JORM

YES had been a very strong influence in the previous Jorm releases, but this time the Swedish had become the Scandinavian copy of the British Prog pioneers.While the material is fairly grounded in the Symphonic Rock genre, ''Jorm is a word'' shows a slight more psychedelic feeling, which wakes memories from the band's very first album.The album is highlighted by another monster epic piece, the 18-min. ''A room with a view'' with its unexpected thematic changes, the STEVE HOWE plagiarism on the guitar chops, the birth of eerie psychedelic colors in the process and the huge symphonic waves coming out of Rickard Vakman's Hammond organ and Mellotron.But the rest of the album is also extremely far from commercial and quite intricate and adventurous, unless you get sick of endless STEVE HOWE electric moves.So, the rest of the tracks are also quite long with beautiful symphonic keyboard parts, nice work on electric guitar and bits of folky flute, KING CRIMSON are another band to come in mind along with US bands like ETHOS and MAELSTROM.Vintage Prog of excellent quality, I am not that fond of the bitterweet vocals, because Fredrik Andersson lacks the range and expression of YES' Jon Anderson, but the instrumental work remains stunning with plenty of harmonic passages, rich and lush orchestrations and a few Scandinavian vibes in the rougher moments.

Not as good as ''A theory of anything'', but still much better than plenty of highly-praised releases.Another unknown work of solid Symphonic Rock with consistent use of analog keyboards, Classical references and a monster YES resemblance in the guitar work.Recommended.

These vintage notes on bandcamp lead the listener to experience a stunning album in a Classic Symphonic Rock vein with more than evident YES similarities and strong links with the music of KAIPA and DICE.Much more balanced, competent and progressive than Jorm's debut, ''A theory of anything'' is a work filled with lush arrangements, Classical-drenched keyboard themes and pompous, instrumental sections with a very rich sound.Unoriginal but impressive musicianship with excellent guitar moves, acoustic breaks, a few flute lines and, above all, marvelous keyboard colors with Mellotrons, organ, moog synths and even piano and flute strings.Long, elaborate tracks, characterized by good melodies, dreamy keyboards interludes and outros, bombastic passages and quirky guitar work.And there is even some nice Scandinavian vibes, especially in the 10-min. ''Newspeak'', which sounds somewhere between KEBNEKAISE, YES and KAIPA, containing psychedelic and jazzy influences next to the casual symphonic overtones.The absolute highlight though is the 28-min. titletrack, a long, beautiful Symphonic Rock piece with enough complexity, moving textures, Classical underlines and everchanging climates.The second part of the album, obviously inspired by YES, is the definite peak of an othewise very strong album, with the guitar work of Holmer shining through.

File next to KAIPA, YES, FLAME DREAM and similar-sounding groups.Solid, tight and challenging Symphonic Rock of an underground identity, deserving a wider exposure.Highly recommended.

The truth is that the recording quality is reminiscent of a 70's album with a muddy but listenable production supporting Jorm's music.The style is a melodic Psychedelic Proto-Prog with some BEATLES-esque vocal harmonies flavored with pure Symphonic Rock in the vein of GENESIS and YES.Some tracks have a lovely and nostalgic late-60's vibe with acoustic guitars, organ and melodic vocals in the forefront, although the electric solos and some use of synths give the impression the band already was moving towards a more demanding direction.There are plenty of symphonic-oriented arrangements with some beautiful keyboard parts, light flute work and catchy melodies, while the guitar playing becomes more complicated and the structures more adventurous, characterized by excellent switches between Mellotron, organ and synthesizers and long, dreamy instrumental themes.The Classical influence is also obvious in a few keyboard parts, while the more orchestral pieces are flirting also with THE MOODY BLUES sound.The result is an album full of pleasant, vintage nuances and enough complexity to reward the Progressive Rock fan ,they sometimes remind me of another long forgotten Swedish act, SUSPEKT ASPEKT.

It is never late to discover another overlooked, retro-styled Progressive Rock album.''Jorm'' is exactly that and the bandcamp post of this work gives you a really good chance to listen to their great music.Recommended, especially if you are deep into the Classic Prog era.