+4626 - COMFORTZONE

They originally were just going to call this "Comfortzone" but they thought they'd make it a little more personal by putting the area code of their home town in Norway in front of it(+4626). This is a concept album about the negativity of being comfortable. One of the band members said that Comfortzone is that invisible protective suit of negative thinking. So it can be in relation to staying in your home town your whole life, or staying in that relationship or job that just isn't good for you but it's comfortable so you stay in it. The surreal cover art depicts someone who lives on a lonely planet with Earth off in the distance.

They've certainly scaled back the heaviness that was strong on the previous album("The Void"). It is quite a wordy album so it's taken some time to grow on me, and there are some rather vanilla parts. Still these guys have created another solid album even if it is right now my least favourite of the seven studio albums that I own by them(I don't have the debut). There are so many beautiful melodies on here and the lyrics are always a strong point(love the sarcasm and humour) with this band. And this is still growing on me so who knows where it will end up as far as my favs go by them.

"The One Inside Part 1: Noise In The Background" is a short intro track of less than 2 minutes in length. I like how this sets the album up with the spoken words, and the strings are a nice touch. "Hold On" has such a great sound to it to start with the guitar and bass especially. Vocals before 1 1/2 minutes with intricate guitar and a beat standing out. This is a catchy track with some uplifting sections.

"Comfort Zone" opens with atmosphere as the guitar, a beat, mellotron and more takes over. I really like this. The guitar work reminds me of Randy Bachman at times. Vocals, keys and a calm 2 1/2 minutes in. After he sings "Death walks behind you" we get an uplifting instrumental section. Vocals are back quickly though. The vocals are more passionate 5 1/2 minutes in, and then that Bachman-like guitar is back before 7 minutes. Check out the prominent bass as well. Nice. "Can You See Me Now" is a catchy and upbeat song with clever lyrics. "King" is one of my favourites. I like how heavy it is and the humour too. It's pretty intense 4 minutes in and it ends with spoken words and some killer guitar. "The One Inside Part 2: My Companion Through Life" features picked guitar and some really beautiful melodies as the vocals join in.

"Daughter/ Whore" is a barn-burner with some massive opening bass lines. Passionate vocals here as well and check out the guitar solo after 3 minutes in the incredible instrumental section that follows. I like how the vocal melodies cry out here too. The vocals are back before 5 minutes. "If We Must Be Apart(A Love Story Continued)" sounds amazing once it settles in. We even get some clapping. Too much fun here. After 3 minutes it sounds like a stadium full of people. It's so catchy a minute later, just a great tune.

"Ode To The Rock 'N' Roller" is the longest song by far at 15 1/2 minutes. Organ, bass and a beat start us off and this all sounds so good after 1 1/2 minutes. Man that bass is crunchy. It settles with picked guitar and vocals only before 3 minutes then the organ and drums join in. It's heavier after 5 minutes before settling back and it's so uplifting 7 minutes in. I like the section beginning before 11 minutes with pulsating keys, drums and vocals. A calm with organ follows then it kicks into gear again. The last 1 1/2 minutes are mellow. "The One Inside Part 3: Relief" is the laid back closer that has a feel good vibe to it.

I think it's kind of ironic that the music of BEARDFISH is comfort music for me. I think what they are trying to say is that I should move on to music that takes me out of my comfort zone(haha). A really nice album, in fact these Swedes have carved out a very good career for themselves and I for one want to thank them for all the great music.

I recently got into the music of Beardfish and I'm quite surprised by the lack of attention this final album has gotten. The mixture of styles on this album is just great, as well as the natural recording sound. You can hear endless references to groups in these track; both from the progressive rock (King Crimson, Supertramp, Gentle Giant) and heavy metal tradition (Blue Oyster Cult, Voivod, Thin Lizzy). The album does not feature those very heavy gritty metal songs of 'The Void', of which I can understand the controversy among fans. The album is however heavy, gritty and punchy enough to distinguish itself from other retro-prog groups. An all over the place retro-prog-metal track like 'Daughter / Whore' is great fun. The title track 'Comfortzone' is a great moody piece that evokes some King Crimson with a great thick Fripp-style melodic lead guitar. The brilliant main vocal melody helps to give this album a 'classic' feel. 'The One Inside'-parts evoke a Kansas type melodic feel ('Dust in the Wind') without any cheesiness. 'If We Must Be Apart' is a fifteen minute epic that is what you'd expect from Beardfish; a mash-up of all their progressive influences, yet no re-arrangement of known prog clich's. Its actually quite accessible as well. 'Ode to the Rock 'N' Roller' is the mandatory not-so-great song that every Beardfish seems to have, but since the first three sides of the 2LP are simply great I'm still left with enough album to call essential.

A fantastic album and the perfect way for the currently-extinct Beardfish to bid farewell after a not too long but fruitful enough career. This Swedish band has managed to become an underground prog rock phenomenon for their sixteen years of existence; unfortunately, Beardfish is also a band that is virtually unknown in the mainstream.

The 'classic' line-up of the band (which happens to be the line-up appearing on every single album they have released), consisting of Rikard Sjöblom on vocals, keys and guitars, David Zackrisson on guitars, Magnus Östgren on drums, and Robert Hansen on bass is rocking out in perfect shape on this 2015 release. '+4626-COMFORTZONE', originally planned to be named just 'Comfort Zone' might be the hidden gem in the Swedes' discography, somehow standing in the shadow of albums like 'Mammoth' or 'Sleeping in Traffic: Part Two' but no less spectacular. In fact, I consider this record one of their most musically diverse releases, encapsulating simultaneously the musical values that they have displayed throughout their career, and the plethora of influences on their sound (such as King Crimson, Genesis, Yes, Pain of Salvation, Deep Purple, and who know what more!). An interesting moment is the addition of the +4626 code which happens to indicate the zone in Gävle, where the band had been formed.

Not necessarily a concept album but an album that focuses mainly on the themes of comfort and relationship, which are explored in various ways throughout the record, '+4626-COMFORTZONE' contains some of Beardfish's greatest moments, in my opinion, namely the title track, the three-part split suite of 'The One Inside', the 15-minute epic 'If We Must Be Apart', or the heavier 'King' and 'Daughter/Whore' that contain friendly nods to the band's previous album 'The Void'. It is this mixture of straight-up prog rock songs with Fripp-style lead guitars and lush keyboard ventures, heavier riff-oriented songs, and more atmospheric, personal tracks that make this album so great and captivating.

Misleadingly labeled 'retro prog', Beardfish is one of the Scandinavian prog bands that actually have an original edge and a strong musical personality. They surely wear their influences on their sleeves but also smartly incorporate them with their tendency to go for really heavy guitar-based songs on some occasions, quirky passages on others and humorous narratives with painfully relatable characters.

The sound is quite organic and the album is mixed in a very professional way, so that all the sounds unfold themselves gracefully. The compositions are well-conceived and masterfully played, with memorable melodies and great lyrics (And I would dare to call this one of their most sing-along albums!); Moreover, this might be Rikard's strongest vocal performance on any Beardfish album, displaying his full range of capabilities. And with risk of repeating myself, I shall conclude with the statement that this is a very, very strong release and a tremendous exit for a very important modern prog rock band from Sweden.