DICE – Live (Belle Antique, 1993; rec. 1978-1979)

 

English vocals, instrumental
International relevance: **

The second of two live Dice discs on the Japanese Belle Antique label, the other being ”Live 1977”, and this the weakest of all available Dice albums. Compiled from four different sources, the sound quality varies. Only the last four cuts, billed as bonus tracks, are of studio quality but they're also the musically worst. No specific date is given, late 70s I guess, but the band sounds like a faceless FM radio band on these demos, like a mix between Kansas and Steely Dan.

The live portions are audience tapes of so-so quality, and Belle Antique has tried to cover up their limitations with added reverb. It still sounds like audience tapes though, I've heard worse, but the tinny sound soon gets fatiguing.

”Live 1977” was a motivated release, but ”Live” looks more like an attempt to squeeze water out of a stone. For Dice completists only.

No links found

AMBRA – Ambra (Symphilis, 2020; rec. 1975-1979)

 

Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: ***

A symphonic quartet from Lidköping in the Western part of Sweden, existing from 1975 to 1979 but with only one single out, in 1977 on Anette, the same label Blåkulla were on. Both sides of the single ("Vandring" and "Scherzo") are here, but they obviously recorded a lot more than that – this archival disc is 80 minutes long.

Influenced by British symph rock bands, you can also spot traces from Kaipa. One blog reader described Ambra as a mix of Ragnarök and Atlas, and that's as accurate a definition as any. The synth sounds favoured by later symph bands are prevalent here supporting the fiddly guitars. They had a certain lyricism to their songs, but there's too much going on for any mood to properly settle – Ambra simply can't resist getting show-offy. I don't like the singer either; Michael Ellgren has a rather thin voice and sounds too much like a musicals reject.

Ambra indeed had ambitions and certainly some chops, but had they been a bit more economical about them, they wouldn't have become so overbearing.

Full album

SHEKINA – On Our Way To Love (Transubstans, 2024; rec. 1976)

 

English vocals, instrumental

International relevance: ***

After the demise of Änglabarn, his participation in ”Hair” and ”Jesus Christ Superstar” but before his solo career, Dan Tillberg teamed up with the band Solen Strålar (not to be confused with Solen Skiner) who had been around since the early 70s but only played a few gigs. The band asked Tillberg if he wanted to be their lead vocalist, and after only one rehearsal, he agreed to it. They changed their name to Shekina, new songs were written, and soon they found themselves recording a full album in Tillberg's newly built Bellatrix studio when it wasn't booked by other artists. However, running the studio and the label attached to it, Tillberg realized he didn't have the time to head a band too. The recordings ended up unreleased until Transubstans got their hands on them, finally releasing them as ”On Our Way To Love” in 2024.

One can only wonder what would have happened if the album had been released as originally intended. Because the thing is, it's a quite beautiful album of progressive pop with symphonic touches. The songs are really lovely and well-composed, the arrangements are lucid and Tillberg's vocals are the best I've heard, sincere but relaxed and respectful to the melodies. I sense a light touches of Moody Blues in Shekina's music and lyrics but without the Moodies' strains of self-pity.

I didn't know what to expect from Shekina on beforehand, but I was pleasantly surprised. The album has a mellow sweetness and melodic care that I find rather irresistable. As a matter of fact, it's a little gem that really should have been released already 50 years ago.

No links found

MIXTURE – Dreamland (Miss Mindy Music, 12”, 1982)

English vocals, Swedish vocals, instrumental
International relevance: **

The release date on the cover says 1983 but the label states 1982 so I give Mixture the benefit of the doubt and include assuming the label date is correct.

This is not the same Mixture that had an LP on Coop in 1980. This five-piece came from Kalmar in the south east area of Sweden and recorded only the four tracks heard on this 12”. They gigged locally a fair bit and were highly regarded among their peers for their technical skills. Inspired by for instance American jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour they wanted an accomplished sound. The style isn't that exciting, somewhere between AOR and symphonic rock (especially on ”Preludium” by J.S. Bach obviously), but they were pretty good songwriters in their vein. They were skilled players especially for being only around 18 years old at the time. And I think Matz Larsson has a rather nice voice. 

I wouldn't call "Dreamland" great, but I've heard far worse examples of what music college students can cook up.

Back To Reality
Preludium
Mecanical [sic!]
Vem var hon

DICE – Live 1977 (Belle Antique, 2013; rec. 1977)

Instrumental
International relevance: ***

Japanese archival label Belle Antique released three discs of archival Dice material. The recordings here were made for Swedish Radio on 11 May, 1977, and portions of the show were also included in ”Progglådan”. But this is the complete session.

Recorded between ”The Four Riders Of The Apocalypse” (one of the archival CDs) and their only proper album ”Dice”, ”Live 1977” falls somewhere inbetween stylistically. It's not quite as pompous as ”Four Riders”, more 'complex' or if you prefer 'unnecessary complicated” and thus not as focused as the following album.

I'm not sure it's actually a live recording because there's no audience – it sounds more like a studio session with the songs interspersed with interview bits. A distracting feature as the album would have run much smoother without the spoken parts. They should have been edited together to a bonus track instead. Still, a must to Dice fans.

Sjukdomen (from Progglådan)
Begäret (from Progglådan)

KLARTEXT / HAZARD – MOTDRAG (Ungdomens Nykterhetsförbund, 1982)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

A split album with Klartext on one side and Hazard on the other and released by the Swedish Youth Temperance Organisation. Hence the lyrics all speaking out against inebriation. I'm not familiar with any of the two bands so perhaps they were just temporary constellations, or only active within the organisation. None of them is very good but Klartext is a tad better. Their 7 minute “Krossa alkoholtraditionen” even shows some symphonic moves which I didn't exptect to hear on an album like this. Hazard are more towards the contemporary sounds of 1982 with funk and ska leanings.

Klartext:
Krossa alkoholtraditionen
Ge tillbaks min ungdom
På rätt plats i världen
Langen går
Jag har lagt av
Hazard:
Tretton år
Förste man i kön
Sprit är sprit
Min garderob
Nere i verksta'n
bonus track

ROBERT ERWING – Betongänglar (Text O Bild, 1982)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

After releasing one single on the vehemently commercial label Mariann in 1981, he returned with a privately released full album the following year. A strange affair with symph rock aspirations, loaded with cheesy synths and Erwing's thin, slightly nasal and rather funny sounding voice. He's definitely not much of a singer, and not a lyric writer of note either. His observations, summed up in album sub-title ”En förortssymfoni” (”a suburbian symphony”), are banal and sometimes out of metre, and they only get more in your face when delivered with Erwing's shaky, occasionally off-key vocals. The musicianship is otherwise decent – especially for a private release – with plenty of unknown local Gothenburg performers. The only one I can spot that had a career in music after this album is co-songwriter Göran Ihrfeld who later was in Beatles tribute band Lenny Pane. Most famous name here is well-known actor Reine Brynolfsson who draw the record label!

”Betongänglar” is unbearable if taken seriously, but if you're into off-beat music devoid of self-awareness, this is a gem.

Betongänglar (suite)

AUTUMN BREEZE – Demo Tapes (MyRecords, 1977-78) / På radio 1978 (MyRecords, 1978)

Swedish vocals, English vocals, instrumental
International relevance ***/***

When record labels failed to show any interested in Autumn Breeze's album ”Höstbris”, they released it themselves in 1979. When they reformed around 2010, they stuck to self-releasing their music, and have now several albums out on their own label MyRecords. But a compilation of demo recordings made in 1977-1978 appeared as a CD-r already in 2009. Alternately entitled ”Demo Tapes” and ”Casette Tapes” (sic!), it features not only early versions of songs ending up on ”Höstbris”, but also tracks that never made it to the LP. Some songs should have; I'd gladly have swapped the dreadful white-boy-in-an-office funk of ”U P A” and the stale disco of ”Ugglans nattvisir” for the eight minutes of ”Nr. 646” off the demo tape. The main difference between the finished versions and those takes are, as you could expect, these are rougher round the edges. Somewhat closer to 70's hard rock, they sound less refined and that's beneficial. And best of all, they don't have those cheesy synths that are all over ”Höstbris”. True those demos have their share of clumsy playing, but what they lose in precision they gain in vividness.

The second archival release, also a CD-r, features a session recorded for Swedish Radio's local Karlstad branch in 1978. Those tapes fall somewhere between the '78 demos and the '79 album. They still sound a bit under-rehearsed with some rather comic fumbles here and there, and knowing the session would be broadcast, they sound a bit tense.

Swedish Radio has always been famous for getting a great live sound, but for whatever reason the fidelity here is peculiarly muddy which obviously is a drawback. I don't know if some primitive post-production fiddling took place before being released, but there's a reverb here and there which sounds as if it was added later to cover up shortcomings on the original tape. Instead it emphasizes them. Also, the bass must have been boosted prior to release which further adds to the unbalanced and slightly messy sound.

As you can see, I much prefer the demo disc. It's not perfect, but it's imperfect in the right way. I'd even go as far as to say it's better than ”Höstbris” thanks to the rawness and energy it radiates. 

Too bad about the terrible amateurish cover art for both discs though. Somebody failed the Photoshop class...  

Demo Tapes/Casette Tapes full album playlist
På radio 1978 full album playlist

ISILDURS BANE – Lost Eggs (Svenska Unikum, 1994; rec. 1976-1993)

Swedish vocals, instrumental
International relevance: ***

Founded in 1976 and hailing from Halmstad (home of Per Gessle), Tolkien fans and symphonic rockers Isildurs Bane didn't make their album debut until 1984 with ”Sagan om den irländska älgen” ('the saga of the Irish elk'). They weren't entirely unknown then, having recorded a lengthy session for Swedish Radio's slot for live music Tonkraft in 1982. And they'd been recording prior that, as archival compilation ”Lost Eggs” reveals.

Seven of of the tracks herein fall outside the scope of this blog as they were recorded between 1984 and 1994, but the remainder was put to tape between 1976 and 1982. So let's concentrate on them.

I'm not a fan at all of the synthetic approximation of British prog rock somewhere between Jethro Tull and Gentle Giant as presented on ”Sagan om den irländska älgen”, but their sound was most deliberate as proven by these early tapes. Many of their elements were already in place, the mid 70's FM rock guitars, the dated synthesizers, the 'complex' time signatures, the twee vocals and the overall cheesiness. The only difference is that ”Lost Eggs” isn't as cohesive as their proper albums, but that's no surprise as it wasn't recorded as such.

Isildurs Bane nevertheless proved to be a long lasting and well liked unit. They've even released two collaborative albums with prog master Peter Hammill in 2019 and 2021 respectively.

Full album playlist (Bandcamp)

SUSPEKT ASPEKT – Den årliga vårliga konserten på Röhsska muséet (no label, 1979)

Instrumental
International relevance ***

Probably one of the most obscure bands ever to be featured here, Suspekt Aspekt never even released any music when they originally existed. Originating from Gothenburg, they formed in the mid 70s and disbanded in early 1980. This recording were distributed privately by the band after having reunited in 2003. It's a live recording made at Röhsska museet, an art museum in the centre of their hometown. Sound quality is good, even excellent for an audience recording from 1979. The music is soft instrumental symphonic prog with an epic quality, somewhat reminiscent of UK bands like Camel. It's well played and rather pleasant, but with 23 tracks clocking in at over two hours, it's too much to chew in one sitting for the casual listener, Genre fans however will surely be delighted by the discovery.

Had Suspekt Aspekt had the opportunity to have a proper album out when they existed the first time around, they would most likely have been widely recognized among aficionados, instead of being a hardly known footnote in the history of regional symph prog.

Full album playlist

INFRA / TREKLÖVER – Infra/Treklöver (Subliminal Sounds, 1972/1974, released 2022)

English vocals, instrumental

 International relevance: ***

Two names, but basically the same band. Beginning as Treklöver, they recorded a demo for EMI in 1972 which lead nowhere. After recruiting singer Eddy Kristiansen, they changed their name to Infra, taped a 1974 demo for UK label RSO which faced the same fate as their first, leaving two studio sessions left unheard by the public for four decades.

The Infra demo takes up the major part of the album with seriously progressive rock with symphonic aspirations, which for the sake of clarity means plenty of neurotic time signature changes. They indeed aim high, and although they're accomplished musicians, there are split seconds where especially drummer Jörgen Nordgren slips. OK, so it's a demo, but the clean and conspicuously modern-sounding production is too revealing at crucial moments. Eddy Kristiansen in turn is way too operatic and pretentious, but it gets even worse when he tries to 'rawk out' in the busy bordering-on-hysterical ”Keep On Truckin'” in which he gets absolutely unbearable. 

All in all, it's everything I absolutely hate with progressive rock.

Not that the Kristiansen-less two-song Treklöver tape is much better. The production gels a bit better here, and while hired-gun vocalist and organ player Ann-Marie ”Ami” Henning's voice is a bit weak, it's still way more pleasant to listen to than Kristiansen's self-important bombast. But already in the band's early stage, they suffered from time signature Tourettes and it takes me a fair amount of death defiance to get through eight minutes of ”Saturn” (one of their two tracks here).

”Infra/Treklöver” will probably give folks who enjoy playing their Trettioåriga Kriget albums at 45 rpm a boner, but my self-mutilation session with this nonsense is forever over.

Full album playlist (Bandcamp)

ZTHÜREHZ – Zthürehz (Sill Y, 1981)

Instrumental, English vocals, Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

A very rare half symphonic, half new wave private pressing released in 500 copies locally in the band's hometown Vimmerby. Very rare yes and in the multi-hundreds region pricewise, but – you know where I'm going with this – incredibly bad. Even the band name is stupid. Not that 'Zthürehz' means anything in Swedish, it isn't a proper word, but it sounds completely moronic anyway.

It's all cheesy synths galore, crappy vocals, stupid lyrics, and twee songs on one hand pretending to be Kaipa 'ambitious', on the other some kind of punk/new wave. Well, OK, ”I'm Rich” could possibly have been a decent power pop number in the hands of anyone except these wannabe nobodies.

But the worst track by far and further still is ”I träsket”, a reggae attempt so horrendous I wouldn't blame Jamaica if they want to declare war on Sweden.

I suppose Zthürehz were pretty young when they recorded this album, and you could say that ought to work for the benefit of their questionable honour but the album still sucks mammoth genitalia. At best it sounds like a very embarassing school project some untalented kids force their poor parents to sit through in pain and boredom.

They named their label Sill Y and well, at least they got that right. Silly it is.

Nice album cover though, if you scratch out the band's name.

They (I can't make myself spell out their name again) also released a 7” in 1984. I haven't heard it, and I have no wish whatsoever to do so either.

Full album

WERUP-SJÖSTRÖMGRUPPEN / STORM – Complete albums 1973-1977

Centered around poet and former jazz musician Jacques Werup, the group Storm was preceded by his collaboration with saxophonist Frans Sjöström, Werup-Sjöströmgruppen. They made their vinyl debut with as Werup-Sjöströmkvartetten on ”Club Jazz 1”. a split album with Nils Lindberg in 1970. Werner-Sjöströmgruppen's first and only album came three years later with ”Makten och härligheten”, disbanded soon after, with Jacques Werup forming the progressive Storm.

Makten och härligheten (Sonet, 1973)

Werup-Sjöströmgruppen

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

Jacques Werup is involved as a songwriter in seven of the thirteen tracks on ”Makten och härligheten”, providing lyrics to five of them. The jazz is still there of course, but the arrangements are varied, some of them utilizing a string quartet and some revealing a cabaret influence. Unfortunately, the histrionic and pretentious vocals (sometimes with a squeak not unlike Swedish 80's pop star Tomas Di Leva) ruin what could possibly have been a better album without them. Artwork by painter Ola Billgren.

Stormvarning (Harvest, 1974)
Swedish vocals, other languages

International relevance: ***

Storm was very different to Werup-Sjöströmgruppen, with their music taking cues from prog, jazz, experimental and Moody Blues' soft symph. ”Stormvarning” occasionally reminds me of Samla Mammas Manna in approach bit not sound. The album is full of ideas presented in an imaginative way that's hard to describe. Not a great album but interesting enough to hear at least once.

Storm at the Top (Harvest, 1975)

English vocals

International relevance: ***

After their quirky debut, Storm suddenly went for a more 60's inspired sound, with English lyrics and pop melodies filtered through perhaps The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Cockney Rebel, and early David Bowie? It's a much weaker outing than ”Stormvarning”, and although Storm tries to put a personal spin to it, it sounds derivative and fake.

Casanova in Mjölby (Harvest, 1977)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

For their third album, Storm changed their style again with a new rhythm section inherited from Lotus. ”Casanova in Mjölby” is a concept album (in short, the story tells the story of seducer Casanova turning up in small Swedish town Mjölby – phew...). The music is like a mix of their first two albums, melodic but progressive. It's better than the inferior ”Storm at the Top” but sillier than than ”Stormvarning”. Great cover art though.

Storm was obviously a band full of ideas but not all of them were very good. The initial appeal of some of what they did wears off after a few listens. ”Stormvarning” is their best, but while not very expensive, I advise you to listen before you buy. Several former Storm members continued making music in various contexts; Werup released several albums under his own name and kept writing books up until his death in 2016.

Stormvarning full album playlist

Storm At The Top full album playlist
Casanova i Mjölby full album playlist

SPLASH – Ut på vischan (Polydor, 1972) / Splash (PLA, 1974) / Splash (PLA, 1978)

Splash was a band founded in Söderhamn 1969, initially with a strong influence from Blood Sweat & Tears and similar acts, but their music grew increasingly intreresting by each album. Their debut however was an unremarkable self-produced single in 1972, ”Gobby's Train” b/w ”Way Up North”. Their full length debut followed later the same year and they soon earned a dedicated following in Norway, Belgium and former Czechoslovakia. 

 Ut på vischan! (Polydor, 1972)
Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

 

Signing to Polydor, Splash benefitted from the higher production values after the relatively primitive debut single. ”Ut på vischan!” is competent in every regard. It has a few prog moves, but has vague hints at Kebnekajse styled folk harmonics on the best track ”Smutsig jord” (with some appealing guitar work). But there's no mistaking early Splash was a horn rock band at heart, with ”Ut på vischan!” sounding like a poor man's Solar Plexus. It ought to please genre fans but others should listen before paying the relatively high prices asked for the album, and better yet, look out for their later albums.

Splash's Polydor deal ended abruptly after a truly terrible 45 of two cover choices including Edgar Winter's ”Keep Playin' That Rock'n'Roll”.

Splash (PLA, 1974)

Instrumental, wordless vocals
International relevance: ***

Splash released their first of two self-titled albums on their own PLA imprint. Self-released, it sounds professional enough, and here it's clear they were aiming at a new style. The side-long ”Karottorokokrockokrokorock (Elephant Nilson)” (say that fast) touches on Uriah Heep (not good), symphonic rock, prog, jazz and avantgarde during its 20+ minutes, while ”Tiokronorspolskan” adapted from Hjort Anders Olsson's vast catalogue of classic fiddle tunes is similar to Skäggmanslaget with Contact backing them. ”Sambahmadu” adds an Latin-cum-African flavour thanks to percussionist Ahmadu Jarr. Overall a much more interesting and rewarding effort than ”Ut på vischan!” Brilliant and eye-catching cover art by Ardy Strüwer.

1974 also saw the release of two Splash seven inches. The first of them featured more Uriah Heep heaviness on ”Orangutang Boomerang”, backed with the rather excellent ”Sunday Ride”, with lyrics by German born Swede Linus Kal X Blue (who made garage rock history with Something Wild's ”Trippin' Out” 45 in 1966). The second 1974 Splash single was recorded as a backing band to the incredibly annoying folk singer Maritza Horn.

Splash (a.k.a. Splash 2) (PLA, 1978)

Instrumental

International relevance: ***

Four years down the line and Splash's music had developed a lot. Opening track ”Variations on polska & hoppdans” is an occasionally atonal clash of styles – traditional folk tunes, fusion, cajun and what not. ”Nina” is furious fusion that works. ”El Greco” sounds like Zappa in the Near East. ”Hueå” is back in horn rock territory, but with a twist (of Zappa). The only relatively straight track here is ”Snusa” which also happens to be the least exciting selection (but with still more Zappa in the guitar department). Engineered by Mikael Ramel and hands down their most satisfying album.

Another Maritza Horn single appeared in 1975 (funky but bad), and a 1974 Tonkraft session circulates in good sound. Splash disbanded in 1979. A meaty 5CD box set of their complete recordings plus previously unreleased material was released in 2018, "Splash 1970-1979 (Samtliga inspelningar)" The archival stuff includes some rather splendid live recordings.

Ut på vischan full album

Splash full album playlist

Splash 2 full album playlist

TRETTIOÅRIGA KRIGET – Complete albums 1974-1981

Prog and symph fan favourites Trettioåriga Kriget were founded in the Stockholm suburb Saltsjöbaden in 1970 as a clumsy gang with ambitions higher than a skyscraper and a competence level sometimes not higher than a newly mowed lawn. But if their band beginnings were humble, their social origins were not – Saltsjöbaden was and is one of Stockholm's wealthiest areas. 

Trettioåriga Kriget (Epic, 1974)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

Trettioåriga Kriget's eponymous album debut came in 1974 and until then they had had the time to rehearse enough for their music to gel. Which unfortunately doesn't make the music better, only terrible in a different way. The ”Glorious War” recordings are largely instrumental, without long standing singer Robert Zima . Once he's present, there's someone to sing the impossibly pretentious lyrics. Really, they're unbearable, hopeless boy's room existentialism. Sad to say, the music has the same swanky feel. This is intellectually constipated arty-farty adolescent dross in a black polo shirt. Still, their best.

Krigssång (CBS, 1975)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

 

Same thing over again, only with a breathier production. The vocals are highly-strung and egocentric, and worse still, they're occasionally 'augmented' by Zima's Uriah Heep falsetto. This album is like a yoga position known as 'head up your arse'. Strenous and full of itself.

Hej på er! (Mistlur, 1978)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

 

Three years later and a new label. Trettioåriga Kriget stayed with Mistlur until disbanding in 1981. For ”Hej på er!” they downplayed their pretentiousness a little bit which could have been a good thing hadn't it turned them into some kind of proto new wave ”Solo” era Kaipa instead. And Robert Zima still annoys me to the verge of breakdown – and lets out his tortured cat falsetto in ”Natten som alltid”. The title track is a decent pop tune of sorts though.

Mot alla odds (Mistlur, 1979)
Swedish vocals 

International relevance: *

 

The 'proto new wave' reference above wasn't chosen at random, as Trettioåriga Kriget moved closer towards a contemporary late 70's style with each Mistlur album. Diehard fans usually dismiss the later albums, and I can see why – Trettioåriga Kriget's new found new wave influences didn't sit well with the expectations of fans of their former style. It worked for Van der Graaf Generator on ”Vital Live”, but it only makes Trettioåriga Kriget sound ridiculous. I mean, more ridiculous than before. Just look at the album cover – who did they suddenly want you to believe they were? The Ramones? Pathetic.

Kriget (Mistlur, 1981)

as Kriget

International relevance: *

Swedish lyrics

Following the release of ”Mot alla odds”, internal conflicts arose which led to Trettioåriga Kriget's demise in 1980. Very soon after some of the members reunited. Most importantly Robert Zima was gone, leaving the vocal duties to bassist Stefan Fredin. He's not a great singer, mediocre, but at least he isn't as nerve-grating as Zima was. Not being the same band anymore, neither in line-up nor style, they shortened their name to Kriget. As such, they released their final album in 1981. It's not very good, mostly standard fare turn of the decade pop/rock that other bands did so much better, but a little irritating than their other pompous drivel.

Trettioåriga Kriget full album playlist
Krigssång full album playlist
Hej på er! full album playlist
Mot alla odds full album
Kriget full album playlist

DIMMORNAS BRO – Dimmornas Bro (Silence, 1977) / Mål (Silence, 1979) / Jabbi Dabbi (RCA Victor, 1981)

Dimmornas Bro (Silence, 1977)
Swedish vocals, instrumental 

International relevance: **

 

Before Staffan Hellstrand became a domestic hit maker, he was in the semi-symphonic Dimmornas Bro.

Despite being OK musicians, Dimmornas Bro never reached the higher levels of symph prog they probably aimed for, simply because their songs weren't very good. They try hard to earn credibility points with tracks ”Romeo” and ”Fängelset, skolan alltså” but end up like some faux Genesis. Dimmornas Bro was really a pop rock band and that shines through no matter what time signatures and how many synth washes they used. If it matters to anyone, this is their best album.

Mål (Silence, 1979)
Swedish vocals, instrumental 

International relevance: **

 

Really terrible album made even worse by then-fashionable disco influences. ”Tilt” suggests Staffan Hellstrand might have heard one Samla Mammas Manna album and two by The Beatles, but the end result is disheartening to say the least. Some symph moves seemingly left over from their first album turned up in ”Mål's” instrumental final track, but they couldn't save their debut and they certainly can't save this dud either.

 Jabbi Dabbi (RCA Victor, 1981)
Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

 

Leaving Silence for multinational label RCA Victor gave Dimmornas Bro a more 'glamorous' production touch, but just like Hellstrand sings in ”Moln”, the one track here with very distant prog touches: ”all the warning signs go flashing red”. ”Jabbi Dabbi” is very bad early 80's mainstream pop rock.

 

Dimmornas Bro full album

Mål full album 

Jabbi dabbi full album playlist

KEBNEKAJSE – Vi drar vidare (Mercury, 1978)

Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: ***

If a band loses its most important member and radically changes the musical style, is it still the same band?

Is ”Vi drar vidare” really a Kebnekajse album?

Kenny Håkansson, guitarist par excellence, left the band after ”Elefanten” and that should have been the end of the once godlike Kebnekajse, but instead they signed to Mercury for one more album. Trying to fill the void Håkansson left gaping galaxy wide, Mats Glenngård stepped in as the main songwriter and turned the band into some kind of fusion/symph rock amalgam.

A Kaipa parody? A Jean-Luc Ponty charade? Something even worse?

Call it what you will, this album drags Kebnekajse's name in the dirt and then drags it back again twice as hard. I feel genuinely sorry for Kenny Håkansson who had to see this happen to his former band. And I feel sorry for myself and every other Kebnekajse fan that this even exists. It hurts.

People told me long before I had heard the album that it was bad, but crikey! I couldn't imagine just how bad it actually is. And it does not get better over time. Had it been a Coste Apetrea or a Kornet album, then it might have been excellent. Sort of. But Kebnekajse's name's on that catastrophic cover, in large letters, and that makes ”Vi drar vidare” an insult. No more, no less. 

Full album playlist

DICE – Dice (Marilla, 1978) / The Four Riders of the Apocalypse (Belle Antique, 1992; recorded 1977)

English vocals, instrumental

International relevance: ***/***

Dice's was originally released on illustrious character Hans Edler's Marilla label, known for its stylistic diversity. ”Dice” is probably the only symphonic effort on the label though. It bears the band's Yes influences on its sleeve (not literally meant) with dashes of Focus, Gentle Giant and Egg. Complex and competent tracks with quite a few guitar leads to go with the abundant keyboards. A very accomplished work only marred by insufficient vocals. Not my cup of tea, but certainly a lot more lively than most of what Kaipa did (another relevant comparison) and a must for symph heads.

”Dice” was reissued by Japanese label Belle Antique in the late 80's, and they also released the archival ”The Four Riders of the Apocalypse” a couple of years later. Recorded before their first and only proper album, it lets us have a peak into their progress. Dice's ambitions were high but their compositional skills not yet fully developed. It sounds as if they wanted to prove everything at once, making the pieces overcomplicated and directionless (which of course could be said of quite a few symph rock albums...) Although I don't like Robert Holmin's vocals on ”Dice”, but the instrumental ”Four Riders of the Apocalypse” feels unfinished without them.

Belle Antique has also released two albums with material from Dice's live archive, including one show recorded for Swedish Radio in 1977, also partly found in "Progglådan".

Dice full album
The Four Riders Of The Apocalypse full album

Tonkraft 1977 full album playlist (tracks 7-11)

AUTUMN BREEZE – Höstbris (Ö Records, 1979)

Instrumental, Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

Disappointed with the lack of major label interest, Autumn Breeze borrowed money to release their sole album by themselves in an edition of 500. Perhaps proper labels thought the recording sounded to unprofessional – after all, this was 1979 and the DIY ethos of progg's early days had waned. Or more precisely, it had been inherited by punk.

While obviously a private recording. the sound isn't that bad and the playing is adequate enough. (Birgitta Nilsson's vocals are a bit limited and thin but most of the album is instrumental anyway). Tobias Petterson compares parts of ”Höstbris” to Radiomöbel in his progg encyclopedia, but that's a most offensive insult. I'd much rather compare it to German band Carol of Harvest, or American progsters Third Estate.

The album has both progressive and symphonic traits without comfortably falling into either category. It has dark and dreamy qualities that are rather winsome, underlined by the simple but evocative flute playing of Gert Magnusson and Gert Nilsson's fuzz guitar that's never allowed to overpower the moody music. The synth sound used on the album is admittedly cheesy but adds a peculiar, skewed feel to the songs. ”Höstbris” isn't a top drawer progg album but it does have a certain appeal.

Full album playlist

FRIENDSHIP TIME – Friendship Time (Mellotronen, 2006; recorded 1975)

Instrumental, English vocals

International relevance: ***

1975 recordings unearthed by Trettioåriga Kriget drummer Dag Lundqvist and remastered and released by Mellotronen in 2006. Originally intended for release on Virgin but eventually shelved when Friendship Time fell apart. The album displays influences from Yes and similar bands but the prodiction is less flashy, more akin to UK underground legends Dark, with an intrusive drum sound. The steroid perkiness running through the entire album makes it one of the sillier examples of prog and symph. The only reason for releasing this nonsense 30 years after the fact is to satisfy genre collectors who have a pathological need to own every time signature change in recorded history. 

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