FREMMEDE TONER

It must have been 20 years ago when I first discovered Lumsk's debut album. I was immediately addicted to their unique style of progressive folk-rock/metal, heavily influenced by Norwegian tales and poems. With 2005's Troll, the band managed to improve on their amazing debut by further streamlining their songs and allowing themselves to not shy away from more passionate and vulnerable sections. Hopes were high for 2007's album, but it seemed like the band took their progression a bit too far. The album consisted mostly of poppy ballads, with the odd folky prog-rock song in between. After years of silence, it seemed this was the end for this band?

You can imagine my surprise when they announced a new album, almost 16 years later. With some changes in their line-up and a very long time to work on the new material, I was curious about the direction the band would evolve. Are we getting another ballad-ridden, mediocre album, or will they return to their roots? Both of these guesses turned out to be wrong!

Before completely breaking down the album, it must be said this one needs a bit of explanation. Like the other Lumsk albums, this is a concept album. The songs are based on 6 poems by André Bjerke, who took inspiration from Goethe, Nietzsche, and Swinburne. Each poem is transformed into a song in Norwegian in the first half of the album and an English or German version in the second half. Luckily, this doesn't mean the songs are the same at all, though! There is a clear thread that connects each of the pairs of songs, without them ever feeling like a copy of one other. The best way to think of it is as a reflection or mirror image of the same concept (As the beautiful cover art also suggests).

The gentle piano accompanied by hauntingly beautiful vocals of Det døde barn (The dead child) starts our journey. When the drums and acoustic guitars kick in, you will immediately notice this album is far more progressive than any of Lumsk's previous works. Halfway through the song, the first distortion can be heard. What a relief to hear this heavier side of the band, mostly absent from the previous release. If this opening track didn't at least pique your interest, it might be better to move on to something less out-of-the-box within the metal scene. We'll only be getting more of this!

En harmoni (a match) gives us the first good listen to the beautiful violins we know from earlier albums. They are hidden in the background on the first song, but here they take the front of the stage. The progressive elements are even more prevalent in this song and are supported by a Hammond organ for the more '70s prog sound. This song features a beautiful vocal / drum break before launching in a heavy section that will remind the longtime listener of passages from their first album, Åsmund Frægdegjevar. Even more than in the previous songs, the attention is drawn to the drum performance by Vidar in Avskjed. 16 years is a long time between albums, but it's clear that he hasn't been sitting still all this time. His technique, choice of accents, and fills are incredible and lift this otherwise straightforward song, of just over two minutes, to another level. The same can be said about the riffs and guitars in general, with outstanding performances by Eystein and Roar. Now we can safely say that Lumsk is back and stronger than ever.

With the start of Under Linden (Under the Linden/white wood), we get flashbacks from 2007's Det vilde kor. Although this album was more focused on ballads and vocal performance than Lumsk's other works, it didn't lose their unique sound and feel. This song is written in a very interesting combination of time signatures, but isn't too complex to follow along easily. We get another Hammond organ break, after which we are welcomed by a wall of distorted guitars and a captivating solo that shows glimpses of the better Opeth tracks. What differentiates Lumsk from them however are the fantastic vocals in Norwegian by newcomer Mari, who captures the sound of her predecessor Stine-Mari (although I do miss her soulful rolling 'R'). Fiolen (The Viola) follows the last song up perfectly and marks the first full-on ballad of the album. This short track gives room for, as the name already suggested, the violin. The performance of Siv Lena is as great as always and still leaning heavily on the traditional Scandinavian style we have gotten used to in the band's works. The first half of the album is closed off with Dagen er endt (The day is done). Unfortunately, this is also my least favorite track of the album, which in no way means it's a bad song! It captures all the elements we've heard so far and combines them to form a great, but rather straightforward, ballad.

The first song of the second half of the album is the German Das tode Kind, and this is the first time we hear Lumsk with lyrics in another language than Norwegian. I like the concept, but think there is some loss of emotion when not singing in their mother tongue. This doesn't take away that this is another amazing song with a chillingly beautiful buildup to a heavy final, that once again takes us back to their first album. Lumsk manages to find the perfect balance between slow, intricate sections and distorted, heavy sections again. A Match is the first ever Lumsk Song in English, and it introduces us to the new voice of session musician Mathias. His warm baritone fits perfectly with Mari in this lovely duet, which focuses heavily on the lyrics. Things get shaken up in the later half of this song, where the time signature changes, and they once again build up to a heavy closing. Both vocals get more raw as the song progresses, making this perhaps the most metal song on the album, which you would never expect listening to only the first part of the track.

We hear the return to German In Abschied. This is another heavy hitter, with great performances all around. The drums once again stick out due to the very contrary play style, which makes the songs so much more interesting on multiple playthroughs. By now it is more than clear that Mari has an incredible vocal talent, both fragile and powerful, fitting the music perfectly. Under de Linden continues with an incredibly beautiful vocal performance, guided by a melancholic piano riff. This song twice features a complex, but very satisfying, time signature change that I can't get enough off. The songwriting is of a very high standard and, understandably, it took the band some years to finish these compositions! (Although 16 years is a bit of a stretch, of course?)

Das Veilchen is another fantastically beautiful track, with a buildup to an emotional eruption only the greatest in the history of prog-rock can churn out. Lumsk does this, all without ever sounding like they copy any band. This is another highlight of the album. When The day is done starts, the album has been playing for nearly one hour already, yet it feels like it could easily carry on for another hour. This last track features Mathias' vocals prominently, and at times his voice reminds me of some of the best Marko Hietala (former Nightwish) performances. Halfway through, Mari joins for a final time, topping the already great duet we heard on A Match. The piece forms a beautiful and engaging prog-rock epic, with very heavy 70s prog influences, mostly resembling Pink Floyd. Not a single note on this album overstays its welcome, and the only thing you want to do when the final note fades out is hit the repeat button. What an incredible experience!

Lumsk manages to do the (nearly) impossible with this profoundly goosebump-inducing album: A return after a 16-year-long hiatus, combining all the elements that made the band great in the first place and creating the perfect culmination of emotionally driven, progressive folk rock/metal. If any of these genres speak to you, you simply must hear this album. To close things off, it must be mentioned that the production of this album is of a very high standard, giving room for all the individual elements to shine, while still sounding pure and heartfelt. This is without a doubt their best work to date, and I would almost say it was worth the wait! Just don't take another 16 years for the next album, the world needs more remarkable and unique pieces of art like this album!

Highlights: All tracks, but if I had to choose: Det Døde Barn, En harmoni, Avskjed, Das tode Kind, A Match, Abschied, Das Veilchen.