ELDBERG

WARNING: Only for fans of organ dominated Prog, more generally for Retro Prog fans.

Iceland, land of mostly ice (and sparsely populated habitats), but not much of a Prog. And now this, classic Prog, shooting like blast from the past. So normally it would be average album and 3 stars would be in order, but I cannot grant average rating to an album that should be average (technically), but sounds like something more. It is very lively (so no 35 years or rotting corpse on someone's backyard), but a healthy child. Even it is quite a overgrown child.

4(-), almost didn't make it out of 3 stars gravity, but finally did.

This is an interesting piece of retro prog. It has a very early-seventies sound, dominated by the old Hammond organ sound. In fact, my first impression was that this band was building on Deep Purple's sound. But in retrospect, they are far more progressive than DP ever was.

The songs often have a prog folk feel, with some delicate guitars, and lighter keyboards that float about, until the bombastic Hammond joins in to beef up the sound. While I don't understand a word of the lyrics (I presume they are sung in Icelandic), I find all of the songs to be enjoyable, in a nostalgic way.

Eldberg is a very young band from Iceland who released last year their first selftitled album. It was for me a very pleasent surprise, because on one hand they are from a country where prog is not at home with some exceptions that I know like Svanfridur or Eik, on the other hand is a very solid album that capture my attention from start to finish. The music offered by Eldberg is a combination of heavy prog passages with psychedelic arrangements very much similar with bands like Uriah Heep Salisbury or Look at yourself era. Good and captivating moments here on all pieces, not a weak moment for sure, the hammond is very strong keeping a high level and melted with the guitar is absolutly killer. Very good the druming, not overly complex but very well performed, the voice is great aswell. All pieces has same level, not one is in front, is avery good thing that Eldberg were concentrated to make all album strong not only 2-3 pieces like one many albums from today. This is a very retro sound that will please fans of the genre big time, very promissing band that for sure needs attention. Excellent cover art in inside drawings, digipak format issued by chilean Mylodon label. recommended, captivating and intresting heavy psych. One of the best from last year no doubt. 4 stars easy

In the cold grounds of Iceland Eldberg were born in 2008, led by the Sigurdsson brothers, Jakob Gretar on drums and Asmundur Svavar on bass plus guitarist Reynir Hauksson.They operated with a five-piece line-up, but departures led them back to a trio the following year.Sometime later they welcome Eybor Ingi Gunnlaugsson as the lead singer and Heimir Klemenzson on keyboards, while the original members had already started recording original tracks.They were discovered by Mylodon Records, which launched the band's self-titled debut in 2011, a limited press of 500 vinyl copies became also available through the band's website.

This is 100% Scandinavian Retro Prog with heavy and psychedelic leanings, end of story.Members state that listening to Focus, Procol Harum, Jethro Tull and Yes were the basic inspirations that led them to the formation of Eldberg, but the music here follows the vein of all these underground Icelandic Heavy/Psych Rock bands of the 70's, ICECROSS, MANAR, PELICAN plus a strong dose of the Swedish scene, TRETTIOARIGA KRIGET or RAG I RYGGEN.The music is driven by the powerful psychedlic guitar explorations and the omnipresent sounds of the Hammond organ, supported occasionally by a Wurlitzer and a Rhodes piano plus some synthesizer.Cool bluesy influences, tempo variations and a mixture of vocal- and instrumental-led moments with some nice rockin' explosions in the process.Needless to say that all lyrics are sung in their native language.They sure know how to create and promote this charming vintage feeling of the Scandinavian lands, some great atmospheric moments are present here and the 15-min. epic closer ''Hlidarlif vor tima'' is one of the darkest pieces of Scandinavian Prog to be created in the recent days, featuring monumental vocals, sinister rhythms, some lovely acoustic breaks and dominant Hammond organ, great piece.

Scandinavian Prog is a genre of its own.Eldberg are among its representatives and actually among the very good ones.Nice Psych-flavored Heavy Rock/Prog with irritating vocals, strongly recommended...3.5 stars.

If your a retro music fan stop! ELDBERG, a five piece from Iceland, have so far delivered two pretty good slices of early seventies sounding prog. This is their debut from 2011, and we last heard from them in 2015. This is powerful, organ led music much of the times with a singer who can bring it. He would represent Iceland in the Eurovision contest two years after this record was released. The organ and vocals do bring DEEP PURPLE to mind, but to my ears it's almost a coincidence, not that they are all DEEP PURPLE fans. They name-check symphonic and proto prog bands as influences for the most part. These guys have been into their dad's music!

I was surprised this was released on Mylodon Records a label I'm very acquainted with out of Chile. Oh, and there's some guest sax on one track. A tidy little 42 minute record with seven tracks, including the epic closer at almost 15 minutes. I love that there's this little jazzy section on this one, lots of contrasts and repeated themes. They just change things up, like the wordless vocals and determined sound. Some fast paced picking with that guitar then check out that rebel scream that the singer holds onto like Ian Gillan might have some 40 years earlier.

That vocal prowess is also heard on the previous track during the final minute. These two songs really showcase his voice. The sax is late on track two and it's okay, it adds another flavour I suppose. That second track is where I'm thinking the singer sounds Swedish as he sings in his own language throughout. There's even a short section of processed vocals. I like that on the fifth track the vocalist sings in a reserved manner bringing that SOLAR PLEXUS singer to mind, and especially the song "My Song Is For Her" that I like so much.

This is a really good album and band that Iceland I'm sure is proud of(at least the singer no?). 4 stars for this one.