|
If you are a fan of Scandinavian progressive rock you’ll
want to sit up and take notice of the new release from Norway’s
Retroheads entitled Introspective. ***
For those of you just catching up, Retroheads was formed
in Norway in 2003 by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Tore
Bo Bendixon who was working as a sound producer in radio and
TV but was looking for more of a creative outlet. In 2004
they released Retrospective. Originally starting out as five
members they’ve added a couple more and now number seven,
each coming to the fold with a wide variety of musical experience
but all with the desire to create music as it was done in
the seventies. But not just from the sound aspect, they were
more interested in viewing the composition of music without
the restrictions imposed by today’s music industry. So that
being said this is much more than some sort of “retro-prog”,
it’s in fact very contemporary built on the foundation of
what’s gone before. Just like it should be. ***
As on their previous CD, there are nine tracks on Introspective,
three of which clock in at over eight minutes, there’s a few
that hover around seven minutes and couple just under six.
All in all there is just over an hours worth of music here.
Musically Retroheads compose in the melodic symphonic prog
style, where the emphasis is on songs that drive the story
telling. Within that structure the music shifts and changes
to suit the various moods the lyrics project. There are many
moments where the music and the lyrics take you to a precipice
only to leave you hanging, while suddenly the music abruptly
changes to a new theme. The musicianship is tight and these
changes are supremely satisfying rather than jarring in any
way. There’s also tremendous interplay between all the instruments,
not just guitar and keyboards. While the playing itself is
not overly complex the arrangements tend to be very sophisticated.
You can expect to hear Mellotron-sounding flourishes supported
by bass-pedals throughout the disc. Lead vocals are handled
by Mike Mann but are supported by female harmony or backing
vocals from Ann-Kristin Bendixon and Deborah Girnius. And
once again the songs are sung in English with just a hint
of Flower Kings echoing in the background. ***
I’ve talked a lot about how the sophomore release can
be a tricky episode in a band’s career, but given that progressive
rock today has broken the mould in so many ways it seems that
the “sophomore slump” may not apply anymore. Certainly not
here. Retroheads Introspective is a solid second outing showing
not only a refinement in musicianship, but an expansion in
technique and arrangement. The compositions are top-notch!
If you’re a fan of the symphonic prog style or Scandinavian
bands in general you’ll do well to get your hands on Retroheads
Introspective. ***
|
