Agusa - En Annan Värld

 

 

Agusa - En Annan Värld
Self released / Motljud / Kommun2 - 2021
Progressive Rock
Rated: *****

The Swedish legacy of outstanding Progressive Rock bands sees no sign of abating. Fresh on the scene are Agusa, an outfit from Malmö who breathe new life into the vintage, Hammond-driven sound of the Seventies. Two epic tracks highlight the breadth of musicianship and innovation here: Opener "Sagobrus"  oozes into life on a melodic Organ/Flute combination, before the percussion kicks in, easy jazz style, slow and melancholic. As the journey unfolds, it explodes into life - Soaring, rippling guitars fired over a hotbed of bass and percussion, the Hammond glueing the whole thing together. Symphonic and strident to the last notes. Track two "Uppenbarelser" breathes in quietly on subdued guitar picking and droned atmospheres. The Hammond then takes over the lead: shimmering like a heat wave over the desert sand, echoing interplay with Flute in an almost Eastern, hypnotic way, evolving into a strange amalgamation of lead guitar, percussion and Jew's Harp, then a bassline organ snakes in, changing the feel and the intensity. The Scandinavian penchant for melody is imprinted on both of these excellent tracks, evoking memories of Janus, Anglagard, Opeth and Tabula Rasa respectively. Agusa creates intricate, epic and full-flowing dynamism, top-notch musicianship and complete flair for the genre. Any fan of Progressive Rock will fail to find fault. Outstanding!

(Written by Reek of STOOM)

Bandcamp

Facebook

Motljud

Nepal Death – Nepal Death

 

 

Nepal Death – Nepal Death
Kommun2 – 2021
Rock, Psych
Rated: ***

The magic bus is waiting indeed! The debut self-titled album Nepal Death starts out with a psychedelic bang and absolute wild ride on a track called The Hippie Trail. ‘Charles Manson and Anton LaVey teaming up with a band of fake Hare Krishna cult members speeding towards Kathmandu in a run-down VW bus along the dusty Hippie Trail in 1966. That may give you the idea what this is all about.’ Well, exactly! The five from Sweden have taken a heavy dose of mescaline, implored the aid on a few tracks of fellow psych rock artists Yuri Gagarin, Agusa, Coph Nia and Rymdstyrelsen and turned the whole thing into one giant smoke filled ritualistic orgy. The band was founded by Tobias Pettersson, and I guess we keep waiting to see him and his band of pranksters grin and look sane for a moment, but they never do. So, when the realization comes that they are in it for the long haul, we arrive at the conclusion, understandable if ill-advised, that all bets are off. Why hold back? What’s the worst that can happen? Better join in, take a dose of whatever carnival drug these cats are on and parade through the circus ring with them! Soon you will be on your knees worshipping the eastern inspired psychedelic sounds emanating from the speakers and reliving some weird and twisted nights that might not even have happened. Mangled bodies tell no tales! And now I feel the sun coming out from behind the clouds and I feel like taking off my shirt, pour beer over my fat belly to facilitate the tanning process and I feel like reciting impromptu, five-hundred-stanza-long poems now. It’s time.

(Written by JK)

Bandcamp

Youtube

Facebook

Instagram