LONELY LAND

The other major Swedish prog revival group of the early 1990s, Landberk always seemed to be a bit overshadowed by Anekdoten, Anglagard and The Flower Kings, which is a shame because this debut album of theirs is an intriguing beast to say the least. I particularly like Stefan Dimle's work on bass here; the band seem particularly adept at setting up long sections in which the rhythm section set up this groove which harks back to the motorik rhythms of the classic-era Krautrock groups, providing an interesting foundation for the other performers to build on with their solos. Simon Nordberg's use of Mellotron also deserves props because it helps give the album its uniquely spooky atmosphere, and sets a precedent for the excellent Morte Macabre side project.