ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN

Apparently this compilation album is the easier record available from Kebnekaise and it is a worthy introduction to their folk era period. Having nothing to do with the first album (which was an all-rocking affair from what I gather), this compilation concentrate (luckily) on their second album and a bit less on the third one (which close to pure folk) and add a two more unrealeased tracks from 77. A fair selection, if you ask me.

As mentioned above, this album relies mainly on their second album (to the point of borrowing its artwork and the whole of its tracks), and this is a gigantic plus (and not just in my book) as that album is among the best to come out of Scandinavia. From the third album, the track selection is definitely not quite as undisputable (the fact that the 13-min Bjornbar epic is absent is a shame. As for the two unreleased tracks, they are relatively conventional folk which brings us to the more traditional part of the third album.

Be careful as this compilation was also released on Silence Record (in 90 as this one is from 93) with a vastly different artwork and simply titled Kebnekaise, but the track listing is exactly the same. A very correct introduction to the band, but unfortunately not lifting the mystery hovering their first hard rock album.

Take Steeleye Span, strip away the vocals, slow them down slightly, make them more proggy and jam oriented, and move them to Scandinavia, and you have Kebnekaise. They released several folk oriented albums in the early 1970s, from which most material on this compilation was drawn.

For the most part their sound was not terribly exciting, but it was competent and had sufficient character to warrant consideration by fans of electrified folk. Here, the best example of what they were capable of is "Rättvikarnas gånglåt", an almost hymn like melody featuring wordless chants, fiddles, and tribal drums. You could dance or meditate to it, and that is high praise indeed. Here, as on the equally appealing "Gånglåt från Dala-Järna", the melody is simple but not simplistic, containing a few twists but nothing overly challenging. Sometimes the keening lead guitars pick up on the theme and provide a more improvised setting. The most progressive track is definitely the jazzy 16 minute "Comanche Spring", also the only one with an English title. It shows that Kebnekaise as capable of upping the ante on complexity, even if it was a seldom pursued direction. Still, this material is eminently listenable and rocks more than the average.

This compilation is worth seeking out if you like folk roots and don't mind them amplified, dressed up and sent out on the town.