FAUNUS

Their debut-CD "Brennende drommer" was one of my favorite albums in 2001, what a wonderful symphonic sound, loaded with the Mighty Tron. So I was very curious to their next CD, again released on the French progrock label Musea. Within a few minutes I'm blown away by Mikromidas new album: a short acoustic guitar intro, then a bombastic climate featuring Hammond organ and wonderful Mellotron play (evoking Gracious), followed by harder-edged electric guitar duelling with the Hammond organ (Emerson- inspired) and frequently supported by splendid Mellotron waves (violin-brass-choir), SUPERB! The other eight tracks delivers more beautiful and compelling progrock, based upon creating a lush symphonic sound featuring lots of Hammond and Mellotron and many musical surprises: a moving violin-Mellotron and acoustic guitar duet, heavy electric guitar riffs with wah-wah and violin-Mellotron, an acoustic guitar/violin-Mellotron intro, a catchy rhythm and slide-guitar and sensitive twanging electric guitar in combination with slide guitar and-choir-Mellotron. It all sounds so wonderful and comepelling, these Norwegians (they sing in their native language, to non-Skandinavian it sounds like the Swedish cook from the Muppets Show!) deserve worldwide recognition, A SPLENDID EFFORT!!!