You Guitarprayer - "I Am The Light/The Light I Am"
Photo Credit: Kostas Lilopoulos
You Guitarprayer is a band from Cologne who specializes in a very avant garde style of noise rock, characterized by unparallelled creativity and freely flowing emotion.
The trio, composed of Soheyl Nassary (vocals, guitar), Scharco (bass) and Spiro Kotsomitopoulos (drums), was formerly active in bands from the German label BluNoise such as Nicoffeine, Tarngo, Clarkys Bacon, Toxoplasma and Genepool.
You Guitarprayer released their debut album Art Won't Tear Us Apart Again in 2019, a collection of songs on which they cemented their signature sound that blends neo-psych, noise rock, shoegaze, and "cinematic chaos". While staying very active in the live music scene, the band released the singles Ace of Wands in February 2022, Transsurfer in February 2024 and Saffron Eyes in May 2025. After signing with Worst Bassist Records, You Guitarprayer released their album I Am The Light/Yhe Light I Am on November 21, 2025.
You Guitarprayer - I Am The Light/The Light I Am
1.) Transsurfer
Transsurfer was released as a single back in February 2024, and it has a much lighter and airier feel than the typical You Guitarprayer fare. In fact, this stirring track makes great use of building, reminiscent of a mounting wave. It begins with peaceful but sparkling guitar and emotive vocals, crests to the beat of booming percussion, and finally comes crashing into shore with some of the chaotic energy we know and love from the band.
The official video for "Transsurfer"
2.) I Am The Light/The Light I Am
The album's title track brings the energy way up with a delightfully tumultuous intro, but this song ultimately elects to dance with some vast, spacey textures, giving it a bit of a post-metal feel at times (I dig it). This combination of sounds, as well as the expressive vocals, generate a resounding aura of triumph, a confident feeling that is contagious.
3.) New Moon Energies
New Moon Energies dives headfirst into noise rock territory with a whisper of a surf rock vibe here and there. With live wire guitar, the racing pulse of the drums, unfettered vocals, and the keyed-up gallop of the bass, this song flows with a frenzied electric charge from start to finish.
4.) Ace of Wands
Ace of Wands was one of the first You Guitarprayer songs that I ever heard, and it's the one that sealed my affinity for the band. The standout thrum of the bass throughout the song, the longing wails from the guitar that bubble over into bittersweet, biting textures in the choruses, the fittingly agitated drumming, and the sensuous vocals create a bit of a gothic, post punk essence that mingles naturally with the emotive turbulence of noise rock. I've had Ace of Wands on heavy rotation since the day I heard it, and I don't see that changing.
The official video for "Ace of Wands"
5.) Stereostar
In addition to another prominent bassline and a driving, chugging undertow, Stereostar has a warm glint of heavy rock that bounces of the unpredictability of noise rock. There's even a pocket of tribal-esque drumming that caught my ear shortly after the standout lyric "True love is always diabolical," lodged itself in my brain.
6.) Transistor
A bright, lively garage psych groove with another glimmer of surf rock hanging around, Transistor features an intense and spiraling but dreamy interlude before the last chorus that is the highlight of the song for me.
7.) Transformer
Transformer is a brief instrumental interlude that, to my ears, feels like a concentrated essence of You Guitarprayer's sound.
8.) Mutiny In June
Mutiny in June is unrestrained even by noise rock standards, sprinting wildly in all directions while still managing to be cohesive. The overall feel of this song is unsettling, tense, and borderline eerie, spurring similar emotion in the listener. The drums pound unrelentingly from start to finish, echoing in one's head like a racing heartbeat. Heavily distorted guitar wails haphazardly while sinister bass keeps pace with the frantic drumming, and the vocals take on a crazed, frenetic cadence, erupting into bursts of full-blown madness. This is one of the most raw, tumultuous songs I've ever heard from You Guitarprayer, and I absolutely love it.
9.) Gravitron
Gravitron blooms slowly, cautiously, and mysteriously, emerging through mist and anchored by little more than the steadfast crawl of the bass and punctuating pound of the drums. The vocals are dreamy and serene while waxing noticeably trippy, signaling a disconnect from actuality. As this seven-minute track fades, any grip on reality jets away on the distorted yowls of the guitar.
10.) Radio Guidance
The trance-inducing tones initiated on Gravitron continue on final track Radio Guidance. This song has a base of intense tom drumming and a whispered backing vocal that persists for the entirety of the song. At first blush, that seems like a combination that might be a bit anxiety-inducing, but the mellifluous main vocals and calm measured strums of the guitar are enough to turn the entire tone to one of pure tranquility. While the pace does pick up around the midway point (namely by way of the bass joining in), this serves more to heighten the intensity of the mood rather than stoke the energy. Radio Guidance is definitely meditative; a song to close your eyes and drift blissfully away to.
Final Thoughts
I always picture You Guitarprayer's sound as a live wire, snaking about on the stage, going where the mood draws it, hot and glowing, always threatening to spark. I think this visual speaks not only to the unparalleled energy behind the band's style, but also to the organic flow of each and every song. You Guitarprayer's sound is driven by an almost palpable force, a powerful creative instinct that bounces among the band members, allowing them to masterfully control the chaos and slip gracefully into the most delicate of reveries at will.
These instincts successfully made their way onto I Am The Light/The Light I Am (to put it mildly), but it's immediately evident to the seasoned listener that this skill set has become infinitely more sophisticated with time. While one can safely say that You Guitarprayer is staying true to their signature sound on this album, that's because their tone is an ever evolving one, often shapeshifting within a single song. However, one can't deny that there are even more layers, colors, and facets to I Am The Light/The Light I Am, an indicator of continued creative growth from the band. And, at the risk of sounding a bit basic, this album just hits deeper, particularly on an emotional level.
To that end, I think two of the biggest signs of a successful band, particularly one that is in it for the right reasons, are when their energy becomes even more contagious and their creativity becomes less and less inhibited, resulting in an authentic, organic sound. You Guitarprayer has always possessed these qualities, but on I Am The Light/The Light I Am they shine through brilliantly, an undeniable beacon of genuineness and vitality that the listener can feel as much as they can hear.
Photo Credit: JacQue Photography
More About You Guitarprayer
You Guitarprayer Is:
Soheyl Nassary - Guitar and Vocals
Spiro Kotsomitopoulos - Drums and Percussion
Scharco - Bass
You can follow You Guitarprayer and listen to their music at the following links:
Check Out Screaming from the Heavy Underground on YouTube!
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