MYRORNAS KRIG

MYRBEIN were a four piece band out of Sweden releasing this sole album back in 1981. They started out as a KING CRIMSON cover band before deciding to go all RIO on everyone. SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA and Frank Zappa are good references to the music here. Lots of humour with the vocals being sung in Swedish. And the vocals are nuts! The music is too, as in fractured, quirky and complex with synth-guitar, trombone, trumpet, clarinet, recorder, xylophone, and violin besides the usual instruments. Four guests help out adding the trumpet and violin plus two extra vocalists.

This was recorded and mixed by Tommy Andersson at his studio, and he adds vocals. This is the same man who 14 years later would be adding fender rhodes to that "Harvest" song by ANEKDOTEN, from their "Nucleus" record back in 1995. A lot of people reference KULTIVATOR as a similar band but I disagree completely. Yes they were a zeuhl/canerbury cross and we get smidgeons of that here, but that's all. MYRBEIN are avant all the way, not KULTIVATOR. I mean I guess they are also from Sweden but they sound completely different than MYBEIN.

This is zany music that is all over the place, just not my scene. There's just not a lot to like here for my tastes. "Ur Spar!" is where we get the zeuhl refernces early on with the fuzzed out bass and rhythm section. I also like "Kurt Pa Taket" with the violin and fusion vibe late. Also "Bara Du" for the atmosphere and bass. My edition has a cover of "Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part Two) live which doesn't sound like the same band and was recorded about a dozen years after this album was released, so there's that.

Impressive music that is often frantic and energetic. Avant all the way! I was wondering why there was pictures of ants throughout the liner notes but their name means "Ant Leg". 3 stars is all I got.