QOPH

I'm not sure if this Swedish band is still in existence after releasing that compilation album in 2014 of rare and unreleased tracks which almost feels like they are putting a bow on this project. Nothing since but before that they released three proper studio albums starting in 1998 with that SAMMLA styled album. Zany and difficult like the album cover. In 2004 they released "Pyrola" which is where I got on board early in my prog experience. It was that ANEKDOTEN connection as Niklaus Barker added mellotron on that album. "Pyrola" is more retro and less avant when compared to the debut.

In the 90's QOPH played in festivals along side ANEKDOTEN and the like and they clearly impressed their fellow musicians with their energetic and at times difficult music played flawlessly. So on album number two "Pyrola" they get some guests gladly helping out like Barker, Simon Steensland, Joakim Svalberg from OPETH and Mats Oberg from MATS/MORGAN. Then after a long period between albums we get the one I'm reviewing from 2012. "Freaks" is a melodic and fairly heavy album with a new singer with vocals in English.

Probably the least prog of the three but this is such an enjoyable record for me. I just like it. By the way the core trio of bass, drums and guitar have been together since the debut with the rest of the lineup changing plus we get some guest along the way as I've mentioned. Here we get guest sax on two tracks and I wish he was on more of these songs, I like his style. My top three include the opener "Hearts & Sorrows" opening with some guitar feedback then this heavy groove kicks in and here we go! Powerful vocals as well and check out that guitar. We're getting attitude in spades here. Vocals and guitar trade off after 3 minutes but not as impressive as Jagger and Young at Sarstock outside of Toronto in 2003. Guitar solo after 4 minutes as well. Great way to start.

Top track number two is "Ride" with that bluesy vibe with again lots of attitude and heaviness. We get sax here and I love the chorus. The title track is my final top three. Relaxed and trippy early and I love the tone of the guitar. It's building and I have to mention the drumming after 3 minutes. Such a cool tune. A solid 4 stars but beware, fairly straight forward at times. This is just great music regardless.

I discovered ANEKDOTEN really early on after finding out about this hidden world of progressive rock, and I fell for them and so naturally started looking for similar bands. That led me to this band QOPH and their second album "Pyrola" from 2004. It featured Nicklas Barker from ANEKDOTEN playing mellotron along with Simon Steensland and Mats Oberg from MATS/MORGAN also guesting. Great album by the way with english vocals from these Swedes.

This record I'm reviewing today is their debut from 1998 and the music is completely different from their second one that I have. The album cover is a hint with that zany looking jester as we get vocals that are quite aggressive and in swedish making them a little hard to take. There's silliness and theatrics with his singing here as well as they drift into avant territories at times. They also play quite a bit of bluesy music where the vocals are usually rough sounding, again not my thing. It's just so interesting to know that the album to follow this is more retro and warm, more to my tastes for sure.

Now the instrumental work on this record is outstanding, so impressive which you really want when your playing some complex stuff. An adventerous record for sure and that's what makes rating this hard because looking at it as more of an avant recording I can consider 4 stars for what it is but in the end either way I just don't get enough out of this to go that high with my rating. This is one of those albums that makes me wish I rated more objectively but that's not happening so 3 stars it is. Hey if it's an instrumental album maybe?

Those vocals are pretty much shouting on that opener and there's some silliness too. Nice finish with the guitar though. Guest sax on that second track which is one of the better tunes. I like the depth of this one. Third track is a turn off with that reggae vibe and those aggressive vocals. Track four is right up there after starting out not so great. I like the drumming 3 minutes in and it finishes strong. Blues is the word for tracks five and eight. Track six is hit and miss but how about the first 6 minutes of track seven, best song on here.

Way too many negatives to go 4 stars here despite the obvious talent.

This isn't my first experience with this Swedish band as I've reviewed their 2004 release called "Pyrola" which I felt at the time was a low 4 stars. This EP was released in 2000 and features three tracks and 19 minutes worth of music. I found it interesting that their latest release from 2014 is a compilation album of rare and unreleased tracks including the final two tracks on this EP. Heck even the title of that compilation is called "Glancing Madly Backwards" which is the English title of the second song on this EP called "Dansar Galet Bakat", and to go further that track is a cover of the CAPTAIN BEYOND song.

The first two songs don't do much for me to be honest. "An Lyser Manen" has a nice heavy sound as vocal melodies arrive quickly them Swedish vocals. Suddenly it turns into a Reggae groove as the vocals continue. Vocal melodies are back before 2 minutes as themes are repeated.

"Dansar Galet Bakat" has kind of a STRAY CATS vibe which I really don't like. Thankfully it turns into a rocker as Swedish vocals continue.

"Ogenblick" is what makes this EP worth getting. A 10 1/2 minute track that opens with a fairly heavy groove but slower paced as the vocals join in. It picks up before 1 1/2 minutes. I like the bass, keys and drums as it slows back down just before 2 minutes. Vocals are back and man I like the sound here. So good! Themes are repeated over the 10 1/2 minutes. A keeper!

It was interesting to hear something from earlier in their careers but this really is not essential at all. In hindsight I would grab the latest compilation album instead.

Swedish band QOPH have been around in one shape or another for just about 20 years at this stage, with four full length albums to their name as well as a couple of EPs. "Glancing Madly Backwards" is their most recent one, and was released in 2014 through Swedish label Transubstans Records.

For a band with such a small catalog, relatively speaking, it is a curious move for them to release an album that apparently consists of odds, ends and various tidbits, and that they date back quite a few years as well is another curious aspect of this production. Then again, I don't really know how large this band is in terms of fan interest, so there may well have been a demand for a production of this kind, generally speaking. Then again, when listening through this production it also becomes crystal clear that the material here is more than good enough to warrant an official release, and the sheer variety at hand makes it difficult to envision this album released in a different manner. The ten compositions does cover a fair bit of different stylistic ground, as well as a few different approaches. As such, releasing this one as a new studio album would have been a bewildering experience.

I mention this early on as albums of this kind tends to be regarded as fan service constellations by many in the buying audience. When taking a look at the cover art and seeing the description that this is a collection of material that dates back to the period 1994 to 2004, quite a few would, sadly, disregard this one as an album they can safely be without. Which would be to their loss.

We're basically treated to three different kinds of song here. On one hand we have the shorter, pacier and energetic tracks, with a foundation somewhere in between blues based hard rock and stoner rock, with driving bass and dark guitar riffs as core elements, with a distinct blues-oriented sound. All of them to a lesser or greater degree given additional flavoring by way of psychedelic touches from the guitar, some jazz-tinged details appears here and there, and in the case of the brilliant Anticipations some more or less subtle avant touches and Frippian touches are brought to the table as well.

The second aspect of this production is pretty much summarized by the concluding tracks 'gonblick and F'rf'rande R'dsla, epic length creations that hone in on progressive rock to a much greater extent by way of stylistic changes and alterations, multiple and recurring themes, and with some touches from folk music added to a stylistic palette that still incorporate details from jazz, psychedelic rock, blues, vintage hard rock and with a touch of vintage stoner rock here and there as topping. Progressive rock by way of variation and structural complexity if you like, with a distinct 70's sound to it.

The last aspect of this album are best exemplified by the relatively short Herr Qophs Villfarelser and the massive, 18 minute long Kalejdoskopiska Aktiviteter. Both of them are comparable to the more complex progressive rock type of creations mentioned in the previous paragraph, but an added detail to both of these creations is a stronger feeling of improvisation. If they actually are improvised or merely performed to come across as such I don't know, but both of these compositions comes across as looser and less defined throughout, in a manner that at least for me indicates a stronger improvisational spirit applied in the creation of these pieces.

The most important aspect of this album is that it's an entertaining one however. All of the songs comes across as accomplished, well developed and well performed creations, maintaining tension and interest quite easily indeed. An album that should have a fairly broad appeal to my mind, and especially amongst those with a strong affection for early 70's classic, blues based rock alongside an interest an interest in progressive rock of the same era. In addition, I'd say that those fond of early 70's hard, psychedelic rock should also take note of this album.

Swedish band QOPH was formed in the mid 90's, and released one album back in 1998 (Kalejdoskopiska Aktiviteter) and a second in 2004 (Pyrola) before they appears to have hit a spell of inactivity. Come 2012 and Qoph returns again with their third full length studio album, "Freaks", which was released on Swedish label Transubstans Records.

The main basis for the majority of the material at hand this time around appears to revolve around a solid rhythm foundation and strong, distinct vocals. Compelling drum patterns and a mostly dark-toned, somewhat peculiar bass guitar sound that often crafts a distinct underlying atmosphere throughout. With strong, melodic vocals on top as a key feature. Then there's the guitars of course. Sometimes dark-toned and aggressive in a rather Tony Iommi inspired manner, sometimes light in tone and gentler in expression but most of all with a clear and distinct emphasis on distorted delivery in a psychedelic drenched manner whether we're treated to gentler licks, harder riffs or guitar solo excursions. Not psychedelic through and through, but you're never far away from the psych-drenched guitars on this album, that's for sure. And perhaps somewhat peculiar, we're also treated to a few occasional nods in the direction of jazzrock. Not in an overly manner, but more on a subtle level.

With a few detours here and there this is a solid album, although the final two pieces to my ears is somewhat of a downwards slide. The blend of energetic classic rock and lazier, jazzoriented movements on Remedy doesn't really work out for me, and while the initial movements of the following The Devil Rides Out are compelling in a light psychedelic meets jazz kinda manner, the darker toned, almost avant foundation of the main part of this song never really struck home with me.

Those two exceptions aside "Freaks" is an enjoyable romp through a psychedelic laced classic and progressive rock universe, with nods in the direction of artists as different as The Doors, The Beatles and Black Sabbath to be enjoyed along the way. And comes recommended to those with a taste for psychedelic rock that enjoy a bit of variety.

QOPH plays a psychedelic brand of music and there is there is some variety here including an ANEKDOTEN feel at times. The guitarist does his Fripp imitation quite well as we get lots of angular melodies.The vocalist has a strong voice, and he sings in English. QOPH by the way is the nineteenth letter in the Hebrew alphabet. There are several guests playing a variety of instruments including moog, theremin, clavinet and percussion.There is also mellotron on a couple of tracks courtesy of Nicklas Barker from ANEKDOTEN.

Things get started with "Woodrose" and what stands out are the rolling sounds of the drums throughout.The vocals are strong and there are some flute melodies.The guitar sounds are angular. Nice. "Half Of Everything" features some brief harmonica early in the song and more later. There are more similar sounding drums and the guitar is great. I am reminded of ANEKDOTEN 5 minutes in as the bass is prominant. "Korea" is about Filip Normans trip to North Korea. So the guitar melodies are Eastern sounding. The instrumental passages are so good. The guitar reminds me of Fripp.The vocal melodies are nice but the guitar steals the show. Some mellotron waves 7 minutes in.

"Travel Candy" is an instrumental and along with "Fractions" they are the most psychedelic songs on this album. Spacey synths, psychedelic guitars, theremin, and the drumming are all fantastic. I have to mention Simon Steensland who plays theremin on "Travel Candy" because no one plays that instrument like he does. Incredible ! "Stand My Ground" is a blues flavoured song that has an ALLMAN BROTHERS feel to the guitar melodies 3 minutes in and later. Clavinet is featured as well. "Moonstripper" is a song where I find the vocals a little distracting. The mellotron after 2 minutes just goes on and on as guitar and drums play on. "Fractions" is a psychedelic tune with ethnic strings and sitar. The vocals are reserved and the song is spacey and drifting. The ending is hypnotic.

"Korea" , "Travel Candy" and "Fractions" are my favourites, while "Woodrose" and "Half Of Everything" are also good, particularly the instrumental passages.

Qoph's first album is a very strange and unique blend of Avant prog mixed with a weird psychedelic progmetal, which is not easily qualified or classed into one genre or the other, with the whole affair being slightly grunge too. The Swedish double guitar (no KB) quintet is always quite energetic, they invite a few musicians to help out on the sax and violin. Qoph took the brave step to sing in Swedish, but unlike some of the more conventional Swedish prog groups like Anglagard or Landberk (where I think it even enhances the atmospheres), it does not work quite as well, and is sometimes even a little derange-some in a few tracks, despite of the music's crazy and off-the-wall feel. And the jester on the artwork will already give you an idea of what is awaiting you once you pop the disc in your deck.

How to describe this group's sound except by drawing a wide circle around it and hope that Qoph will somehow fit somewhere inside it. Picture the Red Hot Chilli Pepper, Miriodor, a straight and non-jazz X-Legged Sally with very strong traces of Tool, with some of Plastic People Of The Universe and Jolly Joker hints and you might start to see what I'm getting at. VdGG and Crimson are among the influences you'll also hear (especially when the sax is around as it sounds like Jaxon meeting Collins and often it veers the music towards organized chaos) in the second track Ta Farval. The bass is often funky and the jumpy feel of some tracks (most noticeably in Nadir I) reminds of RHCP's ultra technical funk-rock. These guys go nuts very often and are not afraid to push the boundaries with a basic 50's RnR (the short Nadir III track) and a 60's (surf- garage-type) one at the start of the closing 14-min monster Radsla, both sufficiently modified and actualised to keep today's proghead interested & happy, and when then they end the track onto a Johnny Winter-like hard blues rock, but rest assured that the inside core of the track is definitely Tool-esque. For this writer, the highlight of the album is the psychic Herr Qophs Villfarelser track that takes you into almost the 67 Friscoland. Simply excellent!!! The whole albums slides by smoothly and it seems much shorter than it really is, which is a real quality.

This review certainly will not be one of my better one, but I must say that this music is unusual enough for me not being able to talk too well about it, even after four years of owning the album. Nevertheless, this debut album is an impressive mother, which must be at least heard once in your lifetime, even if I will not guarantee you that you will keep the album very often in your rotation once the initial discovery and acquaintance period is over