RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/ritual.se/ Swedish prog rockers Ritual are back on the musical radar following a painfully long hiatus, but judging by the quality of the sprawling epics that constitute this grand-sounding opus of theirs, they have spent their time between albums wisely as The Story of Mr. Bogd – Part 1 displays great…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://tusm-rke.bandcamp.com/album/dawn-of-oberon With Norwegian prog rockers Tusmørke you never quite know what you are going to get, but one thing that you can count on is that they are going to fry your brain and offer something that is musically eclectic, unique sounding, perfectly charming, and outright quirky. Such is the case…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://larsfredrikfroislie.bandcamp.com/album/un-posto-sotto-il-cielo Singles are usually not something that this scribe covers in these online pages, but occasionally one has to make an exception, and this beautiful 2-song release by Wobbler’s immensely talented Lars Fredrik Frøislie, which will be released on 10-inch vinyl by Karisma Records, is one such exception. This one is…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://whitewillow.bandcamp.com/album/ex-tenebris-remaster Recently remastered by White Willow’s very own Jacob Holm-Lupo and sporting the original cover artwork, this 2024 version of the band’s sophomore album Ex Tenebris (1997) is a most welcome addition to the prog music library. Venturing into darker and more world-weary territory than its predecessor did, the LP feels…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://fatherrobin.bandcamp.com/album/the-songs-tales-of-airoea-book-ii The first installment of the trilogy by the splendid Norwegian prog rock ensemble known as Chronicles of Father Robin was a mind-blowing musical experience in that it captured a richly layered atmosphere with an earthy and folk-ish feel to it that was unlike anything that I had come across before.…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://arabs.bandcamp.com/album/pictures-in-a-dream This remixed, re-edited, and remastered 2023 edition of the otherworldly and all-enveloping Pictures in a Dream by the Trondheim-based prog rockers Arabs in Aspic is a proper musical treat and treasure trove. If you want warm and fuzzy guitars, 70s-flavored riffs worth dying for, and vocals that speak to the…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://whitewillow.bandcamp.com/album/ignis-fatuus-remastered This remastered re-issue of White Willow’s legendary debut offering titled Ignis Fatuus is a most welcome addition to the prog rock collection. What a joy and thrill it is to relive this eclectic mixture of symphonic rock, prog, and inspired folk music again given that it sounds better than ever…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://jordsjo.bandcamp.com/album/salighet Adorned by wonderfully evocative artwork and sporting a most intriguing title, the uniquely skilled Norwegian prog rockers known as Jordsjø are back with a new masterpiece. Just when I thought that it would be impossible for them to top the outstanding and flawless Pastoralia LP (2021), they have in fact…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://fatherrobin.bandcamp.com/album/the-songs-tales-of-airoea-book-1 Sporting a great moniker and an even greater line-up featuring some of Norway’s most awe-inspiring prog rock musicians from acts such as Wobbler, Tusmørke, and Jordsjø, it goes without saying that this album is something that many of have been looking forward to for some time – me included. High…
VENUE: KvarteretDATE: 03.06.2023 ORGANIZER: Karisma Records Photo by J.N. The wonderful people at Karisma Records invited yours truly to attend their one-day festival at Kvarteret in Bergen in celebration of the label’s twentieth anniversary, and I am forever grateful to them for doing so as this superbly arranged event turned out to be heaps of…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://sevenimpale.bandcamp.com/album/summit Yes, it has finally arrived! Seven years was a long time to wait for a new musical treat by inventive Norwegian rockers Seven Impale, but how exhilarating it is when it turns out that it was all worth it and that Summit stands tall and proud as a well-written and…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://ljungblut.bandcamp.com/album/sauda An intimate and introspective little treat by the talented Kim Ljung featuring only acoustic guitar and emotive vocals is what we have here, and this is quite the moving listening experience. Released digitally and on a great-looking tape via Karisma Records, there is a lot to savor about Sauda and…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://larsfredrikfroislie.bandcamp.com/album/fire-fortellinger What a lovely surprise this is album is! The wildly skilled keyboard wizard of Wobbler known as Lars Fredrik Frøislie will release this colorful, heartfelt, and superbly written 4-song gem in early June via Karisma Records, and if prog is your thing then make a note of this one. Fire…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: https://tusm-rke.bandcamp.com/album/intetnett We would be remiss if we did not mention this charming and quirky children’s album by the Norwegian purveyors of psychedelic prog rock known as Tusmørke. Entitled Intetnett and consisting of 21 tunes and a rather brilliant concept and storyline, this is a hugely entertaining and inventive opus that is…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: https://jordsjo.bandcamp.com/album/jord-sessions This remixed, expanded, and slightly reworked version of Jord by the Norwegian prog rockers Jordsjø is a nice addition to the outfit’s already impressive discography and a must-have for those who cherish folk-inspired prog rock with an original twist to it. The aura of surrealism and mystery that pervades much…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: https://oakinoslo.bandcamp.com/ The brilliant Norwegian prog rockers OAK are back with a new and deeply satisfying full-length album that encompasses everything that made their previous offerings great while also looking to the future. The hauntingly bleak and emotive opening track, ‘Highest Tower, Deepest Well’, is a masterclass in light and shade, and…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/WIZRDTHEBAND/ Fancy something different? The musically enticing new act named Wizrd is about to release this spirited and energetic slab of utterly cool and catchy rock music via Karisma Records, and let me start out by saying that you should add it to your list of albums to check out if…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: https://www.bjornriis.com/ What a lovely surprise this beautifully crafted 4-track EP by the ridiculously talented Bjørn Riis (Airbag) is. It seems like only yesterday that he released the near-flawless Everything to Everyone opus, so I did not see A Fleeting Glimpse coming. Musically and stylistically speaking, these four new and sparkling compositions…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: https://bjornriis.bandcamp.com/album/everything-to-everyone The renowned musical genius that is Bjørn Riis never ceases to amaze me regardless of whether we are talking about his inspired work with Norwegian prog rockers Airbag or his stunning solo outputs. His latest work is the hauntingly beautiful “Everything to Everyone” where everything that made his past LPs…
