6

They say that the most exciting place to be (for the prog scene) these days is Norway. Our first Norweigan release of the year is a Norweigan jazz fusion trio entitled Krokofant. This is, as the title states, their sixth album, but their first since Krokofant 3 billed as a trio (their last two releases were as a five-piece).

"Harry Davidson" starts the record off; immediately, I notice not only great saxophone and guitar work, but also a punch that permeates most of the record. As five out of the six tracks have great guitar solos, I will not mention them any further, but they are all killer. A favorite on the album is in the "sophomore slot"? "Triple Dad" (what kind of title is that?)?which starts off with a traditional jazz intro, albeit on electric instruments, before going full on fusion. There is a great sax solo and very intricate drumming on this track. "Oh My Cod" is a frantic tune (both of the "side closers" are) with a cool atmospheric middle section before returning to the original tune for the ending.

"Country Doom" opens up the second half with a catchy bass line. Perhaps it runs a bit too long, but it's still one of my favorites. "The Ballade" is the only moderately slow cut on here, and it's also the most atmospheric, with spacey synth sounds throughout the track. The closer, "Pretentious Woman", has my favorite tune of any track on the album; the solos are a bit on the lighter side compared to some of the other tracks, but it makes the return of the tune even more enjoyable.

This is a fusion album, but the prog rock influence is clear. I hear a lot of Canterbury prog in this, particularly early Soft Machine, and I also hear lots of Coltrane and other classic jazz in this record as well. If Krokofant 6 is any indicator, I think we're in for a good 2025 (for fusion).

Norwegian jazz-rock trio Krokofant are not only back with their sixth album, but they have returned to the trio of Tom Hasslan (guitars), Axel Skalstad (drums) and Jørgen Mathisen (saxophone) following on from two albums where they expanded the line-up with the addition of organist Ståle Storløkken and bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten. The first thing ones notices when playing this is that this is very much an album out of time, feeling as if it is coming to us straight from the Seventies with a very high influence from both Soft Machine and King Crimson while Mathisen obviously loves his Coltrane, and the band themselves say this is for fans of Mahavishnu Orchestra, Bushman's Revenge, Elephant9, Red Kite and Kanaan, and any album which references John McLaughlin is going to make me sit up and take notice.

I have often said that a trio is my favourite band format as there is absolutely nowhere to hide, yet it must be said this also sounds like a quartet, given the importance of bass and some Organ. Putting that to one side and wondering just how they replicate it as a trio, this is one heck of an introduction to Krokofant, who are new to me. It is dynamic, powerful, tight as can be imagined, and while there are a few moments which sound as if the band are having a jam, there is plenty more which has obviously been deeply rehearsed given the way the different musicians are locked in for the runs. There is something special about those who have worked together for so long that they have a sixth sense about what they want to achieve and trust everyone implicitly and that is definitely what we have here.

When they wish they can be raw and powering, using distortion as a friend, at others very clean indeed, and Skalstad never stops working, creating a battery of sounds for either Hasslan or Mathisen to bounce against. There is a huge depth to the sound which makes me wish I was playing this on vinyl as opposed to digitally as this is music designed for the richer format. It is jazz inspired progressive rock which has been thrown back fifty years and is all the better for it. All power to Is it Jazz? Records as this is a great album and I look forward to discovering their others.