Borknagar - 25th Anniversary (2CD)

"Greetings and god Fredag. This is a journey into sound. And sounds. And time, and shifting perceptions, and journeys (journeys of journeys), and our relationship to all of these things, but mostly to sounds. And mostly to the sounds of Heimdal, the 16th full length album by the legendary Enslaved. Let’s begin by setting the stage with some blanketing statements, both of which can be true:Heimdal is handily the best album Enslaved has released in over a decade, since at least 2012’s Riitiir.It still probably won’t replace your favorites.We’ll get into the first statement in greater detail below, but first let’s tackle the latter. First of all, it’s okay for a new album to not eclipse the peaks. Have you heard Isa? It’s incredible! Have you heard Below the Lights? It’s splendiferous! The number of metal bands that have recorded albums of that quality can be counted with your combined hands and feet.Perhaps more important is your personal relationship with this band. Enslaved’s career has long been marked by eras, even if the exact time when each begins or ends is often blurred by their evolution and progression. As music fans, we go through our own eras, with any number of our innumerable experiences shaping how we perceive and appreciate things. This can be extra true for a band with as dramatic an arc as that of Enslaved’s first 15 years, where we might not appreciate a particular album, phase, or sound until our personal circumstances are just right, and even then the ones that made the biggest impression on us at that key moment in time may always be our favorites.Basically, Enslaved has an extremely high Get Out What You Bring With You factor, and while that doesn’t mean it’s completely based on circumstance, those factors can and of course will influence how much a very good new record like Heimdal will leave you ensorcelled. Enslaved is also a big Patience Will Be Rewarded band, and even for them Heimdal is a fairly deep and diverse album. In other words, your weapons (snap judgments), you will not need them.But what if you’re the type that really misses that constant Enslaved evolution? How much did you believe the statements from the band that Ivar Bjørnson was more inspired as a songwriter this time around? Here are a couple more points about Heimdal that can both be true:It does indeed sound more inspired than recent efforts, and is undeniably darker, more intense, and relatively weirder than the last few albums.Inspired is one thing, and evolution is another, and the album’s shifts are minute compared to the rapid changes the band used to exhibit from album to album.Basically, if you’re okay with Enslaved not shapeshifting faster than a T1000 dipping its little piggies in lava, you’ll be way on board, because again, this is the best set of tunes they’ve penned in a good while. After a three-album run in which they seemed to be in a holding pattern, it’s great to hear that extra touch of fire and focus on an album that features an organic but obviously well thought out flow (it feels nearly as “concept album” in structure as Isa). They might not be rapidly and restlessly moving about, but they definitely sound like they’re starting to stir from what has felt a bit like a decade-long chill sesh on the couch. Let’s dive in, yes?Opener “Behind the Mirror,” almost crucially, does not unload all the album’s intensity from the get-go, but instead begins things with a slower, slightly doomy prog riff that wouldn’t sound out of place on many a King Crimson album (that almost cheeky menace at which Fripp so excels is present). The clean vocal passages are rather communal and understated, which provides a great contrast to Grutle Kjellson’s somehow never better growl. It’s a very good, not quite amazing track, but what makes it work so well as an opener is it introduces the kind of on-the-move, traveling, journeying vibe that permeates the record, which is amplified much more on later tracks.It also sets the stage by being a bit of a stylistic deke before the band goes nuts on “Congelia,” a tune that is almost shockingly heavy and urgent, especially considering the type of material you’d expect of them these days. It spends several minutes hammering the listener with a choppy-chunky riff, Iver Sandøy’s relentless drum pattern, Grutle’s growl, and some positively killer organ warble and spaced out key parts from Håkon Vinje (who really stars throughout). All the intensity is eventually rewarded with a wicked, triumphant swell of group clean vocals in one of the album’s biggest moments, of course punctuated by a smooth and deeply narrative Ice Dale solo (the man is a marvel). It ought to be an instant Enslaved classic.The journey continues with “Forest Dweller,” which again shifts the mood into something more classically prog, with serene-but-eerie vocal melodies, simulated flute sounds, and plenty of sections that feel like blackened Deep Purple and/or later Opeth peppered with harsh rasps. It’s another track that doesn’t so much shift a paradigm as it refines the model in glorious fashion. It’s also a great diversion between the beastly track that precedes it and the wild, fun, and riffy “Kingdom,” which is fairly irresistible all the way through with its techy harmonies and spaced out keys, but really reaches another level when it pairs some serious bombast with a nice sassy hook.The journeying vibe reaches its peak with “The Eternal Sea” and “Caravans to the Outer Worlds.” The former begins with sounds of being lost at sea, framing the dominant catchy drive and clean vocal melodies with sorrow, almost a lament. It’s beautiful, simultaneously distant and immediate, and perhaps the biggest grower track of the bunch. The latter flips that feeling of trekking across great distances into something resembling a battle, with its punchy keys, twitchy riffs, and a fittingly less smooth Ice Dale solo. The track, despite being introduced through its titular EP in 2021, feels even more at home here, fitting in perfectly with the overall arc of Heimdal.Since the days of “Miðgarðs Eldar,” Enslaved has spliced their speed with slowness, and that touch of doom really helps Heimdal’s closing title track set the scene for the end. The main riff pattern of its initial passages is like a meaner and slower inversion of the riff that opens the album, and ‒ because of a somewhat unbalanced prog setting ‒ feels the tiniest bit drunk (oddball keys and Grutle’s vocals help the unsettling vibe). And then, almost out of nowhere, it suddenly becomes a completely different song, infectiously pushing forward as if driving away from destruction without a worry in mind, as if the only goal is to keep chasing the sunset.It admittedly comes off as a strange choice the first few times you hear it, but everything comes together when you remember a great truth about this band: Enslaved is best when they’re at least a little weird. Heimdal is probably only a little weird (at least to seasoned ears), but it’s certainly weirder than In Times, E, and Utgard. It isn’t just weirdness for the sake of weirdness, however, it’s the sound of a creative band feeling looser and more at home both within their songs and with each other. Heimdal is the first time that this “newer” Enslaved lineup sounds fully gelled, with all five guys turning in excellent performances that add just the right touches (and then some) to these tunes.It’s admittedly a comforting feeling to be excited about an Enslaved album again. It’s a somewhat tempered excitement, sure, but that might be less about the record (which is great and has the potential to keep growing in stature) than me, us, I, we. We ‒ meaning fans and band both ‒ are older, a little less excitable, and generally stiffer in our joints when the barometric pressure acts up. And to reiterate a big point, this band has released 16 (SIXTEEN!!!) albums! That’s a lot of records!!! And the worst you can say about their output is that a few albums feel a mite superfluous, because none are nearly bad. That they can emerge from the type of rut that is really only a rut for a band of their caliber and climb at least halfway back up their own colossal mountain of standards ought to bring a smile to many a fan’s face.Enslaved is even celebrating the record with a release event called Heimhug, which yes, translates to “homesickness” (at least according to Google), but these world travelers surely knew that putting “hug” into the name would make it seem rather affectionate to non-Norwegian-speakers. Regardless, it’s a fun thing for these joyous old vets to do with their fans, and just the latest in a great recent stretch of events and live streams and other little things that make them so relatable. They clearly want their fans to be part of their journey, and Heimdal not only feels like a big part of their story, but one of their destination albums. Give them and this great record a good squeeze, you will." - Last Rites

After an exceptionally long year full of personal change and near manic levels of creative activity, Canadian musician Devin Townsend releases his follow up to 2019’s acclaimed ‘Empath’ album. Assembled from a barrage of material written during the pandemic ‘Lightwork’ represents a new level, and has ended up being one of the most accessible, yet ambitious releases of his storied career. A project that has been on Devin’s mind since he was a teen, (and flirted with throughout his career) is a more melodic and direct album with a great producer to help guide the work. Enter Garth Richardson: A Vancouver based producer with a long resume and a friend of Devin’s for many years. And the goal? To provide something beautiful, cathartic, powerful and clear. A sense of optimism and power through what can be commonly known as a ‘depressing period’. It’s about strength, love, acceptance, fear, and overcoming together. Guests on the record include friends and stalwarts from his past (Anneke Van Giersbergen, Ché Aimee Dorval, Morgan Agren, Mike Keneally, Steve Vai, Elektra Women’s Choir) as well as some newer friends and faces (Darby Todd, Diego Tejeida, Nathan Navarro, Federico Paulovich, Jonas Hellborg), and also, in a rather hard to believe turn of events, legend producer and guitar player Nile Rodger plays on the track ‘HoneyBunch’.

Vly began as strangers sending 1's and 0's across the Atlantic Ocean. British-based guitarist Karl Demata had a vague idea and a few demos, when a friend put him in touch with New York singer / artist Keith Gladysz. Keith began working on the demos, adding a more melodic, dream-like and decidedly indie sensibility. "It was a new way to work", says Gladysz. "The music and collaborative art I've made always started with people I knew, and creating naturally came out of that understanding. That's not the case with Vly. We managed to make an album without ever meeting. There was no gauge or reference point except for the music. It was a total shot in the dark".The sound of Vly shooting in the dark hits elements of progressive rock, classic rock, folk, early-Floydian psychedelia, intimate pop melodies, massive walls of epic guitar riffage, post-classical, post-rock and electronic music. And it's the diverse background of the members that lead to the breadth of their sound.The progressive sentiment of Italian keyboardist Elisa Montaldo quickly attracted the ear of Demata. "The first time I heard Elisa play" says Karl "I knew we had to be in a band. Her innate melodic approach and instinctual understanding and knowledge of 'anything prog' is simply remarkable"."Karl asked me to join the project at the very beginning" Elisa picks up: "My idea of prog is somehow more vintage, more typical 70's Italian style. After various experiments on arrangements and sounds, I went to Karl's studio to record most of the keyboards, where we found the right balance".Connecting with strangers, and expanding circles of mutual friends became the pattern for Vly. Karl next recruited experienced bass player Chris Heilmann who worked together previously in Crippled Black Phoenix. Chris provided a solid backbone with a more classic rock attitude.Demata doesn't hold back when talking about Sweden-based musician Mattias Olsson. "He is simply a genius. And he's never predictable as a drummer. Mattias also contributed some vintage keys and odd analog noises, which have a definitive effect on the bands sound. A common friend described him as a 'lateral thinker', and I can't think of a better way to describe him."Vly makes good on the futuristic dreams of the late 1990's, when promises of international recording sessions via the Internet excited incredulous musicians. Now that it's a reality (thanks to Dropbox and Skype), the method may be less glamorously sci-fi than one had hoped; still, they get the job done."I always disliked the cliches about music as a universal language, and more recently about the Internet bringing people together", explains Keith. "I'm even more uncomfortable with those sentiments now, since Vly proved them true".Vly's debut album, I / (Time) is available on the Laser's Edge imprint September 18, 2015. It's engineered and produced by Karl Demata, with additional production by Keith Gladysz and Mattias Olsen, and audiophile mastering by Bob Katz.VLY is:Keith Gladysz (Diet Kong, Typical Reptiles) - Vocals.Karl Demata (ex-Crippled Black Phoenix, Karl Demata Band) - Guitars, synths, programming.Elisa Montaldo (Il Tempio Delle Clessidre) - keyboards and synths.Chris Heilmann (ex-Crippled Black Phoenix, Bernie Torme', Shark Island) – Bass.Mattias Olsson (ex-Änglagård. White Willow, Necromonkey) - Drums & keyboard 

Norway’s avantgarde Black Metal innovators BORKNAGAR celebrate the 25th Anniversary of their self-titled debut album. Back in 1996, “Borknagar” saw mastermind guitarist Øystein G. Brun join forces with like-minded musicians from Enslaved, Gorgoroth, Arcturus, Immortal and Ulver with the goal of rupturing the peripheries of what was then deemed “traditional” Black Metal. This “Borknagar (25th Anniversary Re-issue 2021)” edition comes as Digipak 2CD with a careful remaster of the 10 album songs, a makeover for the original artwork, a disc full of previously unheard bonus material, exclusive photos and profound liner notes, making it the definitive version of a pioneering Norwegian Metal classic!CD 1:Vintervredets Sjelesagn (Remaster 2021)Tanker mot Tind - Kvelding (Remaster 2021)Svartskogs Gilde (Remaster 2021)Ved Steingard (Remaster 2021)Krigsstev (Remaster 2021)Dauden (Remaster 2021)Grimskalle Trell (Remaster 2021)Nord Naagauk (Remaster 2021)Fandens Allheim (Remaster 2021)Tanker mot Tind - Gryning (Remaster 2021)CD 2:Vintervredets Sjelesagn (Live Session at Grieghallen Studios 1995)Svartskogs Gilde (Live Session at Grieghallen Studios 1995)Krigsstev (Live Session at Grieghallen Studios 1995)Dauden (Live Session at Grieghallen Studios 1995)Grimskalle Trell (Live Session at Grieghallen Studios 1995)Fandens Allheim (Live Session at Grieghallen Studios 1995)Ved Steingard (Alternate Mix)Nord Naagauk (Alternate Mix)Vintervredets Sjelesagn (Rehearsal 1994)Grimskalle Trell (Rehearsal 1994)Ved Steingard (First ever recording 1994)Vintervredets Sjelesagn (Alternate Mix)

Latest Glass Hammer album is the second part of a projected trilogy.  The album finds the band with a new singer (quite excellent) and a subtle change in direction.  While its still very much a Glass Hammer album all the way through I noticed a slighter emphasis on guitar than in the past.  I asked Steve Babb about this and he tells me that Fred Schendel is playing guitar - and quite well.  I did notice that they brought in a couple of guitar ringers who I suspect are doing some of the heavy lifting.So perhaps a bit heavier than in the past but overall an album that any Glass Hammer fan (or fan of symphonic prog) will dive deep into.  Highly recommended."As a youngster, I quickly learned from movies such as The Empire Strikes Back and books like The Two Towers that the second instalment of a trilogy is always the deepest part of the story. With the latest musical offering from Glass Hammer, one of America’s most respected latter-day progressive rock bands, that appears to still be the case. Now twenty studio albums into their impressive career, they’ve followed up last year’s well-received trilogy opener Dreaming City with second volume Skallagrim – Into The Breach, and it’s a cracker of an album.Bassist and lyricist Steve Babb is clearly in his element authoring this multi-part fantasy tale (in fact, his first written volume of the book series is due for release next year, a 400-pager titled Skallagrim – In The Vales Of Pagarna). It’s clear that by putting pen to paper (or was it quill to scroll?) he believes strongly enough that his storytelling should also adorn bookshelves worldwide – and he’s probably right. His love for the genre is palpable, further evidenced by the effort he and founding bandmate Fred Schendel have put into crafting these lush albums. As with Dreaming City, snippets of the story are provided in the liner notes for each track along with the lyrics and accompanying sketches, adding another dimension to the full album experience. I won’t get into spoilers about the story itself, but suffice to say that it’s got enough substance to place it a cut above the more surface-level sword-and-sorcery tales out there, and the more fleshed-out book should prove to be a worthy companion. Fantasy for grown-ups? Perhaps, young warrior, perhaps.Following the album’s opening bookend, the first proper song Anthem To Andorath comes storming in with its grungy riff, deep groove, and infectious chorus, showcasing the broad vocal abilities of Hannah Pryor. A newfound gem in the band’s ever-evolving cast of players, Pryor croons sweetly and belts out passionately with the same apparent ease. Although longtime listeners may lament the absence of Glass Hammer veteran Susie Bogdanowicz, Pryor really delivers here. It’s always a gamble shuffling the deck – particularly in an age when some fans make up their minds before hearing a note – but Babb and Schendel are seasoned pros who know a thing or two about what works with their music. They’ve made a winning choice here, and any fans wary of this change should find their fears quickly eased.Glass Hammer in 2021 is an edgier affair than fans of their earlier catalogue may be used to. They’ve relished exploring darker and heavier roads on these first two volumes of the Skallagrim chronicles, without straying too far from their core. Enough of their past elements are retained that this music still sounds like them, it just isn’t filled with angelic choirs, pipe organs and celestial 20-minute symphonic epics. There are still gentler sections, spacy moments and ethereal prog rock, but there’s a dominant ballsy crunch too, a doomier tone that places these albums on a different shelf. But as we know, they will venture again into different territory eventually, never content to stay in one place too long… AC/DC, they are not.The heavy guitar and Hammond organ vibe of Sellsword will draw the usual comparisons to the classic… well, heavy guitar and Hammond organ bands. But it’s separate from that music in its complexity and modern feel, and again Pryor confidently glides over top of the fray with soaring and soulful vocals. Likewise with the track Steel, which finds the band exploring even more style shifts within the heavy rock-riff blueprint. Thus far, we’ve been given the best opening run of music on a Glass Hammer album since at least 2016’s Valkyrie. Young session player Reese Boyd has been fairly prominent on the last few albums in his role of guitar prodigy, and contributes some dazzling playing once again. While Schendel can bash out killer riffs with the best of ’em, Boyd is able to colour the tracks with terrific solos and deeper textures. Time to make this cat a fully-fledged member, methinks.The album drifts into electronic instrumental territory with a pair of what are essentially solo tracks. The moody A Spell Upon His Mind finds a lone Babb delivering a piece that is about as far removed from the preceding heaviness as you could imagine. Schendel, too, performs unaccompanied on the quirky Moon Pool, a more upbeat track complete with drum loops and percussion sounds. They’ve injected these kinds of interludes into albums before, but they are always welcome, and I suspect they’d excel at a full album crafting this kind of electronic noodling, as they seem to have a knack for it.The meat of the Skallagrim story is largely found in the album’s second half, beginning with Babb’s turn at the lead vocal mic on The Ogre Of Archon, a return to the appealing heavy riffage reminiscent of Sabbath and early Rush. If I’m mentioning ‘heavy riffs’ a lot, that’s because they are here in spades, but the album is far from one-dimensional, and its this variety that is perhaps the most impressive feature of Into The Breach.Babb hangs on to vocal duties (with some brief assistance from Schendel) on the expansive title track, the first of back-to-back eight minute pieces which features an instrumental breakdown allowing for some fine tradeoff solos. Sometimes with so much focus on how Glass Hammer produce their albums, we forget to acknowledge what great players these guys are. Babb’s striking bass tone bouncing around underneath Schendel’s keys and Boyd’s blistering guitar is one of the major album highlights. This song simply must be played live in the future… or I assure you I will be loudly asking to speak to the manager.The Forlorn Hope is likely to be mentioned by fans eager to rattle off favourites, with its powerful and thudding heavy rock verse structure and brighter choruses eventually dissolving into a dreamy acoustic second half. Pryor returns to deliver melodic and tuneful vocals in what is surely the album’s prettiest moment, and longtime session player Brian Brewer (scheduled to appear with the band on the next Cruise To The Edge) adds some subtle slide guitar to accent the piece. It’s an odd arrangement, but then nobody’s crossing their fingers for it to be on the radio anytime soon – even if it should be.In a return to the Rush-infused sound of Dreaming City, the shimmering Hyperborea serves as the album’s lengthy climax, and though it may be a groaner to choose the ‘proggy epic’ as my favourite track, I can’t help it – this is a joyous piece rich in Glass Hammer-isms and with Hemispheres/Permanent Waves-era nods that make me smile – but the song could stand on its own even without those. Drummer Aaron Raulston’s heavy groove has been a key component of Glass Hammer dating back to 2014’s Ode To Echo, and he peppers this new music with a hybrid of metallic energy and tasteful nuance. Any band benefits greatly from a drummer who knows when to leave space and when to let fly with everything he’s got. Raulston is one such drummer, and he lifts this material by at least one full notch.With any catalogue as broad and sweeping as Glass Hammer’s, it’s impossible to predict where the latest entry will eventually settle in the hearts and minds of listeners. And when they’ve set their own bar so high for so long, they will certainly be aware that there are going to be peaks and valleys, often not apparent until looking back in hindsight a few years on. Not every album can (or should) be lazily described as a ‘masterpiece’ simply because the listener really likes it, as it cheapens the term in the process (I still say theirs is The Inconsolable Secret, for what it’s worth). Although these stalwarts of the scene always maintain a consistent level of quality, for my tastes they seem to really smack one out of the park every four albums or so, and they’ve done it again here. While I wouldn’t necessarily elevate Skallagrim – Into The Breach to ‘masterpiece’ status, it’s certainly among their finest, with nary a duff track to be found, and coaxes broad smiles of genuine appreciation. Great work, guys and gal. I look forward to many more listens… and no pressure, but I’m already jazzed to hear part three!" - Velvet Thunder  

Riverside's fifth studio album finds them in a continuing state of refinement of their sound.  While they continue to touch on the bands that were the original foundation of their sound (Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd, Opeth) the music seems to take on a more atmospheric feel.  At the same time 70s style keyboards creep in more and more.  Michal Lapaj's use of Hammond organ lends a Lord-ian flair when the band ramps up the heaviness.  The spacey flavors of Eloy that appears on Out Of Myself reappear just at the right time.  It seems that Marius Duda's Lunatic Soul side project has cross polinated a bit with the mothership.  His emotion driven vocals once again prove why he is one of the best frontmen in the entire progressive music scene.  This is one of those albums that will take many spins to really allow it to divulge all its secrets.