ANGLAGARD

"Hybris" is one tough act to follow.I have to give the band credit for not just doing a "Hybris II" although i wouldn't have been complaining if they did.The vocals are gone on this one.I for one liked them, just like i enjoy ANEKDOTEN and WOBBLER's vocals.They suit the music. "Epilog" is much more pastoral than the debut with a lot of dreamy,laid back sections.That made it harder for me to get into but the advantage of all the mellow sections is how powerful this sounds when they let it rip.I have to also say that the sound quality of this recording is pretty much perfect,crystal clear. "Prolog" is pastoral to start with organ but it turns much fuller after a minute.Some violin too. "Hostsejd" opens with organ,mellotron and drums as the sound rises and falls.How good does this sound when they kick in.We get a steady sound before 1 1/2 minutes with some nice chunky bass.The mellotron then storms the soundscape.A calm follows before they start kicking it hard after 3 minutes.It settles before 5 1/2 minutes then the mellotron rolls in a minute later.It kicks in again after 10 minutes with mellotron.This sounds so good.Guitar makes an appearance then it settles with piano after 11 minutes.It's building before 14 minutes.What an incredible way to end this epic. "Skogsranden" opens with laid back piano, then flute and violin join in.Piano only takes over again, then flute before it kicks in with power before 3 minutes.Killer sound! Check out the guitar after 4 1/2 minutes.Mellotron follows then it settles.Female vocal melodies cry out of the atmosphere 6 1/2 minutes in.Acoustic guitar and flute follow.Beautiful.Mellotron after 9 minutes then it kicks back in.My God! More great mellotron too. "Somrar" has a pastoral intro.Violin,organ and mellotron follow then it settles back again before exploding in after 4 minutes.The mellotron is so majestic 6 minutes in.Then we get a calm before it kicks back in before 7 minutes.Amazing sound here.It settles before 10 minutes then the flute comes in.It's fuller 11 1/2 minutes in with drums leading.A calm a minute later to end it. "Saknadens Fullhet" is a short laid back track filled with piano melodies. I still prefer "Hybris" but man this just blows me away.It's 1a verses 1b.

Austere darkness, fuming mists floating upon the frozen lake and out of the dense woods, raging dissonance purveyed by some kind of Nordic insolence, talented and taciturn musicians from Sverige (Sweden for those who don't know) who exude their national characteristics with gusto. The entire atmosphere is angrily phosphorescent as if some distant firework display was motivated to shock the silence. The sheer contrast between smooth mellotron/flute intermezzos and the booming Rickenbacker, brief church organ, slippery guitar and monster drum onslaught is the defining quality that makes Anglagard so endearing. They write in their booklet introduction some rather fateful words, illuminating the sensory process that went into creating such a concise piece of music. "This music is built on a very human base?through conflict. It's created with the thought of each person's momentary feelings, with a lot of variations as a starting point. Personal feelings and the impulsiveness has been the hardest adversary in our struggle to put the tunes together. We don't seek a well-balanced or predictable entirety. This pot is cooked by six fanatic cooks, each one a victim of hybris". Fine fighting words and it dawned on me quite quickly that only true proggers could get into this bizarre concoction, as the soundtrack to a hot date and sweaty tryst this is definitely not! The music requires not only effort but patience as well; the clashing rhythms and tempos rival the extreme improvs of veteran jazz fusion outfits, with an obviously grittier prog style. The polyrhythmics abound, dense sonic jungles that shudder all over the scales, complex structures with simple note selections. Bassist Jonas Hogberg is a tremendous figure, craving solid lanes for Mattias Olsson's Brufordesque drums, a powerful combo that slams with the best of them (like compatriots Anekdoten and Landberk = the 3 founders of prog Renaissance in Scandinavia), while two guitarists weave some serious tapestries and keyboardman Tomas Jonsson colours the entire palette with blitzing runs on a variety of vintage instruments. The 4 tracks form an entity that makes it difficult for me to slice and dice track by track or pick out some specific solo or other. This is a perfect example of team play where the whole means so much more than the parts, also why they disappeared rather quickly after only 2 studio albums and a live job. Rumours abound though! As for influences, it's not as clear cut, though one can detect overt Genesis moments, with Anna Holmgren's flute one can smell the KC bouquet and the mad rhythms can amuse the Gentle Giant. Throw in some ELP runs (the Hammond B- 3 /drum play in particular), a heady dose of Nordic folk and we really start cookin'! Truth is that this is very unique and original, at times demented melancholia to the point of paranoia, or should I say desperation, yet somehow also peaceful and contrite. The unending time signature changes are defiantly boggling the mind and the excitement from the constant unknown is utterly compelling. As a few fans and critics have mentioned , Anglagard is to be lauded for reigniting the phoenixed torch in 1992, a time that still seemed bleak for the progfan and for exhorting by example thousands of unknown musicians to instill some music into their music (if you know what I mean! And you do). Others have nicely dissected this masterstroke nicely and it would be hard for me to not pin five asteroids on this one but with the added notation that this ain't an easy listen by any stretch. As an essay on obscure virtuosity, this earns the bottle of akvavit, a jar of lingonberries and 5 golden crowns.

The reputation that precedes this release and almost savior-like following Anglagard receives in the Prog community is intimidating. And for progoholics still virgins to these Swedes, the feeling of anticipation leading up to the first hearing is enough to make the most grizzled, jaded listener transform into a giddy schoolgirl completely disarmed and flushed with carnal desires. Few albums could live up to the legendary praise Hybris has enjoyed, and under such conditions stakes are indeed high for the unexposed who just dropped 25 bucks on this beautiful repackaging from the band in a 3-section gatefold. I mean, it better be good, capishe?

Among other things, Anglagard distinguished themselves as one of the bands active during the early 1990s that began a serious effort to revive and restore golden age progressive rock. The impact and ripples caused by that alchemical summoning of the classic period began showing up for years to come in other outfits - as Wobbler, the Tangent, Anekdoten - and in retrospect this six-piece deserves much credit for showing that rock 'n roll backed-up by real skills and big ambition can still be a good thing.

I must say, describing the predominantly instrumental music is a bear of a job, and I can't blame those who have (or will) thrown their hands up unable to write much more than, "It's great, with a lot of stuff going on and, well, you'll love it!" Indeed, and you probably will. That is if you appreciate the utterly high-class playing of pianist Thomas Johnson and flautist Anna Holmgren in support of founders Tord Lindman [voice/guitar] and Johan Högberg [bass]. 'Jordrök' establishes the sophisticated if grimly serious tone, the long winters to the north reflected in the chill and dark beauty of Johnson's piano, the band breaks open and the exploratory surgery begins-- one compounded theme interrupted gracefully by another; songs within songs; light folk met with anchor-heavy church organ; Malmsteenian guitar campaigns; a solo cello. Pastorale 'Vandringar i vilsenhet' moves slowly but picks-up, shuffling the genre deck between bass-heavy rock, sly keyboard flurries, and a Mexican guitar all interconnected by delicious little pieces of tissue, cartilage, fat and nasty bits. A sad trio of horns whimsically opens 'Ifran klarhet till klarhet', a perfectly alright if somewhat blah number, 'Kung Bore', this writer's favorite, unfolds with Passion Play-era Tull and more strings from south of the equator, and terrific bonus cut 'Gånglåt från Knapptibble' wraps things perfectly and would've made a fine closer on the original issue.

Surely deserving of 5 big ones if only for the amount of high quality material here that will leave most reading this quivering with delight as they devour measure after measure of some of the richest, most authentic stuff around with relish, the juice dribbling down their chins as they slurp up every last chunk of meat, tidepool of grease, and bit of marrow. Bon appétit !

Epilog continues the Swedish take on Genesis of Änglagards debut. It's entirely instrumental, which could have been an improvement over the debut which suffered from the average vocals. However, even though the playing is great again, I miss a number of essential features such as interesting compositions, a heart, and most of all, that hard to describe but essential element called a soul.

When I listen to a track such as Skogsranden, I hear a stupendous successions of notes, great melodic leads, lots of dynamics, experimentation and everything else I love, but this music has never urged me to keep listening to it. There's no feeling and not much of an atmosphere here, which sets it apart from the other bands of the 90's Swedish symphonic prog scene that somehow managed to add substance and passion to this style of music.

Also Hostsejd and Sista Somrar pass by without touching me. Maybe it's partially due to the absence of vocals, but mostly I would support the thesis that this is music that doesn't come from the heart but that is solely constructed in the mind, it's the result from trying too hard to sound like somebody else instead of moulding their influences into something of their own. It lacks inspiration, spontaneity and substance. In fact, it's very revealing to play it next to a Genesis original.

Änglagard are an essential band from a remarkable period and amazing country in Prog rock history, but they miss that essential Swedish sentiment that makes all other bands from this era superior to them. They may have been the instigators of the movement but Anekdoten, Landberk and Sinkadus exceeded them with ease. Also, I don't think Änglagard had anything left to say after their debut Hybris, which was a lot better in all respects.

The first time I listened to Hybris, I was somewhat unimpressed, and found it boring. However, after many, many listens, this album did more than just grow on me- it completely took over my music-listening habits- any moment not listening to Anglagard was a moment sadly wasted! Though the five star rating gets thrown around a lot, I can honestly say that this album deserves it and more, and is definitely one of my five favorite albums ever.

Anglagard's sound has been compared to many other bands- mostly Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, and Cathedral- though my definition of Anglagard's sound is; Genesis with Chris Squire attempting to emulate King Crimson's style, however there is more under that- flute reminiscent of Jethro Tull, a dark, melancholy atmosphere evocative of Pink Floyd circa Animals, and a maybe a hint of ELP thrown in here and there. However, there is one thing that especially makes this band unique, and that is the cold, wintry Swedish sound they incorporate. The music manages to be so accomplish so many moods in the alternating loud and soft parts- from cold and misery to warmth and happiness, from fear and uneasiness to peace and freedom, Anglagard's music is very emotional. However, all the praise I and others can give to Hybris will never do it justice- the only way to know and feel the music is to listen to it! This is an astounding effort by an excellent band, and deserves a place in the collection and heart of any prog fan! 5 stars, 10/10, perfection!

If I may start with a bit of criticism, I find that, while Anekdoten and Landberk always aimed to assimilate their 70's influences with a personal artistic view, Änglagard never went beyond revisiting Genesis. So if a well-executed Nursery-Knife-Cryme-Foxtrot with a touch of Crimson is your cup of tea, then you will enjoy this album a lot. Luckily, I like that era an awful lot as well.

A remarkable thing is that Änglagard doesn't sound very much like that other band that revisited Genesis 10 years earlier. I'd say that while Änglagard picked up the 71-72 sound, Marillion focussed more on the 73-78 phase. For me it's just another proof of how versatile and truly remarkable Genesis was. I'm tempted to say that Hybris pales a bit by that dazzling perspective.

If I may continue with another bit of criticism, I think the vocals are slightly disappointing. In that respect they are nothing like Genesis at all. I'd say it's a bit ironic that the only aspect where they really differ from their idols turns out to be so unfulfilling. They must have felt the same as their next album would be entirely instrumental. Luckily, also here they don't sing all that much.

Looking at it from 2009, there's one big redeeming factor for their lack of originality. I can see the impact this must have had at the time of its release. Unlike neo-prog that took in too much of the 80's glossiness; this 'retro-prog' sprouted a new wave of bands that really re-connected with the musicality, the rich ambience and the feel for melody of the original symphonic prog bands. 4.5 stars for the instrumental tracks. 4 stars on the whole.

I know that people talk a lot about this album. I also am aware that a lot of things has been said here and I believe that they're true. But I don't want to read them, I want to make my own opinion.

Just listen to this music, let it grow on me (already accomplished), or let it disappoint me (weird, it also happened). And if there's rock equivalent of classical music, it's Änglagård. Complex composition isn't descriptive enough. It's also interesting, you can clearly hear melody here, but also it's nothing "just-for-fans", everyone who's able to track 10 minutes song is capable of enjoying it. Well, it's not so hot with being melodic here, it's taken here more as side-effect, than real purpose and I keep being lost in this music from time to time, but one thing is for sure. This music is intriguing a lot and really have a lot to offer.

5(+), Absolute opposite to some endless copies, dull tunes about nothing and recycling of ideas. And proof that you don't have to be melodic to be interesting.

One of the most unique albums I've ever heard. And that's not nostalgia speaking, I know this one for just a year.

ÄNGLAGÅRD was like a bright star, they shined from "Hybris" (1992), but burned too soon, after "Epilog" (1993) and even when their members were in the late teens or early twenties, they had vanished in the air, but there was still one more chapter to be written, the band had to release a live album, so in 1994 their Progfest presentation was recorded and released as "Buried Alive" in 1995.

Many people criticize this album because it doesn't sound as their two previous and spectacular releases,but they don't seem to understand that the band was practically retired and making a tremendous effort to play without the help of overdubbing, being that their music because of it's complexity can't be reproduced on stage without loosing some of the magic. As a fact in a presentation I saw on video, the had to ask Par Lindh to help them with the double keyboards required to reproduce what was done on studio.

There's another problem that fans often ignore. ÄNGLAGÅRD'S music is so complex an technical that doesn't suit perfectly on stage where yo need more improvisation and emotion instead of surgical precision, that is what the band gives us.

But lets be honest, despite the limitations and obvious lack of emotion of a band that was thinking in an early retirement, they give an excellent concert, with the usual accuracy and quality in their performance, plus gives us a chance to listen them on stage.

I won't review the tracks as I normally do, because the correct analysis was done on "Hybris" and "Epilog", the natural environment in which this material must be listened.

So, if you are a newbie, start with the studio releases, but for any fan of the band, Buried Alive is an excellent addition that deserves no less than 4 stars.

Second Anglagard album is a real masterpiece! If debut album was very attractive,pleasant and competent mixture of all the best prog-rock from 70-th invented, the second one is more mature work. You can hear not only very competent citates, but more melted sound, band's sound.

Some reviewers think that absent of vocal lines is a minus there: don't think so. I think that vocal was one of rare weak points in band's debut, and even debut was mainly instrumental. There you have 99,9% instrumental album, and it sounds better than previous one!

The music is more deep, more personal, less guitar driven energy ( but still some Crimsonian sound breakes/peaks included). Think, it's group's highest point ( ok, three albums only were recorded), and perfect mature symphonic rock from early ninetees.

It, s a quite rare album, which likes almost everyone progrock fan. Is it good or bad?

Album is really very strong, classic in melodies and instrumentation. For me it reminds some King Crimson and sometimes ELP sound, but I am sure any fan will have some citates from his beloved classical prog band.

So ,in fact we have there important event: this album accumulates all the best from classic prog albums from 70-th, and at the same time build a base for new prog generation ( at least - in scandinavian progresive, which is very important in first years of XXI century).

It's difficult to find, what is weak points of that album. Very balanced mix of best symphonic rock of it's predescesors. So, if you are not a big fan of innovations, this album is perfectly for you.

I can note at least two weak points there: first, I don't like vocal at all ( happily this album is mainly instrumental), and second - there are nothing new at all. Perfect musicianship without searching of new horizons.

So, very strong and important classic prog album of it's period, but not too innovative one. Strong 4!