Effusive, magickal, ethereal, spacious, ambient: all of these terms can be used to describe this expansive collection of songs from drone conjurors Book of Shadows. Since first deciding to work together in 1999, Carlton Crutcher (formerly of space rock brigade ST 37) and his wife Sharon, along with a likeminded cabal of folks from their home state of Texas, have been channelling whole hosts of spirits with their eerie brand of free-flowing improvisation. "777" finds the group, now sporting eight members, in fine Crowleyian form, filling this shiny little disc quite literally to the rim with their otherworldly incantations. At just over 75 minutes long, it's almost bursting at the seams.

Opener "Midnight Sun" is the centerpiece here, comprising a whopping 28 minutes of keyboards, guitars, electronics and spectral, wordless vocals courtesy of Sharon. The guitars act to ground the proceedings, keeping the music from venturing too far out into outer space. The rest of the album furthers the improvisatory, spiritual vibe – while the remaining five tracks dwell within the same realm as "Midnight Sun," they each carry a sense of individuality that prevents the album from becoming repetitious. As a matter of fact, it's as if each track is a key ingredient in an unnatural elixir: get the mix wrong and who knows what kind of evil you might bring down upon yourself. Thankfully, Book of Shadows are skilled musical mixologists, purveyors of atmospheric tunes perfectly suited for warding off whatever strange beasts that you may have summoned into existence. 8/10 -- Bryon Hayes (29 October, 2008)