VARIOLA VERA

Back in 2017 Norwegian quintet Himmellegeme released a dark beauty of an album (Myth of Earth), suspended between post-rock, prog rock and psychedelia, and filled with morose melancholia, fuzzy guitars and gorgeous melodies. It made quite a splash in progressive circles, collecting raving reviews in the specialized press that praised the band's dark atmospheres and nuanced performances. Fast forward to 2021, and the Norwegians are back with their sophomore album Variola Vera, released via Karisma Records in October. The new LP originates from similar pastures as the debut album, but also incorporates a considerable range of new influences into the band's sound, to the point that, at first listen, one may be forgiven for thinking that there are two different bands behind the two albums.

The biggest difference is that Variola Vera is much more upbeat and sonically warm than its predecessor. The eight songs of the album are built around groovy bass lines that immediately transmit a distinctive art rock/pop vibe to the music, halfway between Tame Impala and the most recent incarnations of Mr Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree). Guitars and keyboards are used tastefully to add swathes of color to the music, while Aleksander Vormestrand's understated vocals weave mellow, hypnotic melodies that hark back to the dark melancholia of the debut LP (albeit his heart-wrenching falsetto is used much less on the new material). Hein Alexander Olson's slide guitar surfaces more than once throughout the album, adding a touch of blues to some of the songs, while Lauritz Isaksen's keyboards add subtle electronica vibes in the background. The overall sound is immersive and engrossing, particularly thanks to the warm tones of guitars and keyboards (kudos to producer Anders Bjelland for achieving such a beautiful balance).

Himmellegeme's new course is particularly evident on single "Blowing Raspberries" and on "Caligula", the two most overtly pop episodes of the LP. These are good, catchy tracks that might even gather some mainstream airplay, but they are by far my least favourite moments of the record. Variola Vera truly speaks to me in its most subdued passages, where Himmellegeme manage to strike a better balance between the rainy melancholia of their hometown (Bergen) and the warm and sunny tones of their new influences. Opener "Shaping Mirrors like Smoke" is probably the most accomplished song of the whole record, in this respect. Gorgeous vocal melodies are intertwined with twinkling piano flourishes and a dark, propulsive beast of a riff that will make you nod your head and stomp your feet for the duration. The record continues strong with follow-up track "Heart Listening", a slower, more meditative piece that reminds me of Porcupine Tree's Lightbulb Sun album. It may not possess the immediately arresting beauty of the opening track, but grows on repeated listens. "Blowing Raspberries" comes next and its upbeat disco-pop undercurrents ruin a bit the mellow, introspective mood that the album had put me in up to that point. Unfortunately, I struggle to get back to that mood after this track, although there are a couple of strong tracks in the second half of the record too, like "Let the Mother Burn", which comes close to repeating the magic formula of "Shaping Mirrors like Smoke", and "Agafia" (sung in Norwegian), which harks back to the morose Sigur Ros-like sound of Himmellegeme's debut LP.

Despite some hits and misses, Variola Vera is a strong sophomore album, confirming that Himmellegeme are a talented bunch to watch out for. Their drive to push forward the boundaries of their music is remarkable, especially considering how the sound they had conjured up on their debut album had received so much praise back in 2017. It would have been easy to stay put with that sound instead of exploring new avenues. Himmellegeme have instead followed their muse and broadened their sonic palette considerably, producing an album that may not be as arrestingly beautiful as Myth of Earth, but that nevertheless offers plenty of listening pleasures and should appeal to fans of progressive rock, post-rock and post-metal alike.

[Originally written for The Metal Observer]