GAMLE MESTER

Wobbler's keyboard player is back with his second solo album. Lars Fredrik Frøislie's solo debut, 2023's Fire Fortellinger, was a pretty solid release. It didn't break any new ground, but I enjoyed it a fair bit. I do like Wobbler, and Frøislie's solo stuff is very much in the same vein. Gamle Mester (Eng.: Old Master) continues in the same general style, but it demonstrates some continued growth and development in his songwriting, which I like a lot.

Things fade in with an energetic, Baroque-influenced organ pattern on "Demring" ("Dawn"). Synths and flutes add some variation to the gritty organ. This is a peppy and exciting instrumental that acts as a wonderful scene-setter for the album. In quieter moments, there are some parallels to Camel. I really like that he's expanded his vocabulary a bit here. There's a certain cinematic feel to it all.

"Jakten På Det Kalydoniske Villsvin" ("The Hunt for the Calydonian Boar") prominently features harpsichord and flute. As elsewhere on this record, the atmosphere is lush and full of little flourishes that demonstrate meticulous planning.

Bass provides a lot of weight and punch throughout this album, but it's especially noticeable during the slower moments on this song. It provides a sharp sound around which Frøislie's multitude of keyboards can coalesce. This song shifts moods effectively, morphing from something high-energy to slower moments to tense and nervous passages that evoke the drama of this Greek myth.

Next comes the album's title track. A liquidus, rubbery synth and wordless vocals provide this song's main instrumental theme, and it has a grand, triumphal feel to it. After quieting down for a moment, the song builds back up, and the intensity waxes and wanes. Some twangy guitar accents lend a distinct character. This song might be a hair longer than it needs to be, but its internal structure is diverse enough that its length isn't too-too much.

"Medusas Flåte" ("Medusa's Fleet") has a lightly funky feel to it, augmented by clavinet and some deft work from the rhythm section. Camel influences are again recognizable, this time in the vocal melody. The song's instrumental midsection dips more into classic symphonic prog territory; synth and Mellotron predominate, and there's a lot of gravity, even in quieter moments. This song is also a bit longer than it really needs to be, but Frøislie's instrumental excesses are fun, at least. The mild bloat doesn't really detract from the overall experience.

The last of the major songs on the album is "De Tre Gratier" ("The Three Graces"), and right from the get-go, it feels like the record's climax. There's an urgency here which lets the listener know it's building to something big. An extended passage focusing on harpsichord and a gentler atmosphere lend some breathing room. 

Entering the final four minutes, the rest of the band joins back in, and a crunchy organ solo, supported by swooping Mellotron and fanciful flutes, push this epic to its apex. This passage bounces between being sprightly and folk-tinged to being (relatively) straightforward hard-rock retro-style prog, but it all gels.

Things wrap up with "Skumring" ("Dusk"), a piano-forward piece which delicately revisits themes from the album.

Gamle Mester is a very strong follow-up to Frøislie's debut record. It shows a greater diversity of songwriting, as well as a continued refinement of his craft. While certainly firmly in the vein of classic acts (primarily Yes), Frøislie manages to imbue these songs with a unique character and spirit.

Review originally published here: theeliteextremophile.com/2025/07/21/album-review-lars-fredrik-froislie-gamle-mester/

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