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13/15 from Musikreviews.de
Translation into English from German by DeepL:
When MOTORPSYCHO release a new album, music nerds everywhere prick up their ears, because the exceptional band that has been giving impulses to the prog scene since the mid-1980s never stands still, which is why it is impossible to predict what they will come up with next.
Even though the Norwegians have become a bit calmer in the past few years with regard to blatant breaks in style (also due to parallel projects, soundtrack work, etc.), as expected they also surprise in many places on "The All Is One", although the songs must be understood in the context of the "Gullvag Trilogy", which will be concluded with this album.
Just as the title track has a certain vintage prog and Beatles character with regard to the poppy melodic infatuation and Bent Sæther's usual nasally voice, he, multi-instrumentalist Hans Magnus Ryan and the drummer who has been part of the band since 2017, dawdle comfortably for almost nine minutes towards a sunset that seems even more perfect during 'Dreams Of Fancy'.
The two numbers are as compelling as the ironic driving force 'The Same Old Rock' (Roy Harper heard, men?). This one, just like the swinging 'The Magpie', would also lend itself to being a single because the group seems to be focusing on catchy choruses again.
Melodic motifs that one might think to know from the previous albums "The Tower" (2017) and "The Crucible" (2019) are at least not to be found superficially on "The All Is One", but that makes sense insofar as the trilogy was intended as a loose concept.
At the center of the action, however, is the five-part 'N-O-X', one of MOTORPSYCHO's masterpieces par excellence, which takes almost three-quarters of an hour to complete: Symphonic passages, sinister heavy riffs, ominously wide distortion basses and effect-loaded vocals make 'Circles Around The Sun Pt 1' an exciting introduction before 'Ouroboros' offers stoically whipping space rock; Via the interlude 'Ascension', lined with string arrangements, one reaches the dramatic climax of the album – 'Night Of Pan' spirals up to undreamt-of heights that are only reached by very few post-rock acts for over 15 minutes, even though they have more or less made it their business.
Elsewhere, too, the trio turn their noses up at the rest of the scene: The three dreamy segments 'Delusion', 'A Little Light' and 'The Dowser' strengthen the cohesion of the once again hardly countable ideas that the trio is working on, and whether or not they have dealt with the thematic foundation in more detail: The lively finale really does fit the album's hat-trick very well as the final movement.
CONCLUSION: The perfect tightrope walk between sophisticated retro prog and almost mass-market psychedelia – MOTORPSYCHO do not innovate a bit in 2020, but prefer to write exciting songs in partly epic format, which air familiar sound settings with a fresh breeze.
After listening to The All Is One Carsten Sandkämper at visions.de concludes 'Motorpsycho [are] a contender for the position of "Greatest Rock Band on the Planet"'. He'll get no argument from me :lol:
Translation into English from German by Google:
In the year of madness 2020, Motorpsycho have nothing better to do than complete their "Gullvag Trilogy" with an album that makes "The Tower" look like a little brother and "The Crucible" like their second cousin.
"The All Is One" sums up in an unusually open manner what our time is sick of: "Nobody talks anymore / The public discourse is gone / It's ugly like never before / Binary thinking has won / We're too busy killing ourselves to talk it over ". Bent Saether uses memorable statements that, taken individually, explain our world in a devastating way. They embrace the themes of The Tower , The Crucible and this album, all of which are inspired by the art of the Norwegian painter Hakan Gullvag. Motorpsycho move musicallyin their own universe of prog rock and psychedelia, in which they are still going through new developments. The stomper "The Same Old Rock (One Must Imagine Sisyphus Happy)" breathes Creedence Clearwater Revival and references his own past when Motorpsycho fans let themselves be flattened by Psychonaut for the first time . In the 60s psycho beat of "The Magpie", the trio plus guitarist Reine Fiske plays in euphoria, while "Delusion (The Reign Of Humbug)" lets Saether glide through the scenery in a maximally ethereal and entranced way. All of this is just the overture to the 40-minute suite "NOX", with which the band is jazz in the ensemble with Jagas Lars Horntveth and violinist Ola Kvernberg shakes a true jazz rock monster out of their sleeves. When "Circles Around The Sun Pt. 1" with its epic bolerosque melody tips over into a wild violin solo, Van der Graaf Generator's free spirit flashes for a short time. The directly incidental "Ouroboros" could also have occurred to Frank Zappa with its clever superimposition of rhythm and melody patterns as well as Snah's enraptured solo . "Ascension" is a brief moment of breathing, reminiscent of Yes ' Topographic Oceans , before the 15-minute "Night Of Pan" in repetitive figures and ever new overlays of colorful soundscapes and hypnotic percussion into nirvanaopens. What ends in absolute frenzy at the end of "Circles Around The Sun Pt. 2" is probably Motorpsycho's most engaging piece of music since "The Wheel" or "Un Chien D'Espace". The fact that "NOX" is followed by another section the length of the album, which contains perhaps the most beautiful piece of the album with the nine-minute "Dreams Of Fancy", speaks not only for the sequencing of "The All Is One", but also for Motorpsycho as a benchmark for Contender for the position of "Greatest Rock Band on the Planet".
Motorpsycho: I en klasse for seg
Motorpsycho går inn i et nytt tiår med nok et fabelaktig dobbeltalbum.
Eivind August Westad Stuen
VÃ¥r vurdering: 5 av 6
Motorpsycho er bandet som bare fortsetter å gi. Etter over tretti år i bransjen, et tjuetalls album og en haug med sideprosjekter, viser de fremdeles ingen tegn på å senke tempoet. Denne gangen har de laget et majestetisk dobbeltalbum med halvannen time velskrudd rock. Igjen.
Det lyder fremdeles fantastisk.
Progmestere
The All Is One er siste del av hva bandet kaller Gullvåg-trilogien. Som med foregående The Tower og The Crucible, er albumcoveret malt av kunstneren Håkon Gullvåg, og de storslåtte, progressive komposisjonene er delvis inspirert av arbeidet hans.
Det er ikke alle band som behersker progrock i 2020. Sjangerens storhetstid er snart femti år tilbake i tid, og der tjue minutter lange rockelåter inspirert av klassisk musikk og store ideer var revolusjonerende den gangen, blir mange moderne forsøk kun bleke kopier av originalene. Det som en gang var progressivt, er nå regressivt.
Motorpsycho er et hederlig unntak. Drømmende mellotron, fuzzete gitarsoloer og ville rytmeleker høres helt naturlig ut når det kommer fra denne hårete trioen. Man kan dra paralleller til proghelter som Camel, King Crimson, til og med litt Gong, men mest av alt høres trønderne ut som seg selv.
Nok en gang serverer de sammensatte komposisjoner med herlig flyt, akkurat slik vi forventer. Fremførelsen er dynamisk og gir rom for både ettertanke og headbanging. Eksempelvis følges drivende «The Magpie» elegant av den akustiske balladen «Delusion», uten at stemningsskiftet føles graverende. Man kan høre at bandet fremdeles har det gøy sammen og er villig til å leke med ideer.
emhodet monster
Mandelen i proggrøten her er femdelte «N.O.X.», som tar opp om lag 40 minutter i platens midtparti. Vel verdt tiden, selvfølgelig. Dette er en ekspansiv komposisjon som oppsummerer alle de beste kvalitetene ved Motorpsycho, for anledningen supplert av Lars Horntveth og Ola Kvernberg.
Her møter vi riff som sakte bygges opp til vegger av godlyd, rytmer som får nakken til å bevege seg i alle mulige retninger, og til og med litt fiolin som bringer Mahavishnu Orchestra-vibber. Det blir aldri feil.
Låten smyger seg fremover med gjentagende temaer og et energioverskudd som får det hele til å føles merkelig intenst, spesielt på høyt volum. Under det hele ligger suggererende rytmer som hentet fra tidlig Magma, lavmælt, men drivende. Detaljer legges gradvis til mellom boblende synther og hviskende vokal før rytmene løsner og motoriske riff tar over og gir det femhodede monsteret en rå finale.
Det lyder rett og slett sykt fett.
Fokusert dobbeltalbum
«N.O.X.» hadde i seg selv vært en fabelaktig plate, så det at vi får et knippe låter som rammer den inn, må ses som en ren bonus. De stikker kanskje ikke like dypt, men er fremdeles vel verdt tiden. Verdt å nevne er mektige «Dreams of Fancy» med saftige gitarbidrag fra Reine Fiske.
Tross lengden, er dette en fokusert utgivelse. Dobbeltalbum har en tendens til å bli litt mye av det gode (jeg ser på deg, Tales From Topographic Oceans), men trioen følger allikevel Yngwie Malmsteens klassiske credo: «More is more.». Og det fungerer. Mytologi, politikk, musikkhistorie og heftige basslinjer smeltes sammen. Der andre ville stått i fare for å bli i overkant navlebeskuende, klarer bandet å holde på spenningen.
Det har nesten blitt en klisjé å si at Motorpsycho er i en klasse for seg. Men de er jo det
Motorpsycho: In a class of its own
Motorpsycho enters a new decade with another fabulous double album.
Eivind August Westad Stuen
Our rating: 5 out of 6
Motorpsycho is the band that just keeps giving. After more than thirty years in the industry, about twenty albums and a bunch of side projects, they still show no signs of slowing down. This time they have made a majestic double album with an hour and a half of well-screwed rock. Again.
It still sounds great.
Progmestere
The All Is One is the last part of what the band calls the Gullvåg trilogy. As with the previous The Tower and The Crucible, the album cover is painted by the artist Håkon Gullvåg, and the magnificent, progressive compositions are partly inspired by his work.
Not all bands will master prog rock in 2020. The genre's heyday is almost fifty years back in time, and where twenty – minute rock songs inspired by classical music and great ideas were revolutionary at the time, many modern attempts are only pale copies of the originals. What was once progressive is now regressive.
Motorpsycho is an honorable exception. Dreamy mellotron, fuzzy guitar solos and wild rhythm toys sound completely natural when it comes to this hairy trio. You can draw parallels to prog heroes like Camel, King Crimson, even a little Gong, but most of all, the people of Trøndelag sound like themselves.
Once again, they serve composite compositions with wonderful flow, just as we expect. The performance is dynamic and allows for both reflection and headbanging. For example, the driving "The Magpie" is elegantly followed by the acoustic ballad "Delusion", without the mood change feeling serious. You can hear that the band still has fun together and is willing to play with ideas.
emhodet monster
The almond in the prog porridge here is the five-part "N.O.X.", which takes up about 40 minutes in the middle part of the plate. Well worth the time, of course. This is an expansive composition that sums up all the best qualities of Motorpsycho, for the occasion supplemented by Lars Horntveth and Ola Kvernberg.
Here we encounter riffs that slowly build up to walls of good sound, rhythms that make the neck move in all possible directions, and even a little violin that brings Mahavishnu Orchestra vibes. It never goes wrong.
The song creeps forward with recurring themes and an excess of energy that makes it all feel strangely intense, especially at high volume. Underneath it all are suggestive rhythms as taken from early Magma, low-key but driving. Details are gradually added between bubbling synths and whispering vocals before the rhythms loosen and motor riffs take over, giving the five-headed monster a raw finale.
It simply sounds like sick fat.
Focused double album
«N.O.X.» had in itself been a fabulous record, so the fact that we get a bunch of songs that frame it, must be seen as a pure bonus. They may not stick as deep, but are still well worth the time. Worth mentioning are the powerful "Dreams of Fancy" with juicy guitar contributions from Reine Fiske.
Despite the length, this is a focused release. Double albums tend to be a bit much of a good thing (I look at you, Tales From Topographic Oceans), but the trio still follows Yngwie Malmsteen's classic credo: "More is more.". And it works. Mythology, politics, music history and hefty bass lines merge. Where others would be in danger of becoming overly navel-gazing, the band manages to keep the tension.
It has almost become a cliché to say that Motorpsycho is in a class of its own. But they are.
If anyone has a subscription to Dagsavisen, could they copy the review to this thread, with a translation, please.
The headline appears to be:
"Review Motorpsycho: "The All Is One" is the crowning achievement"
Great review from Adressa in Trondheim, let’s see if it can get translated. And there’s an absolutely *lovely* photo of the guys for the article, wish there was a way to upload photos to this site!
30 år etter sin første plateinnspilling makter Motorpsycho fortsatt å fornye og revitalisere seg, ikke minst gjør de det på dette monsteret av et dobbeltalbum.
Trilogien «The Tower», «The Crucible» og nå «The All In One» er kanskje det sterkeste album-trekløveret Motorpsycho har skapt siden de var på sitt mest ustoppelige midt på 90-tallet.
Musikken er blitt til i dialog med Håkon Gullvågs malerier. Begge uttrykkene tar for seg de helt store spørsmålene, trusler mot miljøet, trusler mot demokratiske rettigheter, monopolisering, ensretning. Det er i hvert fall det inntrykket vi har. Motorpsycho har en tendens til å pakke ting inn, gjøre de mer kryptiske, åpne for personlig tolkning. Jeg kan for eksempel innbille meg at tittelen og tittelkuttet spiller på kulturell ensretning og monopolisering, Amazon & Co, men jeg vet ikke.
Det store verket på albumet, «N.O.X», hadde visstnok tittelen «The World» da det ble fremført i sin første utgave under den spektakulære konserten på Olavsfest i fjor. Men den opprinnelige tittelen indikerer en slags messe for en såret jord (som det vel faktisk er) og fremstår kanskje i overkant pretensiøs. Det mer kryptiske «N.O.X» ble valgt. Og hva står så «N.O.X» for? Muligens en kombinasjon av en forkortelse for et ganske smalt science fiction-fenomen og et nikk til den greske natteguden Nox. Men igjen: Hvem vet? Det jeg rent faktisk vet er at dette fascinerende albumet inneholder noen av deres mest streite og strukturerte låter på mange år, samtidig som det inneholder deres kanskje mest krevende stykke musikk noen gang.
Dobbeltalbumet er delt inn i tre bolker , først fem låter spilt inn i Frankrike sist september sammen med Reine Fiske, under samme studiobesøk som deres Ole Paus-samarbeid. Så kommer albumets hovedverk, 47 minutter lange «N.O.X», delt inn i fem satser og spilt inn i Ocean Sound studio på Sunnmøre. Så til slutt et knippe upretensiøse, nesten skisseaktige låter, spilt inn i bandets øvingsrom på Dora.
Det kan virke rart at «N.O.X» er plassert i midten, og at man dermed ikke bare må skifte side, men plate midt i sekvensen. Men rekkefølgen gir absolutt mening. De fire første låtene setter lytteren i stemning for filleristingen under «N.O.X», og så kan man roe nervene og puste ut til de delvis nedtonede siste fire låtene.
Tittelkuttet åpner ballet, og tar opp konkurransen med «The Tower» som den beste enkeltlåten bandet har skapt det siste tiåret. Et mektig og intelligent verk som bringer tankene til 70-tallets progrock og nesten vel så det (ja, jeg antyder symfrock). Men den er full av energi, og jeg kan knapt vente til jeg får oppleve dette live.
Etter den fine, men noe flatere og allerede singleutgitte «The Same Old Rock» får Bent sving på monsterbassingen på «Magpie», en ultratypisk Motorpsycho-låt som vi nok også vil få oppleve i mange live-variasjoner når slikt blir mulig igjen. En mektig åpningstrio som etterfølges og gjøres fullkommen av «Delusion (The Reign Of Humbug)» som er det nærmeste Motorpsycho har kommet en klassisk Greg Lake-ballade.
SÃ¥ følger massive «N.O.X» der bandet, som pÃ¥ urfremføringen, støttes av Lars Horntveth og Ola Kvernberg. De bidrar pÃ¥ synth og keyboards til en massiv sonisk vegg. Kvernbergs fiolin er bare med pÃ¥ Ã¥pningssekvensen «Circles Around The Sun», men der er den til gjengjeld en mektig pÃ¥driver til de trolske østlige stemningene som nok har gitt inspirasjonen til utgivelsens pussige promobilder. Etter den hypnotiske Ã¥pningen bukter «N.O.X» seg i de fleste retninger. Det er ytterst fascinerende, men noen stillestÃ¥ende perioder mÃ¥ pÃ¥regnes. Enkelte jÃ¥lete øyeblikk ogsÃ¥. Etter konserten i fjor sommer skrev jeg at jeg liker Motorpsycho best nÃ¥r de er nærmere Motorhead enn Wagner, og jeg gjentar det nÃ¥ – men understreker ogsÃ¥ at det ikke er ofte pompøsiteten tar overhÃ¥nd. De har den grunnleggende energien.
Et pussig særtrekk ved samlingen som helhet er at påfallende mange låter starter med klimpring på akustisk gitar. I to minutter lange «A Little Light» får Hans Magnus Ryans kassegitar hele lydbildet. Veldig fint. Men de fire løsere avslutningslåtene er ikke bare nedtonet. Lange «Dreams Of Fancy» er et dynamisk eventyr i seg selv og «Like Chrome» er et mektig punktum på et imponerende, massivt, krevende, mangslunget og utmattende album. Etter gjentatte gjennomhøringer i den siste uken gleder jeg meg til en ny runde. Men jeg tror nok jeg trenger noen dagers pause først.
Anmeldt av OLE JACOB HOEL
30 years after their first record recording, Motorpsycho still manages to renew and revitalize themselves, not least they do so on this monster of a double album.
The trilogy "The Tower", "The Crucible" and now "The All In One" are perhaps the strongest album three-leaf clover Motorpsycho has created since they were at their most unstoppable in the mid-90s.
The music has been created in dialogue with Håkon Gullvåg's paintings. Both expressions address the major issues, threats to the environment, threats to democratic rights, monopolization, unification. At least that is the impression we have. Motorpsycho tends to wrap things up, make them more cryptic, open to personal interpretation. For example, I can imagine that the title and the title cut play on cultural unification and monopolization, Amazon & Co, but I do not know.
The great work on the album, "N.O.X", was supposedly entitled "The World" when it was performed in its first edition during the spectacular concert at Olavsfest last year. But the original title indicates a kind of mass for a wounded earth (as it actually is) and may appear overly pretentious. The more cryptic "N.O.X" was chosen. And what does "N.O.X" stand for? Possibly a combination of an abbreviation for a rather narrow science fiction phenomenon and a nod to the Greek night god Nox. But again: Who knows? What I actually know is that this fascinating album contains some of their most strenuous and structured songs in many years, while at the same time containing perhaps their most demanding piece of music ever.
The double album is divided into three sections, first five songs recorded in France last September together with Reine Fiske, during the same studio visit as their Ole Paus collaboration. Then comes the album's main work, 47 minutes long «N.O.X», divided into five movements and recorded in Ocean Sound studio in Sunnmøre. Then finally a bunch of unpretentious, almost sketchy songs, recorded in the band's rehearsal room at Dora.
It may seem strange that "N.O.X" is located in the middle, and that you thus not only have to change sides, but plates in the middle of the sequence. But the order certainly makes sense. The first four songs put the listener in the mood for the ruffle during "N.O.X", and then you can calm your nerves and breathe out to the partially toned down last four songs.
The title cut opens the ball, and takes up the competition with "The Tower" as the best single song the band has created in the last decade. A powerful and intelligent work that brings to mind 70's prog rock and almost saw it (yes, I suggest symfrock). But it is full of energy, and I can hardly wait to experience this live.
After the fine, but somewhat flatter and already single-released "The Same Old Rock", Bent gets a spin on the monster bass on "Magpie", an ultraterically typical Motorpsycho song that we will probably also experience in many live variations when this becomes possible again. A powerful opening trio that is followed and perfected by "Delusion (The Reign Of Humbug)" which is the closest Motorpsycho has come to a classic Greg Lake ballad.
Then follows the massive «N.O.X» where the band, as on the premiere, is supported by Lars Horntveth and Ola Kvernberg. They contribute on synth and keyboards to a massive sonic wall. Kvernberg's violin is only part of the opening sequence "Circles Around The Sun", but there it is in return a powerful driving force for the magical eastern moods that have probably provided the inspiration for the release's funny promo images. After the hypnotic opening, "N.O.X" meanders in most directions. It is extremely fascinating, but some stagnant periods must be expected. Some jealous moments too. After the concert last summer, I wrote that I like Motorpsycho best when they are closer to Motorhead than Wagner, and I repeat it now – but also emphasize that it is not often that pomposity takes over. They have the basic energy.
A funny feature of the collection as a whole is that strikingly many songs start with strumming on acoustic guitar. In two minutes long "A Little Light", Hans Magnus Ryan's box guitar gets the whole soundscape. Very nice. But the four looser ending songs are not just toned down. Long "Dreams Of Fancy" is a dynamic adventure in itself and "Like Chrome" is a powerful sentence on an impressive, massive, demanding, diverse and exhausting album. After repeated hearings in the last week, I look forward to another round. But I think I need a few days break first.
Reviewed by OLE JACOB HOEL
Dagens Næringsliv
Tekst Audun Vinger
28. august 2020
Den massive «Gullvåg-trilogien» blir fullført med et ekspansivt dobbeltalbum fra det beste og lengstvirkende bandet innen moderne norsk eventyrrock. Det er mye musikk å prosessere her, men fans av Motorpsycho kjenner jo godt til den utfordringen.
Selve burgeren er verket «N. O. X», som varer i 42 minutter og tar lytteren med til forskjellige av erkjennelsens stadier, hjulpet av de åpne jazzmusikerne Ola Kvernberg og Lars Horntveth. Den hengslete svorske gitarhelten Reine Fiske er med på noen – i denne sammenhengen – mer konvensjonelle låter, men det sentrale er alltid å følge sammenviklingen av Bent & Snah og trommis Tomas Järmyr, og finne kjernen.
Men det ville sikkert vært like godt om Motorpsycho ikke forsøkte å overgå seg selv ambisjonsmessig igjen på neste prosjekt. De er jo minst like interessante og medrivende når de «bare speller litt.»
puls.no: http://puls.no/18023.html
Motorpsycho sprenger alle grenser Рogs̴ sine egne
Jeg er ekstremt motstander av mesterskap i musikkens verden. Men dette må være toppen i norsk rock, så langt – etter 60 år. Men vi har heldigvis mange år foran oss.
Av Arild Rønsen // 28.08.20
Motorpsycho lever i sin egen verden, og takk for det. De gir jamt faen i hva musikken kalles. Mer og mer i sin lange karriere spiller de bare sin egen musikk. Uten å skjele til verken den ene eller andre sjanger.
For Ã¥ sette det pÃ¥ spissen: I «Night of Pan» har de stjÃ¥let hele riffet fra Paul Simons «Late in the Evening» – og lenger unna Simon & Garfunkel i det musikalske uttrykket er det vel vanskelig Ã¥ komme? Det er virkelig et stykke vei Ã¥ gÃ¥ mellom Paul Simon og Motorpsycho.
«Night of Pan» ligger midt inne i en over 40 minutter lang suite kalt «N.O.X.», fordelt på hver sin side av den doble CD-utgaven. Foruten trioen som utgjør det faste bandet, er både Ola Kvernberg (fiolin) og Lars Horntvedt (keys) kreditert som låtskrivere. Jeg har trøbbel med å beskrive det musikalske innholdet – annet enn at dette bokstavelig talt er elektrisk bra!
De kaller en av låtene «The Same Old Rock». Men dette er faktisk ikke mer av det samme. Alt låter flunka nytt. Selv om de står på skuldrene av sine forfedre. Er det progrock? Ja, det er det vel. Kunne Motorpsycho lagd dette albumet, om ikke Genesis kom opp med «The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway» for 45 år siden? Neppe.
Likevel er dette noe helt annet. Motorpsycho er eksperimentelle, p̴ samme m̴te som Genesis var den gang da. Men Motorpsycho er mye mer eksperimentelle enn Peter Gabriel var anno the mid-seventies. Genesis fungerte i et musikalsk landskap der dette var legalt, v̴galt Рlikevel langt inn i det streite pop-publikumets innerste kjerne. De som likte Supertramp og 10CC, likte vanligvis ogs̴ Genesis, Yes og King Crimson.
Sånn er det ikke i dag. Det er langt mellom ungdom som liker Beyoncé, og samtidig er fan av Motorpsycho. Men kanskje er det mange som liker den avanserte pop-komponisten Sondre Lerche som også digger Motorpsycho? Jeg tror det. Jeg håper i hvert fall det.
Motorpsycho utfordrer deg som lytter. Konsekvent. Hele tida. Spør du meg, burde bandet inviteres til å spille under den offisielle åpninga når det restaurerte orgelet i Notre Dame skal innvies.
Den som går uberørt fra møtet med «The All Is One» bør ta seg en pust i bakken, og tenke – hvor står jeg egentlig hen, her i livet?
SÃ¥ bra er Motorpsycho.
6/6 in Dagbladet
Google Translation of http://puls.no/18023.html
Motorpsycho pushes all boundaries – even their own
I am extremely opposed to championships in the world of music. But this must be the top in Norwegian rock, so far – after 60 years. But fortunately we have many years ahead of us.
By Arild Rønsen // 28.08.20
Motorpsycho lives in its own world, and thank you for that. They give a damn about what the music is called. More and more in their long careers, they only play their own music. Without squinting at either genre.
To put it bluntly: in "Night of Pan" they have stolen the entire riff from Paul Simon's "Late in the Evening" – and further away from Simon & Garfunkel in the musical expression it is difficult to get? There really is a long way to go between Paul Simon and Motorpsycho.
"Night of Pan" is located in the middle of a more than 40-minute suite called "N.O.X.", distributed on each side of the double CD edition. In addition to the trio that makes up the regular band, both Ola Kvernberg (violin) and Lars Horntvedt (keys) are credited as songwriters. I have trouble describing the musical content – other than that this is literally electrically good!
They call one of the songs "The Same Old Rock". But this is actually no longer the same. Everything sounds brand new. Even if they stand on the shoulders of their ancestors. Is it progrock? Yes, that's it. Could Motorpsycho have made this album if Genesis had not come up with "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" 45 years ago? Hardly.
Yet this is something completely different. Motorpsycho are experimental, just like Genesis was then. But Motorpsycho is much more experimental than Peter Gabriel was in the mid-seventies. Genesis functioned in a musical landscape where this was legal, daring – yet far into the inner core of the straight pop audience. Those who liked Supertramp and 10CC, usually also liked Genesis, Yes and King Crimson.
That is not the case today. There is a long way between young people who like Beyoncé, and at the same time are a fan of Motorpsycho. But maybe there are many who like the advanced pop composer Sondre Lerche who also loves Motorpsycho? I think so. At least I hope so.
Motorpsycho challenges you as a listener. Consistent. All the time. If you ask me, the band should be invited to play during the official opening when the restored organ in Notre Dame is to be inaugurated.
Anyone who walks untouched from the meeting with "The All Is One" should take a deep breath and think – where do I really stand, in this life?
So good is Motorpsycho.
Translation into English from German by deepl:
Motor Psycho – The All Is One
Review
At least in their home country Norway, MOTORPSYCHO have long since achieved a certain legendary status. A top 10 chart position is guaranteed here with every new album. The state museum for the appreciation and documentation of Norway's popular musical heritage "Rockheim" now lists MOTORPSYCHO in its Hall of Fame in a row with A-HA. No, MOTORPSYCHO do not have to prove anything to anyone anymore. And that makes their continued eagerness to work while maintaining the consistently high quality of their output all the more amazing. Where other bands from much less complex subgenres have long since abandoned the good old two-year rhythm for releases, MOTORPSYCHO has something new to offer almost every year. In 2019, "The Crucible" almost reached the metal.de high score in 2019. Can "The All Is One" continue there?
"The All Is One" takes its time
Where "The Crucible" celebrated the prog in all its impudence last year with only three extra-long tracks on 40 minutes, "The All Is One" increases the tracklist, but reduces the playing time only to a limited extent. The result is a beaten one and a half hour of searching and finding between sophisticated pop music, folk, jazz and unheaded prog rapture.
"The All Is One" starts once again on the tracks of the BEATLES and melancholic pop moments of a STEVEN WILSON. Later on, gypsy strings and DYLAN moments, flutes and vocal harmonies follow, reminiscent of JETHRO TULL and, in the more threatening moments, of the folk-prog OPETH albums of the last decade (see track number five).
At MOTORPSYCHO, quantity does not come at the expense of quality
Towards the middle of the album, "All Is One" turns into a five-part prog excursion including long, cryptic titles and with the greatest possible renunciation of vocals. Masterful and completely natural, MOTORPSYCHO lured the listener from the quite accessible album entry into this hypnotic sound thicket of psychedelic pop, herb and more.
The ecstatic finale of "Circles Around The Sun Pt 2" is followed by an acoustic relaxation break with "A Little Light", which introduces the home stretch of "The All Is One". MOTORPSYCHO end the journey where it began about 90 minutes ago: At the place of perfect pop-prog harmony. This band can do almost everything. Even in the rhythm of the year.
Translation into English from German by deepl:
Motorpsycho – The All Is One
By Raphael Lukas Genovese on August 28, 2020
(84:47, 2LP, 2CD, Digital, Stickman Records / Noisolution / Soulfood, 2020)
Motorpsycho from Trondheim in Norway finish their Gullvåg trilogy with the present album "The All is One". The previous albums "The Tower" (2017) and "The Crucible" (2019) already won the award #TeapotOfTheWeek. So the expectations for part three of the saga are naturally high.
And indeed, the three Norwegians have come up with something very special for the last part of the journey. As usual, the extravagant and extremely talented artist Håkon Gullvåg was responsible for the cover design. What is inside the cover is much more than just an album. The third part of the Gullvåg trilogy "The All is One" (LP page 1 and 4) is on a double CD or double LP. It includes the colorful journey to distant galaxies "N.O.X. ∞", which fills pages 2 and 3 with about 24 minutes playing time.
Both in terms of content and sound, "N.O.X. ∞" literally stands out from the main work "The All is One". The title-giving work is determined by progressive, psychedelic and sophisticated rock music with a lot of blues and some jazz in the luggage. The inserted journey to the middle of the double album becomes a multi-instrumental excursion into fields of space rock, acid, jazz and atmospheric sound art. Completely in the sign of the infinity one moves here in circles and spirals. Accordingly, the choice of titles falls on circles that move around the sun, the snake 'Ouroboros' or loops that bite its own tail.
Surprisingly, neither compass nor GPS are needed to navigate the very stubborn constellation of styles and concepts. "The All is One" and "N.O.X. ∞" can be listened to both individually and together as a complete work. Bent Sæther (vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards, drums), Hans Magnus "Snah" Ryan (guitar, vocals, keyboards, mandolin, violin, bass) and Tomas Järmyr (drums, vocals) manage to present complex processes and structures in such a way that they delicately pamper the ear.
The trio is supported on the almost one and a half hour long piece by Ola Kvernberg (Steamdome), Lars Horntveth (Jaga Jazzist, Amgala Temple) and Reine Fiske.
What Motorpsycho have delivered here is without doubt art. Not only has the Gullvåg trilogy received an absolutely worthy conclusion with "The All is One". At the same time, the included album "N.O.X. ∞", the included album will directly start the next journey, which will not stop at infinity.
Motor Psycho stimulates each synapse individually and the whole body as a whole. Every tone, every harmony, every beat sits exactly where it belongs, to pamper the senses holistically and completely. "The All is One" manages to animate body and mind to the maximum with even the softest of tones.
Rating: 15/15 points
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