SOFT FFOG

SOFT FFOG are a four piece band out of Norway who first got together back in 2016 being commissioned to play at one of the festivals over there. They have played live sporadically since then but with all of these guys being in other bands and being part of other projects it's been hard to find the time to record an album. The leader here is guitarist Tom Hasslan composing all of this instrumental music and most known for leading KROKOFANT.

He's got KROKOFANT's drummer Axel Skalstad here along with WIZRD's keyboardist Vegard Lien Bjerkan and finally bass player Trond Frones from GRAND GENERAL. It's been pointed out that all of these guys have played with just about every Jazz musician in Norway. So Jazz based music here but like GRAND GENERAL's album this features a lot of guitar. And I'd mention KROKOFANT too minus the sax as a reference. A nice contrast of powerful music and catchy melodic sections. It's those latter passages that I don't love but still enjoy that is keeping me from going higher in my rating. I really like this record.

Should they not have called themselves HEAVY FOG? Are they trying to trick us with that band name and the album cover that would be more suitable for symphonic or pastoral music? The art work is beautiful to say the least in fact I visited Tor Einar Evju's site to check out more of his incredible art. There are pages inside of the same art that is on the cover of this strange world built a mile up it seems which freaks me out being afraid of heights. Different views as it were and sections of this amazing place. Honestly I've looked at these pictures a lot. Bravo Tor!

Four longish tracks ranging from over 7 1/2 minutes to just under 10 minutes. I'd love to hear more of the keyboardist on the next one if there is one. More balance would be appreciated as I feel like I'm being teased by them on that final track "Dhalism" which is my favourite. Just some nasty sounding keyboards on this one. The keyboardist adds some melancholic synths that I'm a huge fan of on both "Zangief" and "Ken" my second favourite track. Electric piano and organ I heard on here but they are rare. The guitar stands out and I would describe it as more of a rock style. Some good contrasts and they repeat themes on these tracks making them all well worth listening to.

Okay back to that world on the heights while I listen to this one more time. A solid 4 stars.

I had to put something in print before I review the band's new 2025 release, Focus, as I've known of this album since it was recommended to me back in 2022. Right off the bat I have to take issue with Scott Shreky' suggestion that this band sounds like a cross between the Mahavishnu Orchestra and The Mars Volta. I'm not even sure I would consider this Jazz-Rock Fusion (the category PA has assigned them) were it not for the instrumental jam structures to their music. To me this has more in common with straight rock and blues rock of the late 1960s, early 1970s, and the blues rock revival of the 1980s: Rush, Mahogany Rush, Stevie Ray Vaughn, The sound and technique of the band's dominant instrumentalist, the heavily-distorted electric guitar shredder, sounds to me more like Alex Lifeson, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Jimi Hendrix than Mahavishnu John McLaughlin. None of these musicians sound particularly virtuosic: they have some skill and speed but very little diversity and variability. Both the drummer and the guitarist, in particular, seem to be locked into one style only--and they do not "mesh" or entrain very well together. The keyboardist has talent but the exposition of his skills and diversity is diminished by the fairly simplistic compositions that he is playing over. I mean: anybody can jam! And I definitely get the feeling that the many instances in which the musicians "spill over" into errant notes has nothing to do with intention or Coltrane- and Monk-like adventures into Debussy scales making; they are simply mistakes. And bass player is there but rarely makes himself distinctive--which can be a good thing--but in the context of these jam-oriented songs methinks his role has been assigned as metronomic companion to the militaristic drummer. As for the music, I don't dislike it but I feel no lasting urge to return to it. My hope is that in the three years the quartet have had to work on their skills and compositional vision the next album (the afore-mentioned Focus) will yield considerable improvements and advancements.