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I think on previous tours they've got funding from the Norwegian Arts Council (or whatever it's called) for their UK gigs.
I can't imagine going from Hamburg – Utrecht via London makes them much money given the small venues they've played.
4/5 on Allmusic:
When Norway's Motorpsycho released the sprawling double-length The Tower in 2017, it was a major event. Recorded at Rancho de Luna studios in Joshua Tree with new drummer Tomas Järmyr, it swerved through progressive rock, psych, and vanguard metal riffage. By the accounts of most fans and critics, it was among the most ambitious and successful recordings in Motorpsycho's three-decade career. After a single listen, it's obvious that The Crucible, co-produced by Andrew Scheps and Deathprod, is a sequel: it begins where the last offering ended, but contains its own unique flavor and aesthetic. While only half its predecessor's length, the album is denser and more focused in all areas. Recorded in Wales and several studios in Norway — Deathprod's Audio Virus Lab among them — its three extended tracks range between eight-and-a-half and 20 minutes. Two cuts here — "Lux Aeterna" and the title track — are actually multi-part suites cutting across multiple genres, time signatures, keys, dynamics, and textures. The most prominent references in the music here are Black Sabbath, King Crimson (especially with the abundant use of Mellotrons), and Yes, with abundant nods elsewhere. Motorpsycho use these references not for the sake of cleverness but to frame new compositional architectures and musical structures. These guys aren't motivated by commercial success — they could care less if punters like it or not — they set their own rules. Opener "Psychotzar" is closest to classic "psycho rock." Its nasty bass and guitar riffs recall Sabbath and it's drenched in stoner rock, complete with Hans Magnus Ryan's two squalling guitar solos. After the second one, it downshifts into a doomy, opaque power ballad with Bent Sæther and Ryan sharing harmony vocals until it all falls into a drone. "Lux Aeterna" is the most beautiful track here. Over ten-minutes long, its labyrinthine construction is introduced by acoustic guitars, Mellotron, and vocals that recall CSN (Susanna Wallumrød guests in the three-part harmony) before a filthy overcharged bassline, crashing, rolling drums, punched-up Mellotrons, and Lars Horntveth's reeds enter regally, opening the entire tune up into a Crimson-esque jam that wouldn't have been out of place on In the Wake of Poseidon. It changes shape again for chaotic, deep prog, improvisation, and psychedelia before building to a sublime, wonderfully assonant conclusion. In many ways, the 20-minute title piece feels like a suite that bridges the previous two numbers as it contains elements of both, though it goes beyond either in reach and expression. During this long journey, Motorpsycho quotes from Crimson's "Larks Tongues in Aspic, Pt. 2," and "Red" approaches Yes' Tales from Topographic Oceans and Gentle Giant's Octopus, but it also moves through noise rock, stoner metal, European free jazz, Thin Lizzy, late Beatles, and more. It constantly changes shape and dynamic, electric and acoustic, as it moves to an opaque horizon. Easily as satisfying as The Tower, The Crucible builds on its predecessor's achievement with brilliant composition, inspired performance, and consummate musicianship. It is an excellent example of how to mine rock's past in order to discover its future.
And, of course, for all the talk of The Tower, Allmusic doesn't actually have a review up for it.
Manmower has grown on me so gradually over time that I hadn't even noticed it becoming one of my favourite songs (not just MP-favourite; but one of my top 500).
I'm also another who's come around on Demon Box. I think the first couple of times I listened to it was the old CD version via Spotify. The simple fact of boosting the overall loudness by a few decibels was a good start, but including the missing tracks makes it a much better listen overall.
It's disappointing that they're not updating the digital releases to match the vinyl versions.
That's one of the things I've found nice about the album re-releases – that they've included everything – so it's both a shame and slightly odd that they don't seem to be doing the same here.
Is this the biggest venue the band have played in the UK?
I'm thinking about the gigs I've been to – some terrible pub in Nottingham, The Borderline, The Garage – and they're all quite a bit smaller than 800 capacity. I have missed a couple, mind you, so I might be wrong.
I have a feeling that even their last couple of UK dates have been with the support of the Norwegian Ministry of Culture, so I guess cross your fingers that the Sovereign Wealth Fund continues to perform reasonably well.
The first couple of times I listened to Running With Scissors, I couldn't quite work out what it reminded me of.
Then I remembered: Abendspaziergang.
It's far from a perfect match, but it's just got that sort of bounce and theme to it.
[edit] Actually, KR-3 just popped up on Shuffle and there's a bit of that in there as well.
On first listen, I definitely like the new album.
'Ratcatcher', though, I'm really unsure on. It's interesting that they cover an Arthur Lee song on the album, because while I was listening to 'Ratcatcher' and that guitar duet, all I could think of was this burn Lee made on Brian MacLean during the Forever Changes sessions (you can hear it on the Tracking Highlights version of 'Your Mind And We Belong Together' on the re-release):
"I don't understand your trip, man.
You stay in one range of the guitar throughout the whole thing, man.
'Cos you know, you the one who says you can blow in the studio, man.
Nobody to bug you.
You gotta blow, man."
On another upnote, El Doom is a funny guy.
Gotta agree about the sound, though. It was crap throughout. The vocals were far too low and Kenneth's drums were almost deafening in the first half. It seemed like they dialled it down a bit towards the end, but overall the mix was just really murky and it seemed to be completely random whether it'd be Snah or Stale that would come through the murk at any given time.
Ordered a couple of tickets for the London gig.
I'm listening to the new album at the moment for the first time – at low volume – but it sounds terrific. I'm looking forward to hearing it all an appropriate volume and seeing the band play it live.
It'd be great if I could persuade a friend to come along as well, but history suggests that's unlikely.
Being a bit of an amateur when it comes to Norwegian music (MP aside I have Quiet Is The New Loud, On Your Side and Serena Maneesh from the list so far), I spent a few pounds on Warszawa and it's pretty awesome.
I'm actually looking forward to what's in the Top 20 simply so I can find some more albums to get.
The autotuning on Wishing Well is even more stupid since Bent's vocals sound pretty good to me on that clip.
I've been working through my MP3s, making playlists of every artist I have 5 albums or more from. A slow process, but I finally got around to MP.
My rules for these playlists are basically: No more than 2 songs from each album (3 from a double or 1 song from an EP); songs from the same album shouldn't be consecutive on the playlist; it should sound like a well-sequenced album.
So it doesn't exactly fit the rest of the thread in terms of rules… still, this is what I've come up with:
– The Other Fool
– The Nerve Tattoo
– Have Fun
– President Block
– Kill Some Day
– Another Ugly Song
– In The Family
– Beautiful Sister
– That Ol' White Line
– B.S.
– Uberwagner or a Billion Bubbles In My Mind
– Lighthouse Girl
– The House At Pooneil Corners
– Demon Box
– The Sailboat Song
– Wishing Well
– September
– Pills, Powders and Passion Plays* (Fishtank)
– Stained Glass
– Hyena
– Dr Hoffmann's Bicycle
– Grindstone* (Roadworks II)
– She Left On The Sun Ship* (personal edit)
– Radiance Freq.
– Custer's Last Stand (One More Daemon)
– The Slow Phaseout
– With Trixeene Through The Mirror, I Dream With Open Eyes
– S.T.G.
– Triggerman
– Starmelt/Lovelight
– Hogwash
– Junior
– Frances
– The Golden Core
– Hey, Jane
– Waiting For The One* (Tussler)
– Gullible's Travails (Pt.I-IV)
– Vortex Surfer* (Roadworks I) (May edit some of the final applause out)
– A Memory
