6

They say that the most exciting place to be (for the prog scene) these days is Norway. Our first Norweigan release of the year is a Norweigan jazz fusion trio entitled Krokofant. This is, as the title states, their sixth album, but their first since Krokofant 3 billed as a trio (their last two releases were as a five-piece).

"Harry Davidson" starts the record off; immediately, I notice not only great saxophone and guitar work, but also a punch that permeates most of the record. As five out of the six tracks have great guitar solos, I will not mention them any further, but they are all killer. A favorite on the album is in the "sophomore slot"? "Triple Dad" (what kind of title is that?)?which starts off with a traditional jazz intro, albeit on electric instruments, before going full on fusion. There is a great sax solo and very intricate drumming on this track. "Oh My Cod" is a frantic tune (both of the "side closers" are) with a cool atmospheric middle section before returning to the original tune for the ending.

"Country Doom" opens up the second half with a catchy bass line. Perhaps it runs a bit too long, but it's still one of my favorites. "The Ballade" is the only moderately slow cut on here, and it's also the most atmospheric, with spacey synth sounds throughout the track. The closer, "Pretentious Woman", has my favorite tune of any track on the album; the solos are a bit on the lighter side compared to some of the other tracks, but it makes the return of the tune even more enjoyable.

This is a fusion album, but the prog rock influence is clear. I hear a lot of Canterbury prog in this, particularly early Soft Machine, and I also hear lots of Coltrane and other classic jazz in this record as well. If Krokofant 6 is any indicator, I think we're in for a good 2025 (for fusion).

Social review comments

Review related links

• Send comments to Kiefer Livingston
• Report this review (#3154072)
• Buy KROKOFANT music online with PA partners
• Show all KROKOFANT MP3/Stream
• Go to KROKOFANT page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to 6 page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for KROKOFANT related discussions