TIO BITAR

"Tio Bitar" is Dungen's fourth studio effort, and the brainchild of this group, Gustav Ejstes, keeps creating that outstanding sound that gave him a name in the spotlight in the first place.

This time, to me at least, he tends to drag away from the traditional adventurous elements that largely embrace the sound from "Stadsvandringar" and "Ta Det Lugnt". Despite various shifts in timing (I'm mostly thinking of the track "Familj"), this is a more concentrated effort than its predecessor, less adventurous that is. This is by no means a less interesting effort; The psychedelia, the folkish touch and the bizarre guitar jamming are all still present. Secondly, the prog is not entirely gone even though the record sounds more contemporary. A good sign if you ask me, as Gustav obviously still explores new ways of putting things together.

The record kicks off with an aswesome instrumental, this is pure craziness when it comes to guitar treatment. Reine Fiske, the guitarist, has been involved with Dungen for quite some time, but has been given more space on "Tio Bitar" than ever before. I won't go any further talking about the tracks, it's up to you to discover, but there's a nifty little finish called "En gång i år kom det en tår" While listening to that particular track you'll draw similarities to a very beloved band. More specifically the song structure of an album-closer called "Eclipse".

Dungen stretch out into jam/space rock territory here, very far removed from DUNGEN 2 (Stadsvandringar). Dungen pretty much let you know you're listening to an entire different beast right from the get go with _Intro_ a jam freak-out with Reine Fiske's fuzz guitar all over it. There seems to be a Soft Machine _Vol.1 & 2_ feel meets Keith Relf's ARMAGEDDON(or a bit of Steamhammer). Some of the instrumental parts, as well as Reine Fiske's guitar playing harken back to Landberk's _Riktigt Akta_ LP out of 1992. The actual songs are similar to Dungen 2(Stadsvandringar), not quite as melodic but more of a crossroads between the '60s and 70s, feet firmly planted in the year 1970(i.e. bands such as Gracious and Cressida). _Mon amour_ is a killer instrumental with a purple haze. Definitely a highlight and as heavy as you'll hear Dungen to this date. They took a far more ambient psych approach on their subsequent album _4_ in 2008. Still can't believe this was recorded in the year 2007.

DUNGEN's previous album "Ta Det Lugnt" was the one that really gained them world wide attention. This album "Tio Bitar" (Ten Pieces) is the follow-up. We still get an acid drenched album but that 60's Psych / Pop vibe isn't as prominant. This album is more immediate, heavier and concise. I like this one better. Once again multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Gustav Ejstes runs the show here but his secret weapon is former LANDBERK / PAATOS guitarist Reine Fiske who offers up some scathing guitar work. Vocals are still in Swedish.

"Intro" kicks in quickly after the sirens with some major fuzzed out guitar from Fiske. It settles in around a minute but Fiske is still all over this soundscape. What a way to begin ! The next two tracks are the ones that recall that Pop / Psyche sound from previous albums.The vocals certainly have a lot to do with that. "Familj" is very 60's sounding with vocals. Gotta love the organ work in this one. "Gor Det Nu" is one of my favourites. It's uptempo with vocals and prominant drums. It does settle somewhat as the guitar griinds away. Great sound. Lots of fuzz to follow. "C Visar Vagen" is uplifting early with violin. It settles with flute before 1 1/2 minutes. The violin is back late as the bass throbs. Another excellent track. "Du Ska Inte Tro Att Det Ordnar Sig" features heavy drums as vocals join in. It settles with piano after 2 1/2 minutes to the end.

"Mon Amour" is a top three for me for sure. The longest track as well at almost 9 minutes. It's fairly heavy with vocals early. Here come Fiske 2 1/2 minutes in and he's on fire ! The tempo picks up as Fiske continues to rip it up. It settles back some as the guitar continues to grind it out. "Sa Blev Det Bestamt" is lighter with vocals and piano. Violin joins in before heavy drums kick in. Great sound here. Intricate guitar follows. Nice. "Ett Skal Att Trivas" is a short tune with drums, vocals and guitar standing out. "Svart Ar Himlen" sounds so good to start as the vocals join in with piano. The drums are all over this before 1 1/2 minutes. "En Gang I Ar Kam Det En Tar" builds with piano and drums. Guitar joins in as it continues to ebb and flow. Flute too. It's spacey late.

I find DUNGEN's sound very addictive and Fiske really shines on this one. I want to thank TomOzric for praising this one to the point where I knew I had to have it.

Here is something you don't hear too often these days, a proggish Swedish band singing in their mother tongue. Another thing not often heard is a band successfully exploring a long bygone era to the point where it transscends homage into the impression of a group of performers frozen for forty years and then finally thawed and ready to rock out while being blown away by cool gadgets like cellphones. The way Dungen achieves this level of integrity is through multiple elements, not just through songwriting and the usage of vintage sounds, but also in the overall production, possessing a garage-like quality that screams late 1968-1969. It also should be noted that these songs are catchy and memorable as well.

The album opens with Reine Fiske unleashing a torrent of LSD-drenched guitar heroics in an intro that's as ballsy as it is psychedelic. The band not only shows off its chops early, but also its diversity, as melodic flute passages creep into the mix, and the followup track, Familj, is a gorgeous slice of folkish trippy pop. The album proceeds to mix things up from track to track without sacrificing any signature sound, the vocals definately evoke a melodic tone similar to the Marty Balin with a bit of Jerry Garcia sort of vibe, and the drums are busy with lots of cymbal crashes and a production that gives the playing a live one-track feel. The album itself isn't recorded in mono, but it feels that way at times, which is not a bad thing in this case.

There's some extended jamming here and there, but not too often, as this album feels a bit more song-oriented as opposed to their previous album, which felt more like a journey, but less structured. The band is quite talented, and can pull off jamming or pumping out melodic tight compositions with ease, and I find this album to be possibly their strongest effort. There's been some comparing this group to the current alternative rock scene, but I find this album distances itself from that genre by fully embracing not just the sounds of the late 60s, but the overall groove. If that doesn't make much sense to you, then just take the bong and enjoy the heavy bass that kicks in after a minute & a half or so during Så blev det bestämt and you'll understand.