RUUN

I confess that I was one among those who, at the time of the release of "Mardraum: The Beyond Within", started to leave the Norwegian band because of their choice to put aside the icy and Viking sounds, that brought many successes to their musical history, for more psychedelic and rockish ones. For many people, also the permanent use of English lyrics was considered like a betrayal. But the release of "Isa", was able to get me back to their music. It is a great album that puts together progressive and old sonority, like these in their first album "Vikingligr Veldi". For this reason, I have waited the release of this ninth work from the band that comes from Bergen, simply named "Ruun", in which we find the historical duo Grutle Kjellson and Ivar Bjornson, newly followed by Arve Isdal (lead guitar), Herbrand Larsen (keyboards) and Cato Bekkevold (drums). Speaking about production, I can say that the sound has been further cleaned ( I think that Grutle's bass has never been heard so clear in a Enslaved's release), and the progressive matrix has returned forcefully, and this time united to strong doses of psychedelic influence. During the listening of this work, I image this album similar to a space journey into the unknown, where more violent parts can be considered to an hyperspace jump, and more thoughtful part to a contemplation of the cosmos. In this period I'm under a strong doses of Star Trek, but these are the images that come in my mind when I listen to this album. Surely, in comparison of "Isa", "Ruun" has, as a defect, a too refined production, but I think that it was in the band's intention moving into this direction, and leaving his sonorous powerful to live gigs only. The tracks are all well manufactured, while song-writing and interaction between instruments very refined. Without any doubt, the title-track with its oriental sonority, and the opening "Entroper" with its rock strum stand out among the songs,. In my opinion, I think that it is a very interesting work but inferior compared to the previous one. Besides, even if I see a clear compositional effort, I manage to appreciate it only in particular states of mind , otherwise with a rational eye I find out simple musical solution or some repetitions among the tracks. Of corse, who, after "Isa", expects a further come back to their roots, he'll remain probably disappointed, but who loves their musical path started with "Mardraum: The Beyond Within" he'll found bread for his teeth.

P.S.: The original one of this review is written in Italian language on elskrin.net