"Shamal" is a studio album by the progressive rock band Gong, which was released in 1975. The group began recording the album in December 1975 at the Manor Studio in England. This album was produced post the departure of the band's founder, Daevid Allen. It was during the recording sessions that the band transitioned from a psychedelic space rock band, more toward Canterbury-scene influenced progressive rock (Canterbury scene is a subgenre of progressive rock that originated in the late 1960s).
Shamal is sometimes marked as the transition of Gong's genre from space rock to more jazz and progressive rock influenced music. Steve Hillage was the guiding light for this album, and while he was about to start his solo career, he remained a key contributor while also serving as the band's guitarist. Pierre Moerlen, on his part, took on more responsibilities by not only playing drums but also managing the production of the album.
The album is marked with appreciable complex instrumental narratives and not too much of Gong's characteristic quirky humor. It had a comparatively relaxed style than the previous Radio Gnome trilogy. Including a total of 6 tracks, the flow of the album reflected a more conventional music approach of grouping songs and tunes while still maintaining the band's improvisational and jazz-rock roots. Shamal thus marked the beginning of the 'Pierre Moerlen's Gong' phase and effused a different sound due to a change in the line-up.
The critical response towards Shamal generally leaned on the positive side, citing it as unique in Gong's discography as it combined the complex, jazzy instrumentals typical of Pierre Moerlen's Gong, while still retaining some of the psychedelic space rock soundscapes of Daevid Allen's Gong. The album continues to hold a special place in Gong's discography as a transitional album that both ended old chapters and began new ones.
