VON

I am rather shocked at the general low ratings this album gets, as I think (outside of Aegetis Byrjun) this is their best. I certainly prefer it to the boring Takk. It's extremely strange to say the least. Pretentious? I don't think so - not when it only sold 300 copies on its first release (so I'm told).

It's like a full-on experimentation with minimalism - and very brave and careless about what people might think (I think that's what's gone wrong with them now - though I suppose they make a good living on it now). The first two tracks are almost a collection of weird noises - the sort of thing a young person does when (s)he first discovers you can record things in your bedroom.

But oddly, it works - the result is a kind of ghostly, peaceful sound that you can lose yourself to in a most relaxing manner. It kind of sends you to sleep when you most need it.

Then you wake up in the middle of some most strange but beautiful music in Hun Jord, Myrkyr, Haffsol and Von - superb haunting tracks, which I'm sure they'll never repeat. Interestingly they seem to use more guitar effects and drumming than they do now.

Warning - if you like the wild solos and virtuoso performances of classic prog - you will NOT find it here. But what you find is something altogether different and peaceful that could take you into space.

Great music from a band in their formative days - of which commercial success has not helped in their more recent offerings.