FRÅN EN PLATS DU EJ KAN SE

Beardfish was a find and addition here that I was proud to make. I had never heard of the group before seeing them at ProgDay 2006 down in Chapel Hill N.C. Needless to say.. I was highly impressed and the general word was that they sort of stole the show. I met the band after the show, talked to them for a while a bought a couple of their albums. Great guys and love the albums. I had meant to add them.. but of course.. I sat on it for months. Same with reviewing the albums. I finally added them.. so I guess I should review the albums. I'll start with this one.

As a note since I see the latest album has been reviewed several times and this hasn't. This album was recorded as a 5 piece with Stefan Aronsson on organ,moog, and mellotron. He later left the group after the album was released.

The album is of a very high quality musically. The twin guitarists play well together, the rhythm section is very very impressive. Sjöblom has a great voice and Aronsson's organ and melloron gives the music a great deal of texture and colour. The musical is what we generally consider standard eclectic prog here. Fulll of many influences yet not really defined by any particular one. The music is full of tempo and stylistic shifts within the music that always make for an interesting sound. Some quick notes on the music. As a bit of an 70's elitist I tend to cringe when I hear overproduced albums that seem to squeeze the life and energy of those albums. This album thankfully does not sound that way. The guitars are often clean and not laden with too many damn effects, Aronsson stays away from cheesy synth tones (moog withstanding which can be an acquired taste). A groups of great promise, and this was a great introduction for them. A wonderful debut album.

Some of the highlites for me were the mellotron drenched Brother... the wildly energetic and hilariously funny (intended which is a good thing hahah) Poison Ivy and the fulll monty and the closing epic A psychic amplifier.

A great album with many colours and moods.. one of the few modern albums that I actually reach for and put in the player with regularity. A little something for everyone on this album.

4 stars for me and the site. Let's hope we see a third album with that epic they played that left the crowd in Chapel Hill (my self included) speechless. Hopefully will be an album that breaks them amoung the prog crowd.

Michael (aka micky)

After getting their ambitious "Sleeping in Traffic pt.I" release I've chanced to receive another two as well. Here's my short view on band's debut attempt.

They play very good, they use different moods and atmospheres in each track, they don't flood you with epics overfilled with soulless show-up. Music is very Scandinavian, reminding me of their fellow countrymen RITUAL and SIMON SAYS, the same way Eclectic/Crossover/Heavy Symphonic high-class Prog with a Classic Rock touch. The only problem that I sometimes have with this particular CD is that music sometimes simply slips through your mind without a trace like "wow, that was nice but I won't turn it on again right now". I'd recommend to begin with "Sleeping in Traffic" CDs, and you've grown to adore it, get this one for sure. Very good after all.

A few months ago I witnessed this Swedish formation during their performance on the Dutch Symforce Festival. I was delighted about their powerful and varied sound and enthousiasm, especially the bass player freaked out!

This is Beardfish their debut album (2003), quite an exciting musical experience: compelling and bombastic with psychedelic undertones and Swedish vocals in the titletrack, twanging acoustic guitar with violin-Mellotron in the dreamy Brother, mid-tempo rock with heavy guitar play and lush Hammond organ in the alternating Poison Ivy And The Full Monty and catchy Hammond with rhythm guitar, a flowing guitar solo and exciting work on the Moog synthesizer in the long A Psychic Amplifier. My CD version also contains two bonustracks: a fluent rhythm with wah-wah guitar and Hammond waves in In Your Room and a heavy atmosphere with powerful vocals, again Hammond waves and sensational solos on synthesizer and guitar.

These guys know how to entertain and how to write dynamic music with lots of strong solos on guitar and keyboards (a big hand for the Hammond organ), this is a band to discover! My rating: 3,5 stars.

Från En Plats Du Ej Kan Se ( From a Spot that You can´t see) is Swedish band Beardfish debut album. It´s a retro prog rock album with that special Swedish touch that a band like The Flower Kings also posses. Beardfish is a bit more simple in their approach to the genre that the elaborate compositions of The Flower Kings. This doesn´t make them any less exciting though. There are both songs that are sung in Swedish and songs that are sung in English on Från En Plats Du Ej Kan Se. This might be confusing to some and it´s of course an aquired taste if you can appreciate the Swedish lyrics. As I am a Dane this is not a problem to me. In fact I think the Swedish lyrics are rather charming and brings something different to the sound of Beardfish.

The music is as mentioned retro prog rock with lots of organ and other vintage keyboard sounds while the guitars mainly play seventies hard rock riffs. There are more subtle moments too though. There are a few more modern sounds in the songs which reminds me just a bit about Pain of Salvation. The two bands are very different though. It´s only glimpses. There is a reggae part in the song A Good Excuse but other than that most riffs could have been on any seventies prog rock album. With retro prog rock albums it´s alfa omega that the compositions work and that the band are well playing and to this I can only add that yes this works perfect. I think it´s a really enjoyable album. I am never bored, as there are lots of different parts in each song to keep it exciting. The singer/ guitarist/ keyboardist Rikard Sjöblom has a very strong voice and he can sing in many different styles. One of the great features in Beardfish music is that there are two guitarists which is very evident at times. They compliment each other well. This is really excellent retro prog rock IMO.

The musicianship is very good on Från En Plats Du Ej Kan Se and especially Rikard Sjöblom stands out as being an excellent musician.

The production is very good which is a typical feature on Swedish prog rock releases. They know how to make music sound good those Swedes.

I know it´s an aquired taste if you like retro prog rock and yes there is nothing new on Från En Plats Du Ej Kan Se that I haven´t heard before, but the music is excellent and very well composed so I´m gonna give this on a small 4 star rating. To the seventies prog rock purists this is of course blasphemi but this album is recommendable to anyone else who likes good music now matter when it is made.

This is the first album by Swedish Prog wonders Beardfish. Having already reviewed their subsequent three albums, all excellent by the way, I thought it was time to give my seal of approval to this one too.

Not quite as good as they would be in the future, nevertheless most of the Beardfish trademarks are in place. The quirky arrangements, the dynamics, the seventies vibe though I don't hear the Zappa influences here that I do on their other albums. The humour doesn't seem to be here so much either though much of the album is sung in their native Swedish so I couldn't say for sure.

It's a bit rougher around the edges sound wise and more consistently heavier and darker sounding than they would be in the future. The melodies here don't quite grab me the way the Sleeping in Traffic albums do for example but there's still much to enjoy. There are those seventies sounding keyboards all over the place for starters, in the main down to the strong Organ presence. Incidentally much of the keyboards here are handled by Stefan Aronsson, this being the only Beardfish album he was to play on, those duties being handed over to Rikard Sjoblom who also contributes guitar and vocals.

Highlights include opening and title track, Fran En Plats Du Ej Kan Se. It really is a powerful opener with one of their heaviest moments in the intro before temporarily settling down for the vocals. At eight minutes it gives the band plenty of opportunity to show us what they're about with their eclectic mix of progressive, mainly seventies influences. Just as good with its forceful Hammond sound and catchy guitar riff is following track Today.

Spegeldans, another eight minute workout is another great track with its driving Bass/Drums and slightly funky guitar riff though plenty of changes are present keeping the track always interesting. One of the best is saved until last, the fifteen minute epic, A Psychic Amplifier. Starting with an excellent two minute instrumental workout it never loses its interest with some great dynamic playing and a strong vocal performance from Sjoblom. Some lovely flute playing adds greatly to the mellower acoustic moments.

my version of the album has the bonus of two extra tracks not on the original release in 2003. They are In Your Room (a particularly welcome addition) and a live version of Spegeldans.

So although this is my least favourite Beardfish album (understandable when the other three are so brilliant), it's still well worth adding to your collection and a very good release, though I'd recommend getting the others first if you're new to the band. Not quite four stars but worthy of three and a half.

Here is another interesting Swedish band on the prog scene. Not that I do rate them as one of my fave source of happiness, but still: they provide me some fine musical feel for sure.

There are a lot of these Northern bands to convey such a fine appeal after all. I wouldn't say that this album is a masterpiece (this should be constricted to a very limited amount of great albums IMHHO) but the music overall is intelligently constructed, pleasantly complicated, remarkably heavy loaded with lots of ''GG'' fantasy as well (''Today'').

This album is a fine discovery and certainly deserves your understanding or even more. Actually, you would be amazed to listen to such an album: so different from the great symphonic Northern scene yet so far from the ecstasy of some other ''Eclectic'' bands.

IMO, their music is just a perfect mixture between complexity and a more accessible approach. But at no moment was I by-passed. Just charmed.by the beauty of a track like ''Spegeldans''. A great instrumental middle part which is just outstanding only adds to the feeling.

If ever the great mellotron sound is of your liking (I am one of this kind, but I 'm biased), just close your eyes and listen to the great intro of ''Brother''. Relax, cool off, forget of all of your nightmares and just concentrate on this great track. Another highlight for sure.

It is also a given that not all the tracks are jewels (but otherwise this album would have been a masterpiece, right?). The funky / reggae-ish ''A Good Excuse'' is probably the best (worst) example of this.

But on the other hand, the punkish ''Om En Utväg Fanns'' holds such strong and great feel from ''The Vibrators'' type of music that this album is certainly a great mix of different good influences. To be able to mix prog with punk is not a common thing. But I like them both.

The epic closing number is definitely a song to discover: a great combination of crazy stuff of the seventies and more serious music of latter days. A great combination indeed .especially the superb fluting of course. This ''Psychic Amplifier'' is another highlight from this good debut album.

Three stars.

As well as Pink Floyd, King Crimson among others, Beardfish gave their first stride into progressive rock scenario with a right solid footstep. This swedish point of departure shows the wider range of influence discharged on a single album. Here the sounds get a mixture between the golden age of the gender and the new and stronger direction of post rock.

The title song "Från en Plats..." it's a delicious exploration of the youth and mature combined within the alternative sound and Camel reminiscences on the keyboards and electric riffs. The swede lyrics creates a lawbreaker mark, however this not the group's real signature.

"Today" turns more into a jazzy smooth-pop style influenced by King Crimson and also a little bit from Yes but with a younger and more energetic voice.

"Spegeldans" another swedish track is a contagious poppy tune full of positive energy, almost too symphonic until the voice slumps the aerials musicians to a massive instalment. The again the passage prepares the way for the next.

"Brother" opens on a modest guitar riff and sounds with no great significance, the tune runs into a musical bridge that overturned on "Poison Ivy and the Full Monty" with a harder and most experimental style. The influence here comes since Genesis on the keyboards and Jethro Tull, with some guitar progressions and of course the mythical flute, till Rush with a slender cocky metal attrition on the second part of the song and its close remaining the figures from "Brother". Smashing!

"A Good Excuse" is another spicy tune touching the symphonic and eclectic styles as Genesis and King Crimson and a little bit from Zappa. Good but honestly mere transitional.

"Om en Utvag Fanns" is the pop song, in commercial terms here's a single. Enjoyable as well, although flat.

"A Psychic Amplifier" comes to be the optimal closure to the album, an epic song about the journey of man through the anesthetized modern world and the search of a reason for living. Simply symphonic since the start to the ending, the classic prog way it's planned all over the tune as an imaginary journey full of grace and delight.

Beardfish enters into the progressive rock scene as a new essential among prog artists and an excellent record that hardly will disappoint your demanding ears, even the bonus tracks from 2007' Progress Records remastered.

In 2001 in Gävle, Sweden, came in life what was meant to become one of the finest contemporary prog bands, Beardfish.Led by multi-instrumentalists Rikard Sjoblom and David Zackrisson, the original line-up featured also drummer Petter Diamant and bassist Gabriel Olsson.In 2002 Diamant leaves to be replaced by drummer Magnus Ostgren and keyboardist Stefan Aronsson.A little later Olsson quits and Robert Hansen jumps in and this quintet recorded the band's debut ''Fran en plats du ej kan se'' in 2003 at Aronsson's home studio, eventually released independently and re-released in 2007 by the Swedish Progress Records with a couple of bonus tracks.

On this debut Beardfish tried to come up with a personal sound, including influences from Prog, Stoner Rock and modern Art Rock, however comparisons with bands like ANEKDOTEN or SPOCK'S BEARD with a certain Scandinavian taste are obvious.Comparisons with PAIN OF SALVATION are also reasonable,if you cut any metal connections.What characterized Beardfish'es sound is the strong use of distorted guitars, deep bass lines and effects in opposite to the vintage echoes of the analog keyboards like organ, piano, Mellotron and moog synthesizers, resulting to an album where two different worlds collide but which is also quite cohesive and tight throughout.Half-split between Swedish and English vocals, the album has a good balance between instrumental explosions and heavy vocal parts.And what actually dominating this fresh work is the union of different musical ideas and approaches.All tracks feature a vast amount of breaks and moods, from pleasant almost Neo Prog-ish synth solos and SPOCK'S BEARD-like enjoyable moments to heavy instrumentals with a dark Scandinavian attitude and organ/Mellotron waves of an early 70's flavor, while the musicianship ranges from groovy parts to semi-complex themes in a blink of an eye and the atmosphere gives its place to technique.

The first ever Beardfish release showed a band with a full rich sound and some great potential.Noone was proved to be dissapointed in the near future.The 2007 Progress Records reissue is a great opportunity to follow Beardfish'es first steps, where the band tried to discover its own identity and finally produced an album of strong, modern Progressive/Art Rock...3.5 stars.

The Swedish prog rock band "Beardfish" was formed in the year 2000 and "Från en plats du ej kan se" from 2003 was their debut record. I have listened to it several times now and have hard to let it go, it is so good and rich of great music. The musicians were Rikard Sjöblom (vocals, guitar and keyboards), David Zackrisson(guitar), Stefan Aronsson(keyboards, flute), Robert Hansen(bass) and Magnus Östgren(drums) and the cover has a picture taken from high up on a sky scraper, perhaps in New York or in another modern environment. These listenings were very interesting in many ways.

Three of the songs are sung in Swedish and that is fantastic. A band should sing in their mother's tongue. But also the songs with English lyrics are fantastic. Actually the whole record is so fantastic. "Från en plats du ej kan se" the title track, is a mixture of folk rock and intelligent progressiv rock with a lot of power, some parts are really heavy. The singer has a very unique voice and every instrument do their things. "Today" has a lovely sweaping melody and "Poison Ivy and the full monty" is truely symphonic and lovely. "Brother" is softer and very fine and "Spegeldans" is a very interesting track just as "Om en utväg fanns" with funny lyrics. "A psychic amplifier" has organs that very much reminds me of great prog of the seventies and that is a musical journey I recommend every proger to experience. Totally, the whole record has so much interesting features and I was early amazed and surprised that the band was so good so early in their career. I think I am right when I say that Beardfish is one of the very best prog bands in modern days. My favourite songs here are "Från en plats du ej kan se", "Today", "Poison ivy and full monty" and "A Psychic Amplifier".

Beardfish makes modern progressiv music with a unique style even though it appeals to me, a listener who prefer the seventies' prog before modern versions. This is a beautiful record I recommend warmly!