What a delight that the Finnish Colossus and French
Musea keep on releasing those vintage keyboards drenched
boxes, this time the focus is on the Swedish progressive
rock in the Seventies. In my opinion this is a pretty unexplored
territory for many progheads with the exception of Kaipa
(here Roine Stolt started his progrock carreer) and Bo Hansson
(once member of the duo Hansson & Karlsson that was support
act of Jimi Hendrix in the late Sixties in Sweden).***
On (CD-1) we meet a few known new formations: Simon
Says plays Kaipa (dreamy intro with sitar, then a compelling
bombastic climate with wonderful vintage keyboards and a
moving guitar solo), Willowglass also playing Kaipa (keyboards
in the vein of 76-77 Genesis), Beardfish plays Made In Sweden
(dynamic and varied) and Bootcut as Merit Hemmingson (lush
Hammond sound). Very beautiful in the ’70 Genesis tradition
is Revalation as Atlas (mighty close to Tony Banks during
The Cinema Show) and E.D.O. (Edo Spanninga from Flamborough
Head) also plays Atlas (impressive church organ and violin-Mellotron.
I also love to listen to Jinetes Negros als Blakulla (very
alternating with splendid vintage keyboards and sensitive
electric guitar), The Grand Trick as Bo Hansson (propulsive
with fiery guitar) and Echoes as Trettioariga Kriget (from
compelling with steel-guitar to a swinging break with a
bas solo).***
On (CD-2) we can enjoy a lot of variety: from pleasant
symphonic rock like La Boca Della Verita as Dice (with an
awesome Mellotron sound, powerful guitar and flashy Minimoog
flights), Karmic Juggernaut also as Dice (fluent bombastic
like Seventies Yes and lush Hammond) and Mist Season as
Ragnarok (Camel-like with strong work on guitar and synthesizer)
to Sixties rock like Jimi Hendrix and Cream by Magnolia
as November (extended guitar solo with sensational use of
the wah-wah pedal) and jazzy with powerful saxophone and
guitar by Vanilla Project as Atlas. This CD also contains
songs that sound like a blend of pop, rock and Sixties like
renditions of tracks by JetSet, Samla Mammas Manna, Trettioariga
Kriget and Pugh Rogefeldt by respectively JetSet, Tkingkeys,
Villabrad and Soniq Circus. It sounds pleasant but not traditionally
progressive like we use to get from Colossus/Musea. Nonetheless,
it’s interesting music Swedish progressive rock.***
On (CD-3) it turns out to be the most adventurous and
surprising one from this 3-CD box, not always my cup of
tea but often captivating: a kind of chamber progrock with
fat synthesizer runs and classical flute by a special formation
with a piece of the Swedish composer Johan Heimich Roman,
a swinging rythm with fine vintage keyboards by Daal (featuring
Alfio Costa) as Ragnarok, a piece with a beautiful solo
on the flute-Mellotron and strong guitar work and female
Swedish vocals by Anya (including Par Lindh) as November,
blistering wah-wah guitar and then lush a Mellotron and
Moog sound by The Moor as Pugh Rogenfeldt, a compelling
blend of symphonic rock and psychedelia with Floydian guitar
and intense Mellotron by Matthijs Herder as Algamas Tradgard,
folky with the Arabian ‘’oud’ and Indian sitar by In The
Labyrinth as Handgjort and an intricate musical stew featuring
sitar and tables and all sorts of sounds by Orient Squeezers
as Zamla Mammaz Manna.***
Personally I like this box because it’s an interesting
way to discover Seventies progrock other than from countries
like Italy, France, Germany and Spain. Especially bands
like Blakulla, Dice and Ragnarok are worth to discover but
I am also delighted about the renditions of the current
progrock formations. And … fellow Dutchman Matthijs Herder
his lush Mellotron sound is great!***
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars! [3 of 5 Stars!]
Erik
Neuteboom
Progwalhalla.nl
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