4

Having recently realized what a genius REINE FISKE is, I've been trying to backtrack through anything and everything he's touched in the past 20 years. (LANDBERK, MORT MACABRE, PÄATOS, THE AMAZING, DUNGEN--are there more? If so, please let me know!!) Having now been through the Dungen catalogue, I am going to try to start my review process. Though Tio Bitar is in-your-face amazing, I am, in truth, a lover of more pacific, melodic, beautiful music--even within prog world. Thus, I am here to report that this album "4"--their fourth studio album--is my favorite. It is the one I play the most, the one I play start to finish, the one I find humming along with throughout and at least half a dozen melodies long after the speakers have gone quite. It is a masterpiece of retro-reverent prog music--one which not only masterfully gathers and uses an incredible array of sounds that were new to bands of the 60s & 70s, but uses them in a way that has, IMHO, produced music FAR suprassing that of its predecessors. Perhaps if the psychedelia bands of the 60s and early 70s were still producing (that type of) music, they might attain the heights of DUNGEN (and THE AMAZING). But, I doubt it. Difference: They wouldn't have Reine Fiske. Or the outstanding rhythm section that is bassist Mattias Gustavsson and drummer Johan Holmegard. NOr would they have the creative drive and multi-instrumental talents of Gustav Ejstes.

This album is so good that I'm not even going to rate the individual songs as all but two earn 5 stars in my book. Listen to this band! Start with this album if you need a softer, more melodic starting place--or go right to "Tio BItar" if you're ready for the mind-blowing renaissance of Hendrixness.

Essential. Absolutely essential . . . to the future of progressive music.