ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN

Take Steeleye Span, strip away the vocals, slow them down slightly, make them more proggy and jam oriented, and move them to Scandinavia, and you have Kebnekaise. They released several folk oriented albums in the early 1970s, from which most material on this compilation was drawn.

For the most part their sound was not terribly exciting, but it was competent and had sufficient character to warrant consideration by fans of electrified folk. Here, the best example of what they were capable of is "Rättvikarnas gånglåt", an almost hymn like melody featuring wordless chants, fiddles, and tribal drums. You could dance or meditate to it, and that is high praise indeed. Here, as on the equally appealing "Gånglåt från Dala-Järna", the melody is simple but not simplistic, containing a few twists but nothing overly challenging. Sometimes the keening lead guitars pick up on the theme and provide a more improvised setting. The most progressive track is definitely the jazzy 16 minute "Comanche Spring", also the only one with an English title. It shows that Kebnekaise as capable of upping the ante on complexity, even if it was a seldom pursued direction. Still, this material is eminently listenable and rocks more than the average.

This compilation is worth seeking out if you like folk roots and don't mind them amplified, dressed up and sent out on the town.