers / That's where it belongs / You got that right!”

The B-side is “You Got To Hold On.” It’s a bombastic pop song more in line with Yoshimi’s saccharine empowerment than late 60’s hard rock, followed by a built for “C-side” cut, “Time Travel… Yes!!” All three tracks flaunt the kind of studio wizardry Lips fans have grown accustomed to and prophesize The W.A.N.D. as a good omen. “Pear-happppps…,” said the British wizard in a high pitched voice.