Label: Karisma Records
Viewing posts
1-5 out of
5
6
For anyone who hasn't heard of Stavanger quartet Vaiping, the album title should at least give the genre away. In keeping with the tradition of the industrial movement this whole work just oozes odd. It's like a mix of Kraftwerk and Die Krupps, only without the innovation or variation of either. That said, "Industrial workers of the world unite" does have some inspired moments and some of the passages are incredibly well constructed and memorable. That the vast majority of the album runs on a slow-to-mid tempo is a two-sided coin of sorts. Firstly, that tempo serves to initiate a hypnotic feeling that staves off any real desire to switch off when boredom threatens to set in. On the other hand, the repetition does induce a certain apathy toward the album as a whole and this tends to overshadow the fact that the overall dismal feel here is quite unique and disturbing. Closing track "Pie in the sky" is a welcome surprise that pricks up tired ears and it's more of this type of variation throughout the album that would have made it killer. There's something captivating about the overall dark image that Vaiping convey but that doesn't mean that "Industrial workers of the world unite" is an essential purchase. The key word here is "potential".
- John Norby
8
Heaps upon heaps of mellotron combined with heavy prog rock guitars and emotional vocals ensure that this debut by the Norwegian six piece is firmly ensconced in the retro catalogue. This is proggy folk rock at its most haunting and with an eerie cinematic feel in its instrumental passages that would sit well in any psychological horror. The "out in nature" aspect of this album with its extensive use of field recordings works in places but fails in others -- such as in the pot-of-boiling-potatoes of "In the woods". A lot of the music itself is quite reminiscent of the likes of fellow countrymen Arcturus or Enslaved with the heavier guitar parts very like the stoned tree-hugging brother of the former's "Sideshow symphonies". To hear that style in such a different setting is refreshing for someone who is familiar with any of Arcturus' material and, likewise, prog fans who enjoy "In the mist of morning" could do worse than check out "Sideshow...". The only problem is that once the comparison is in there, that's all you can hear. On the whole, however, this is one stormer of a debut that stands up well alongside classic releases from the famed Swedish bands of yesteryear such as Anekdoten and Änglagård.
- John Norby
4
This is moody rock from Norway with a strong resemblance to The Auteurs, which makes perfect sense considering that much of this material was similarly recorded during that band's heyday in the late 90s. "Watching from a distance" collects Lonely Crowd's three early EPs and seamlessly tacks on two new tracks to pave the way for the band's re-emergence. As such, the sound is a tad dated, though not enough to stir up discontent. Nostalgia is a bitch. But really, why bother? Even at their best, Lonely Crowd are also-rans, not a lost gem. Vocalist Stig Jakobsen has a decent melodic and understated delivery, but he has neither the deadpan menace nor the charisma of Autuers mainman Luke Haines. Lonely Crowd simply pales in comparison. Yes, there are a few worthwhile tracks to be found here, but the new material is not amongst them and that does not bode well. Perhaps the promised forthcoming album will make me eat my words, but I'm not optimistic.
- Avi Roig
8
Any record that starts off asking, "Would you trade a dysfunctional kidney for a broken heart?" has my immediate attention. As far as opening tracks go, Herr Nilsson put an inspiring foot forwards with "Camera for an eye", a tune whose competence and peculiar drive brings "Downhill thrill" completely alive and kick-starts its strange exploration. While comparable in many ways to Shout Out Louds and Figurines, and quite prone to the unusual bursts of energy that endear Laakso to their fans, Herr Nilsson are almost a distillation of everything that makes quirky Scandinavian pop so damned appealing. Title track "Downhill thrill" dances a little into Of Montreal's territory in its midsection before sealing the deal with thin guitar chords, building strings, and anthemic lyrics. It was "Huskies", though, that completely won me over, four tracks into a record I was already stirred by. "Downhill thrill" does meander into more bizarre terrain as it reaches its conclusion, quite markedly during the Beatles-esque, Consciousness Expansion-era duo "On the road again" and "Killerbee", but overall it is yet more proof that the Scandinavian music gods have smiled fondly upon 2007.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
4
Able to coalesce both fluid melodies and the crude, brutal sound that defines the industrial genre, Vaiping are a strange and interesting group. Though, while songs like "Vaiping on the rocks" and "The great polar expedition" are able to captivatingly capture this melodic industrial tone, some songs - namely "Vaiping vaiping" and "Vaiping export" - amble down almost hokey roads, reminiscent of the oddities of the 80s and 90s dance scene. Overall, Vaiping's effort is an extremely potholed affair, with the downsides easily outweighing the moments of intensity.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
Vaiping
Nordagust
Lonely Crowd
Herr Nilsson
Vaiping
