Scandinavian Prog Appreciation Thread

              ANEKDOTEN - From Within       

- If you compare this album to their exciting but a bit too obvious King Crimson inspired CD "Vemod", it's amazing how this Sweish formation has turned into a progrock band with an own identity: very dynamic and compelling compositions featuring two different singers, a powerful bass, splendid, very creative and propulsive drums and many waves of the unsurpassed Mellotron, WHAT A MOVING SOUND!! The atmospheres frequently changes from mellow with twanging guitars and soft Mellotron to propulsive and bombastic with fiery guitarplay, an agressive bass, majestic Mellotron eruptions and excellent drumming (like in "From within", "Kiss of life" and "Slow fire"). The vocals have a bit melancholical undertone that fits perfect to the music. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of the songs: mellow electric guitars, cello and piano in "Firefly", a simple basic rhythm with vibraphone, cello and intense Mellotron in "The sun absolute" and twanging acoustic - and electric guitars with fragil evocals and cello in "For someone". The highlight on this CD is the longest track entitled "Hole", it contains splendid shifting moods: a heavy wall of Mellotron and guitar, soft interludes featuring sensitive vocals, guitar and Mellotron and nice instrumental passages by the vibraphone and Hammond organ. The only obvious King Crimson inspired track on this album is "Groundbound" delivering biting Fripperish guitarwork and moving waves of the violin Mellotron in the vein of "In the court of the crimson king".

        ANGLAGARD - Hybris          

           LANDBERK - Lonely Land        

- LANDBERK their debut-album “Loneley Land” from 1992 is still of my most beloved Mellotron-soaken albums. Don’t expect virtuosic guitar play, dazzling keyboard runs or stunning interplay. On this album each of the seven atmospheric compositions has its own climate, from rock and folk to sympho and psychedelia with many waves of the Mellotron, moving guitar work (sensitive, fragile or heavy) and strong vocals (Laser’s Edge has a English version and Mellotronen a Swedish version). Listen to “No More White Horses” with its raw and expressive sound and then to the very moving “You and I” with warm acoustic guitar and emotional Mellotron splashes and you capture the spirit of LANDBERK: painting with sound like Vincent van Gogh did on canvas, a very intense and unique emotional experience!

          MIKROMIDAS - Brennende Drommer        

- This band is from Norway, the Western part of Scandinavia, known for its ‘fjords’ and ‘Vikings’. The music on the debut-CD “Brennende Drommer” (2004) is very melodic and harmonic 24-carat symphonic rock. The sound is loaded with Hammond and Mellotron, often the early BARCLAY JAMES & HARVEST comes to my mind. But the emotional Norwegian vocals and the layers of violin Mellotron also evokes the work of fellow Scandinavians LANDBERK and ANGLAGARD. The music is rather simple and accessible but the emotional impact is very great, it invites you to dream away from the daily stress and problems like the European euro! The guitar work is beautiful and very sensitive with some awesome interplay with the keyboards. The compositions contain alternating climates, from mellow with organ and twanging guitar to sumptuous outbursts with floods of Hammond and Mellotron. Wonderful Seventies-inspired symphonic rock that will appeal to the ‘vintage keyboard aficionados’.

       MORTE MACABRE - Symphonic Holocaust     

- A progrock joint venture from Anekdoten - and Landberk members, what a thrilling combination, .... it could have been... Altough some tracks sound very compelling feauring moving Melllotron waves, most of this album doesn't appeal to me: too fragmentic and too dark, after a few listenings sessions I remain only delighted about the first track "Apotheosi del Mistero"(great Mellotron in the vein of the early King Crimsom) and some parts of the long titletrack "Symphonic holocaust". Eventually I sold it to a proghead who was 'on cloud number nine' with this CD, also because it's very difficult to purchase it nowadays. But I'm not a collector, I only keep albums that I use to play for the whole running time.

         PAR LINDH PROJECT- Mundus Incompertus     

- This music is a treat for keyboard aficionados! The first track "Baroque impression no 1" is a mix of Japanese prog like Social Tension (ELP-like) and Deja Vu (UK-inspired) delivering sumptuous keyboards (church - and Hammond organ) and fiery electric guitar, blended with interludes containing Spanish guitar, harpsichord and flute. In "The crimson shield " we can enjoy a medieval climate with harpsichord and serene female vocals. Halfway delicate Mellotron waves and sparkling harpsichord caresses our ears. The final composition is the titletrack and has a running time of almost 27 minutes, the ELP will be delighted: floods of Hammond organ evokes the days of the young and wild Keith Emerson! Despite the long running time this track never bores. Enjoy the captivating instrumental interludes: from a electric guitar with church organ and acoustic piano like Rick Wakeman to wonderful choir- Mellotron and fiery electric guitar leads. And I have to mention the rhythm-section, they do their work very dynamic.

               SIMON SAYS - Paradise Square              

- This CD from the Swedish band SIMON SAYS is another gem from the amazing Mellotron- loaden Skandinavian progrock scene. In my opinion “Paradise Square” is one of the best releases from 2002! Most of the 7 songs are long, alternating and elaborate pieces with lots of surprising ideas: classical guitar and piano, a jazzy intermezzo, sensitive Spanish guitar or sitar and tablas. The 24-carat symphonic sound is very inspired by mid-GENESIS but has also echoes from ANGLAGARD (sumptuous Mellotron waves), SPOCK’S BEARD (shifting moods and fiery electric guitar), MARILLION (keyboards) and MANFRED MANN’S EARTH BAND (Minimoog flights with pitchbend).