RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://trojkabergen.bandcamp.com/album/strobem-rke Norwegian prog-pop rockers Trojka is a rather engaging and entertaining musical experience and an entity that brings a certain warmth and humor to its eclectic brand of music. Quirky is certainly one word that comes into play here, and the great thing about this Bergen-based outfit is that these chaps…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.apollonrecords.no/product-page/arild-br%C3%B8ter-a-spectre-of-sounds-james-bond-music-reimagined This staggeringly creative and hugely enjoyable album by Arild Brøter (who is primarily known for his work with Norwegian prog rockers Pymlico) totally swept me off my feet and instantly made me pay close attention. Arild is apparently a humongous James Bond fan, and rightly so, if you ask me.…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://laughingstock1.bandcamp.com/album/shelter Norwegian prog rockers Laughing Stock have never been anything but adventurous and many of their outputs possess a creative wanderlust that sees them covering quite a bit of musical ground while showcasing an impressive ability to balance what can only be termed intimately introspective with themes that are larger in…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://andersbuaas.bandcamp.com/music Anders Buaas is without doubt a musical genius and a bit of a visionary, which is perfectly illustrated by this much-needed reissue of his renowned The Witches of Finnmark opus, or rather the first part of the trilogy. What we have here is atmospheric instrumental prog rock with bucketloads of…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://pixieninja.bandcamp.com/album/hypnagogia Fresh, clever, and inventive are words that immediately spring to mind when trying to sum up this highly engaging offering by instrumental prog rockers Pixie Ninja, and there can be no doubt that these Scandinavians are flying the flag of musical innovation high. Darkly atmospheric yet playful and eclectic, the…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://ringvanmbius.bandcamp.com/album/commissioned-works-pt-ii-six-drops-of-poison Even if you remove this wonderfully evocative opus from its natural context and intended setting, it works as a cohesive piece of music that is full of surprises and captivating twists. The Norwegian prog rockers composed and arranged the material that constitutes Six Drops of Poison for a modern dance…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://kornmo1.bandcamp.com/album/vandring Symphonic prog rockers Kornmo impressed me greatly with their previous output, Fimbulvinter (2021), and this latest effort of theirs titled Vandring is in many ways a continuation of its predecessor from a musical and stylistic point of view. Beautiful melodies and strong arrangements coupled with excellent musicianship and a bright…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: https://adventure1.bandcamp.com/ The follow-up to the first part of the dark Tales of Belle musical narrative has arrived, and as with its predecessor (Part 1 is also from 2022), Part 2 is a riveting journey through brooding prog rock landscapes where the terrible deeds of the loathsome Norwegian serial killer are emphasized…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: https://caligonaut.bandcamp.com/album/magnified-as-giants Caligonaut is the brainchild of the wildly skilled guitarist/vocalist Ole Michael Bjørndal whose name you may or may not associate with such stellar outfits and artists as Airbag, Oak, and Bjørn Riis. This epic 4-song LP originally came out in early 2021 but has now been reissued due to popular…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/knekklectric/ This quirky and musically adventurous prog rock gem by the wonderfully cool Norwegian outfit sporting the creative moniker Knekklectric is a most inspired and fascinating listening experience. Why is that? Well, for one thing they are singing in their native language using an Aalesund dialect, which is charming as hell,…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: http://www.pymlico.no/ Norwegian prog(-ish) rockers Pymlico have returned with an elegantly structured album that brilliantly showcases that the 7-piece band are on peak form and know exactly how to craft admirably sparkling songs that crackle with energy. “Supermassive” is close in spirit to the group’s previous outputs, which is to say that…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: The Tronosonic Experience Oh man, this 6-track sequel to “The Shadow Vol. I” is just as playful, unpredictable, and immersive as its predecessor was, and this Norwegian jazz prog/avantgarde rock outfit simply rules beyond belief. Their spirited take on all things forward-thinking is inspired, and these gentlemen sure know how to…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: https://laughingstock1.bandcamp.com/album/zero-acts-3-4-2 The Norwegian prog rock/art rock outfit Laughing Stock is an interesting one and these skilled musicians have released some deeply atmospheric and intriguing records in the past, so naturally, I was looking forward to this one, which is a continuation of the “Zero, Acts 1 & 2” LP from last…
RELEASE YEAR: 2021 BAND URL: https://professortiptop.bandcamp.com/album/lanes-of-time The amazing Norwegian prog rockers Professor Tip Top are one of the greatest outfits this country has ever produced, and their latest album entitled “Lanes of Time”, which was released in late 2021, most definitely deserves a brief mention on these hallowed pages of ours. Eclectic and atmospheric prog rock…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/weserberglandband/ The experimental Norwegian outfit Weserbergland released their third album today (February 11), and as with their previous offerings, this new LP falls somewhere between art rock, avantgarde music, and 70s experimental prog rock, which is to say that this is something different and totally out of the ordinary. Consisting of…
