LIGAMENT

"Ligament" is the sixth full-length studio album by Swedish alternative/progressive rock act Paatos. The album was released through Timeloss Records in April 2025. It´s the successor to "V" from 2012, so it´s been 13 long years since we´ve last heard to Paatos and personally I thought they had called it quits. Especially considering that "V" was half new original tracks and half re-arranged versions of older material. It spelled the end for Paatos, but I´m glad to be proven wrong.

Rising from the ashes of progressive rock act Landberk (and also featuring members of Agg) in 2000, who released a couple of solid Swedish progressive rock albums in the early- to mid-1990s, Paatos have released quite a few interesting releases through the years featuring influences from musical genres like progressive rock, jazz/fusion, trip-hop, and alternative rock/hard rock. They are not a high profile act (at least in terms of mainstream success), but they have consistently released good quality material throughout their career.

Stylistically "Ligament" is pretty much the melting pot of all the genres mentioned above and it´s like Paatos never went away. They still produce a melancholic atmosphere with organich (and sometimes busy) drum and bass work, beautiful dark guitar melodies, atmosphere enhancing keyboards/orchestration, and Petronella Nettermalm´s strong voice in front. One of the great strengths of Paatos music is that they never become too nice and polished. This is melodic vers/chorus structured music and you can sing along to the choruses, but Paatos always add a sense of unease and a layer of unpredictability to the songs, which keep the listener on his/her toes and make the songs interesting to return to.

To springle a bit of stardust on your album isn´t a bad idea either and Mikael Åkerfeldt from Opeth guests on the darkly atmospheric/almost cinematic and slightly progressive/neo-folky "Beyond The Forest" singing a duet with Nettermalm. It´s great to hear Paatos exploring a sound like that, and with great success I might add. Paatos can go from performing subtle mellow songs to performing busy, almost aggessive, and hard hitting tracks like they do between tracks number three and four on the tracklist "I Deny" and "Ligament". It´s a pretty big contrast, but it´s great for the variation of the album, and Paatos pull off playing both styles with the same natural ease. I´d say there are more mellow atmospheric songs featured on the album than the busy ones, so it´s not a 50/50 dynamic. Among the highlights of the album are tracks like "Chemical Escape", "Beyond The Forest", "Last Ones Of Our Kind", and "Who Am I", but "Ligament" is a consistent release in terms of the quality of the songwriting.

The sound production has to be mentioned as "Ligament" features an organic, dynamic, and detailed sound production, which provides all instruments and vocals with room to breathe and to be heard. The many layers of the music are heard clearly in the mix, and "Ligament" overall features a high level production job. Upon conclusion "Ligament" is a good quality comeback for Paatos, and fans of the band´s earlier work can safely push the purchase button. To my ears Paatos are slightly more experimental (and maybe a bit darker too) on this album than they´ve been for a while, and that´s a strength. Not catering to a mainstream audience often brings out the best in a band, and at this point it´s obvious that Paatos aren´t expecting one of their songs to suddenly become a hit, and they therefore write exactly what they feel like writing. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

A band I will always find the time to listen to (more for the hope of hearing the magically-nuanced performances of my favorite drummer of the Naughties). After 13 years (probably focused on raising children), the band returns with a highly-creative effort that would seem to deny that any time has passed at all.

1. "Chemical Escape" (5:53) Huxflux is back! He and Ulf Ivarsson present with an impressively complex high-speed weave from the opening note to the end while Petronella's calming voice characteristically (and magically) counters from the top. Keyboards are also almost always present within the mix as well, sometimes (especially at the end) providing Petronella's only support. (8.875/10)

2. "Beyond The Forest" (5:52) an eery folkish song that feels as if the music is built around the vocals: Petronella and guest Mikael Akerfelt alternating in a duet during the verses and then the faerie-like female choir vocals in the first part of the choruses (full band choir for the second part of the chorus). Drum, bass, synth, and guitar helps drive the song (especially in the fourth minute's drum-and-bass-less instrumental passage) but, again, it feels as if the song could exist as an all vocal a cappella pagan folk song. Interesting but not as engaging as one would have hoped. (8.75/10)

3. "I Deny" (5:02) opening with a beautiful Harold Budd-like arpeggio which is gradually joined by bass, harp, synth strings, and light percussion play. Petronella doesn't enter until the 90-second mark, here singing with an unusually airy-whispery upper-register voice. Gorgeous chords and melodies! Petronella's voice gets a little more forceful for the brief "chorus" recitation of the song title. (9.125/10)

4. "Ligament" (2:09) weird little busy thing that defies categorization--except forthe fact that just about every track, instrument, voice sounds heavily-treated/processed. (4.375/5)

5. "Post War Limina" (2:23) interesting machine/robotic drone-like keyboard and bowed bass piece. (4.375/5)

6. "I'm Letting Go" (5:12) nice rolling tom play with snare hits on "The One" with Peter's droning electric guitar chords and notes and Ulf's active bass play beneath Petronella's strong (invested) vocal. The ambient guitar and/or synth sounds injected between and within the vocal lines are quite cool--as is the multi-voiced chorus near the very end. Cool, effective, and different sounding song. (9/10)

7. "Who Am I" (4:37) jazzy drums open this sounding a lot like some kind of Buddy Rich show from the 1960s or 70s while bass, guitar, and piano inject their long-sustaining minimalistic offerings here and there, providing some kind of chordal cushion for Petronella to sing over. Once again her vocal feels invested, she uses delicacy and power to equal effect--even holding some impressively-long notes with the exposition of the song title. Another song that just flies by and then evaporates as if into thin air! Masterful! (9.25/10)

8. "November" (4:26) guitar, bass, cymbals, all playing with Mark Hollis-like extreme delicacy and sparse dispersal of their offerings--which happens to be just enough for Petronella to deliver one of her signature delicate, vulnerable-yet- elegant vocals. Such impressive skill! (8.875/10)

9. "Last Ones Of Our Kind" (6:10) another solid, masterful song whose weak point, in my estimation, comes in its lyric (which is, unfortunately, lost to me). The music is unusual in its choppy flow but the consistency of this delivery makes it possible to get used to it. Not my favorite song but I cannot deny it's creative strength. (8.75/10)

10. "Svart" (3:59) an unusual song for being build over heavy (almost stark) music that is bass dominated--fully fulling out the low en--while Petronella sings in her light, airy voice over the top. It could have been better had the melodies-- both vocal and instrumental--offered more engaging "hooks" for the listener to sink its teeth into. (I've always had this feeling--especially from the music of this band--that there is something quite foreign, something quite obtuse and inaccessible in the Swedish soul that we Americans cannot ever truly fathom or understand. Paatos is definitely one of the principle bands to leave me with this feeling time after time. I'm not judging [either Swedes or Americans]: just pointing out the consistent trend of my inability to comprehend, much less "like," some of these songs--this despite my understanding and appreciation for their creativity and maturity. They remain . . . "foreign" to me!) (8.75/10)

Total time: 45:43

Wow! After 13 years this is quite an impressive "renaissance" (comeback?) The band's propensity to deliver creative, highly-nuanced and unusual music with lots of unique sound and structural experimentation is as pronounced as ever! It's as if each and every one of the band members has been working super hard each and every day since their last album/tour to improve their skills, to nurture their creativity, to develop and let mature their ideas. I love that Ricard "Huxflux" Nettermalm returns with as impressive (and jazzy) drum work as ever--and that his wife seems as inspired and fully-committed to her performances--to the music--as ever. Yes, Ms. Nettermalm's talents are all on full display: her exquisite skills as honed as ever.

B/four stars; an excellent addition of unusual, often-experimental prog from a highly-skilled ensemble working at the absolute peak of their creative powers.

As I begin to write this review, it is still light outside the windows. The "day shift" is still ongoing. People are still bustling about, taking advantage of the improving, warmer weather. You can see the first leaves on the trees, tulip-like flowers are blooming somewhere there, and the neighbors are wondering whether it is time to start gardening or whether it is too early. After all, "winter" may come, because "darkness" may come. External life begins to balance along the border between day and dark, moving towards "light," bright mornings and the evening grayness that sets in later and later. And internal life?? It seems to be gaining momentum after the long, cold, and sometimes snowy months. The winter barrier of grayness, melancholy, and sadness is breaking through more and more. An annually renewable new life is beginning. The exit from the darkness of winter and turning one's face towards the sunny warmth is beginning. The time of thaw from the darkness of short days is beginning.

And at that moment, after a thirteen-year break, we get a new album by the Paatos group entitled "Ligament". This is the sixth album in the portfolio of this band, which, existing since 2000, describes its musical work as: "(...) Cinematic rock with influences of heavy rock, jazz & electronic grooves". However, compared to their previous albums (e.g. "Timeloss" and "Kallocain"), we get a dark release, full of syncopated rhythms, melodies that are half gothic, half arabesque. The next compositions are full of gigantic bass lines and the very experimental voice of Petronella Nettermalm transmitted through a megaphone. The album does not lack what the band has already accustomed us to: a captivating atmosphere, refined electronic textures and organic rhythms. However, the special feature of this release is the rampant sadness, darkness, anxiety and the aforementioned emphasis on experimental creativity.

Ricard Huxflux Nettermalm ? the drummer of the band ? in one of the interviews cites the time we live in as the reason for this state of affairs, which is full of anxiety, instability and fear: "(...) Yes, there is a lot of anxiety in the world right now (...) Both lyrically and musically, Ligament reflects the anxiety that seemed obvious to convey". It is also worth mentioning here that some of the songs were recorded live without any editing - "(...) Some of the songs were recorded entirely live, which is why we were extremely sparing in using the "copy-paste" techniques (i.e. we limited editing to a minimum) in order to offer listeners the most honest and lively musical journey possible. A lot of the music we hear today is too processed and arranged, and its life cycle is very short. We have to breathe life into it, introduce some typography, otherwise we will get bored with it too quickly. I think we just wanted to get back to something organic." Maybe that's why you can hear some understatement in them, some positive awkwardness and? sincerity.

The very first composition on this album, which seems inappropriate for the current season, "Chemical Escape" is a perfect example of this. It is an incredible trip-hop journey with psychedelic-hallucinogenic accents, supported by Ulf Rockis Ivarsson's hypnotic bass line and nervous drum rhythm. Against such a background, Petronella's voice is delicate, almost weightless, balancing the instrumental tension. The aforementioned "sincerity" meets in the following songs with an introspective journey into the interior of one's own "self".

The slow, disturbing track "Who Am I" with its very restrained vocal line evokes the mood of David Bowie. "Svart" introduces a strong charge of internal anxiety and fear, sounding like the voice of someone calling for help in a situation of being abandoned. If, while listening to this composition, you think of one of the most important vocal and musical experimenters, Björk, then this association is completely acceptable. It is Björk and? Kate Bush that seem to be the closest associations that can be heard in Petronella Nettermalm's vocals.

The association with Björk's voice can also be heard in the song "I Deny", which mixes the gentleness of the musical line with the incredible timbre of the vocal line, making the whole thing sound like a breath of saving brightness in the heart of darkness. There is also no shortage of melancholy and mood on the album.

"Beyond The Forest" is such a very emotional and melancholic composition at the same time, the mood of which is built by the cello line performed by Petronella. An important "addition" here is also the singing of Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth), who in a duet with Petronella creates an incredible atmosphere of some kind of joy through proverbial tears in the middle part of the song.

The bass line and trip-hop vocals build the composition "I'm Letting Go" by drawing the listener into the world of a percussion-driven journey. As a result of this "mixing", we get a seemingly melodic composition, which however irritates and every now and then throws you out of listening and some contemplation.

The only description that comes to my mind while listening to the song "November" is "spectacular". This composition is one over four-minute musical passage with gentle melancholy that breaks through the moody haziness. And the unsettling vocals, seemingly gentle, innocent, yet full of absorbing melancholy and breaking through sadness, are intriguing, order you to listen and do not allow for a moment of pause.

"Can You see it? The sick pallor of reflection in Your mirror You still smell it The rotten stench of Your own bitterness Now You don´t even feel anymore Believe anymore And all my dreams were dust, after all... Unjust after all..."

This is a fragment of the lyrics of the title composition from the album ? "Ligament". This composition is the most experimental part of the album. Petronella's vocals processed by a megaphone on the one hand reject, and on the other hand create an atmosphere of total confusion of everything with everything. A mix of fear, chaos, total improvisation, almost punk chaos and synthesizer sounds. And as if to counterbalance, there is an instrumental, very short piece entitled "Post War Limina", which, through its simplicity of arrangement, is a quieting of the previous "musical mess". It is a break between the world of fear and chaos, and the world of harmony and mood.

It is impossible to describe this album in a traditional way. It is impossible to summarize it, it is impossible to "pull out" all the inspirations and associations from it. Without a doubt, it is a perfectly realized album, showing a huge palette of moods and colors. It is similar with the musical inspirations that can be heard. Definitely Björk, Kate Bush, David Bovie. Definitely... a number of other artists and musical styles. However, all of this is processed in a way worthy of attention by Paatos, who returns with a proverbial shield after years of absence. And returning to external and internal life, I must say that this is not a "spring" album. With its melancholy, subcutaneous anxiety, predatory mixed with sadness and gentleness, it stands in complete opposition to the brightness, life born in spring, to bright mornings and long days. Finally, to the ordinary, down-to-earth joy of every moment, of every moment. But at the same time it is a necessary "supplement" to this nascent, unbridled joy. Its yang element, because its ying element... just look out the window... a new day has dawned and things will happen, oh yes they will...

As I finish writing this review it is still light, almost warm, no clouds. And I am very happy about that because I have finished listening to one of the most atmospheric albums of this year and now I am going out into the sun.

Paatos's 7th album, finally, continues with cinematic atmospheres bathed in melancholy, where his voice complements the Crimsonian sound.

"Chemical Escape" begins with a noisy trip-hop stroboscopic foundation, boosted by the invasive bass and Petronella's languid vocals. A syncopated electric tune with an atmospheric Crimsonian feel. "Beyond the Forest" follows with this mysterious track, a duet of Petronella and Mikael from OPETH on a melancholic tune, a depressive MEER with folk instruments such as the cello amplifying the progressive side, a marshmallow-laced LANDBERK of yesteryear. The staccato drum drift magnifies the captivating, nostalgic Scandinavian atmosphere; the vocals return, syrupy, divine. "I Deny" has a Floydian atmosphere, psychedelic with a Greek mandolin, the vocals on BJÖRK, disconcerting. A contemplative piece apart from rock, oozing emotion with the trumpet in the distance, a spark emerging from the darkness. "Ligament" arrives, enraged, vocoded vocals (?), enraged in any case; a sonic maelstrom between electric, frenzy, jazzy, and psychedelia, looking to the East. The sensation of a monolithic, viscous Frippian aggression. "Post War Limina" for its extreme counterpart, a latent, anxiety-inducing sound; a dazed, dark, mysterious air, a feeling of imminent war?

"I'm Letting Go" on the old-fashioned organ, close your eyes, the great KING CRIMSON is before you. Petronella captivates this track, surfing on the progressive trip hop movement, on the works of The Gathering. The warm and plaintive guitar solo with the final choruses is astounding. "Who Am I" is an introspective, meditative tune, with dark bass and Mike's flowing piano, Petronella tearing out words. An ode to BOWIE, a grating, strange tune, on PORTISHEAD. "November" is a jazzy night bar tune, the one where the rain invites itself on the way back. Primary harmonics with melancholic instruments, with a jazzy beat that gives goosebumps: a captivating, languid sweetness. "Last Ones of Our Kind" is a long, stroboscopic, lunar track, with the syncopated beat of the pad alternating with the haunting vocal. The compulsive search for sound and the heavy bass with its swirling instruments give the proven psychedelic impression. The final rise plays with standard atmospheres by offering a laconic spell. "Svart" arrives, darker, a grating funeral march on the vocal flirting with BJÖRK; Disturbing shouted notes remind me of ART ZOYD's gloomy atmospheres, reminiscent of the works of KING CRIMSON during his "red" period.

PAATOS recorded live, amplifying the primal atmospheres. A unique, brutal, animal world, juggling between trip hop, jazz, electro, and restrained improvisation. A raw, distressing sound symbolizing a world adrift, a deep and delicate intimate album. (3.75)