Gjenferd – Black Smoke Rising

 

 

Gjenferd – Black Smoke Rising
Apollon Records – 2026
Rock, Hard, Seventies, Classic, Psych, Stoner
Rated: ****

On their new album Black Smoke Rising, Gjenferd doubles down on their deep love for classic seventies hardrock. It was of course apparent that they drew inspiration from bands like Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin if you’ve been hooked, like me, on their debut self-titled album from 2024. But on Black Smoke Rising, their rich nostalgic sound feels even more like a genuine continuation from that era’s spirit. It’s all happening man! 

Ten tracks that immediately start to warm the soul and spread that glow throughout your body. The Norwegian quartet combine driving rhythms, gritty Hammond organ, and soaring guitars into a collection that is on some level straightforward, but also highly engaging. Tight grooves and catchy melodies immediately hook the listener. While heavier cuts hit with raw almost physical intensity. But over all, it’s the musicianship that always stands out, the interplay between organ and guitar, the way the vocals weave over it all. And that rhythm section, consistently sharp, groovy, and full of character. 

And that character, a bell bottom, denim clad, flowers in your hair kind of devotion to the past makes that the album refuses to sit still. Even though atmospheric interludes like Atterganger and Stillferd drift in like hazy campfire visions, the ghostly pauses are brief, and after the mellotron fumes have curled through the air, they immediately stomp the pedal back onto the floor. And then there’s the five minute long Ride On, a dust-choked, psychedelic road trip that feels like you are chasing a mirage at full throttle, somewhere between revelation and derailment, between knowing and forever feeling lost. And if you listen to this song long enough, you can hear the entire world pass by… 

As final track Like Wildfire rolls in, all sense of restraint is gone, the black smoke no longer rising slowly, but spiraling outwards into a hypnotic, pyroclastic jam that threatens to swallow the band and the listener completely. A righteous end to an album that feels soulfully raw, beautifully loud and gloriously unhinged. Wild eyed and greasy hands grabbing you by the collar, shaking you, until you remember why you love heavy music in the first place… 

(Written by JK)

Bandcamp

Linktree

Instagram

Facebook

Apollon Records

Number 5

 

 

Number 5

A bit less than two hundred points to reach Number 5. By a band we saw live at the marvelous Sonic Whip Festival in Nijmegen 2022, where they played their first show outside of their native country. And yes, they've made the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown before, both of their earlier albums in fact. So, yes, Number 5, where we find an album released in March through Apollon Records. An album upon which the Bergen based room rockers chart a course like a secret ledger passed between generations. Part sea log. Part cipher. All beautiful. It begins under clear skies but quickly devolves into encrypted chaos, as riffs crash like convoy waves and melodies unfold with code breaking precision. It draws a bit from proto metal, a lot from seventies hardrock and progressive structures. And with that, the bands builds dense musical systems, where nothing is accidental and every motif pays off. Weathered by time, experience and pressure, the album feels organic and only gradually reveals the darker truths beneath the surface. As the voyage presses on, doom and despair seep through, but more importantly, so does mastery. The album is seasoned, intelligent and relentless, steering their sound beyond nostalgia and retro, towards something enduring and even monumental. And then there’s that hint of danger, something lurking beneath the waves, there’s always a tangible feel of excitement. They simply know that the exciting thing about riffs is that’s it’s a language that can be used to talk to humans… 

 

 

On Number 5 we find: 

 

KRYPTOGRAF – KRYPTONOMICON

Bandcamp

Instagram

Facebook

Apollon Records

Kryptograf – Kryptonomicon

Number 17 on the Stoner HiVe Top 20 of 2022

Number 5 on the Stoner HiVe Top 20 of 2020 

Kryptograf – Kryptonomicon

 

 

Kryptograf – Kryptonomicon
Apollon Records – 2025
Rock, Hardrock, Prog, Proto, Seventies, Stoner, Doom
Rated:

If you know me, you can imagine my excitement when I learned of the new album ‘Kryptonomicon’. I was completely gob smacked by their self-titled debut way back in 2020 and it still frequently finds its way onto my turntable. I remember there being a certain enigma surrounding the band when I first heard of them. Who are these guys? What do they look like? What does Kryptograf mean? Of course, all these questions have been answered but what remains is their craft and that sound. That sweet proto-metal, 70’s, stoner-doom concoction, that is Kryptograf. That undeniable Kryptograf sound!

‘The Eldorado Spell’, the band’s second outing dropped in 2022. That album was perhaps more experimental, but it escaped the ‘sophomore slump’ and confirmed that they weren’t just a one-off. It has aged well, containing some of my favorite tunes from the band. Three years later and here we are, and here is Kryptograf.

The album starts with the multi-faceted ‘Beyond The Horizon’, which rightfully is one of the singles of the album. As such it harnesses what any great single should, catchy guitar riffs, remarkable vocal melodies, and the collective wonders of the entire group. But of course, done with that Kryptograf elegance! ‘The Blade’ continues us on our musical journey with the proto-metal meets proto-doom sound that Kryptograf has been exploiting (to our delight) since day one. At the two and a half mark the guitars go into a mesmerizing harmonization sequence while the bass walks around the neck with fervency. This is all in preparation to come crashing back into the striking chorus.

The title track ‘Kryptonomicon’ has some great bluesy licks on it and highlights one of the band’s true strengths, which (to me at least) is the vocal melody and the structures of them. There is knowledge and skill in such efforts to create memorable sing-along songs. ‘You And I’, the single that was released way back in the first quarter of 2024 has a strong Graveyard vibe on it. I found the small yet mighty harmonica appearance to be exciting and unexpected. The energetic track is catchy with potent vocal deliveries and displays some amazing drumming, some of the best on the album.

As the promo stated, the B-side of the album is a ‘heavier’ or ‘moodier’ Kryptograf, I would add ‘doomier’ to that assessment. Though not a drastic change, there is a mood shift into darker territory compared to that of the first half of ‘Kryptonomicon’ with more of a doom focus musically and desolate themes lyrically. Fans of the band will recognize this as the opposite side of the same coin. It is after all, Kryptograf! ‘From Below’ directs us downward into the abyss. There’s a tense feeling in the air, a sense of uneasiness, the urgency to escape. If not from the depths, from life itself. Stoner doom riffs and minor keys fill the winding path as ghoulish vocals assist in haunting the track. The song ‘Lost At Sea’ is filled with vocal harmonies that seize the listeners’ attention, one of the most engaging aspects of Kryptograf. I’ve always felt like they have somewhat of a nautical, across open seas, journey into the unknown sound to some of their material, even if not subject wise. Perhaps it’s just the way that Kryptograf can tell a story and convey it to the listener. ‘The Gales’ is both dreamy and nightmarish, with the bass directing the relaxed verses before a sinister middle section filled with crashing and pounding drums decimates the sleeper. Though Kryptograf are great storytellers, this uneasy portion is told through the instrumentation. Then just as all seems lost, in true Kryptograf fashion, you’re hit with a powerful vocal melody and commanding guitar solo. All is right once more.

‘Kryptonomicon’ sees the band building upon their previous two albums, taking the best sounds and approaches from them while charting new waters and continuing upon the fresh course ahead. One thing is for sure, they retain their classic sound that is undeniably Kryptograf!

(Written by Jon McGough)

Listen to the first two singles now and get psyched for the full album, releasing on March 7th through Apollon Records!



Bandcamp

Facebook

Instagram

Homepage

Kryptograf - Kryptograf ended up on Number 5 on the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown of 2020

Kryptograf - The Eldorado Spell ended up on Number 17 on the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown of 2022

Number 5

 

 

Number 5

 

Yesterday at Number 6, we found another absolute personal favorite, namely: Forming The Void. But to reach the next album on the next position we jump a bit more than hundred and fifty points! Indeed, the jumps get bigger and bigger, which perhaps might serve as a testament to the position the albums occupy. On Number 5 we find a debut album that just immediately turned everything and everyone around them on and in on their sound. The four Norwegians have found their own little filthy proto hole to curl up in and transform all the weird stuff they find into proto gold, occult love and prog addiction. With some doom influences, psychedelic touches and a lot of sixties and seventies devotion the four from Bergen give us once again an album married to all that brilliance out of the original golden age of heavy rock. Sharing vocal duties between three, the four ride out the fuzz wherever it may take them. And it will take you on such a wild and amazing adventure that you cannot help fall head over heels with this album… A classic in every sense of the word. On Number 5 we find:

Kryptograf – Kryptograf 

Bandcamp

Facebook

Apollon Records