ELDBERG

From the quirky album cover to the wonderful music, Eldberg is a band not to be missed. This debut album is a gem of progressive rock ! Their music would clearly not have looked out of place in the early 70s, since it's heavily hammond organ-based. The keyboardist does an amazing job at capturing the essence of the 70s prog rock in that regard, his playing is beyond par. The other musicians, from the drummer to the guitarist are also quite amazing, and very delicate.

Though Eldberg sounds like a mix of Genesis, Yes, Camel and modern-day Beardfish, Eldberg has managed to creat its own identity in between the set boundaries of "classic prog". Plus, it's so refreshing to hear music from the golden days of prog, but made in 2011.

All songs are wonderful, so I'll just bring your attention to the ending part of 'EEg er lkfsins braus' which is a...'particular' rendition of "Child in Time", my favorite song of Deep Purple. And to the final "epic" 14-min song, which in its middle part picks up with an upbeat jazzy tune with wonderful organ and guitar...

Eldberg, I'm eagerly awaiting for your next album.

WARNING: Only for fans of organ dominated Prog, more generally for Retro Prog fans.

Iceland, land of mostly ice (and sparsely populated habitats), but not much of a Prog. And now this, classic Prog, shooting like blast from the past. So normally it would be average album and 3 stars would be in order, but I cannot grant average rating to an album that should be average (technically), but sounds like something more. It is very lively (so no 35 years or rotting corpse on someone's backyard), but a healthy child. Even it is quite a overgrown child.

4(-), almost didn't make it out of 3 stars gravity, but finally did.

This is an interesting piece of retro prog. It has a very early-seventies sound, dominated by the old Hammond organ sound. In fact, my first impression was that this band was building on Deep Purple's sound. But in retrospect, they are far more progressive than DP ever was.

The songs often have a prog folk feel, with some delicate guitars, and lighter keyboards that float about, until the bombastic Hammond joins in to beef up the sound. While I don't understand a word of the lyrics (I presume they are sung in Icelandic), I find all of the songs to be enjoyable, in a nostalgic way.

Eldberg is a very young band from Iceland who released last year their first selftitled album. It was for me a very pleasent surprise, because on one hand they are from a country where prog is not at home with some exceptions that I know like Svanfridur or Eik, on the other hand is a very solid album that capture my attention from start to finish. The music offered by Eldberg is a combination of heavy prog passages with psychedelic arrangements very much similar with bands like Uriah Heep Salisbury or Look at yourself era. Good and captivating moments here on all pieces, not a weak moment for sure, the hammond is very strong keeping a high level and melted with the guitar is absolutly killer. Very good the druming, not overly complex but very well performed, the voice is great aswell. All pieces has same level, not one is in front, is avery good thing that Eldberg were concentrated to make all album strong not only 2-3 pieces like one many albums from today. This is a very retro sound that will please fans of the genre big time, very promissing band that for sure needs attention. Excellent cover art in inside drawings, digipak format issued by chilean Mylodon label. recommended, captivating and intresting heavy psych. One of the best from last year no doubt. 4 stars easy

In the cold grounds of Iceland Eldberg were born in 2008, led by the Sigurdsson brothers, Jakob Gretar on drums and Asmundur Svavar on bass plus guitarist Reynir Hauksson.They operated with a five-piece line-up, but departures led them back to a trio the following year.Sometime later they welcome Eybor Ingi Gunnlaugsson as the lead singer and Heimir Klemenzson on keyboards, while the original members had already started recording original tracks.They were discovered by Mylodon Records, which launched the band's self-titled debut in 2011, a limited press of 500 vinyl copies became also available through the band's website.

This is 100% Scandinavian Retro Prog with heavy and psychedelic leanings, end of story.Members state that listening to Focus, Procol Harum, Jethro Tull and Yes were the basic inspirations that led them to the formation of Eldberg, but the music here follows the vein of all these underground Icelandic Heavy/Psych Rock bands of the 70's, ICECROSS, MANAR, PELICAN plus a strong dose of the Swedish scene, TRETTIOARIGA KRIGET or RAG I RYGGEN.The music is driven by the powerful psychedlic guitar explorations and the omnipresent sounds of the Hammond organ, supported occasionally by a Wurlitzer and a Rhodes piano plus some synthesizer.Cool bluesy influences, tempo variations and a mixture of vocal- and instrumental-led moments with some nice rockin' explosions in the process.Needless to say that all lyrics are sung in their native language.They sure know how to create and promote this charming vintage feeling of the Scandinavian lands, some great atmospheric moments are present here and the 15-min. epic closer ''Hlidarlif vor tima'' is one of the darkest pieces of Scandinavian Prog to be created in the recent days, featuring monumental vocals, sinister rhythms, some lovely acoustic breaks and dominant Hammond organ, great piece.

Scandinavian Prog is a genre of its own.Eldberg are among its representatives and actually among the very good ones.Nice Psych-flavored Heavy Rock/Prog with irritating vocals, strongly recommended...3.5 stars.

Eldberg was formed in early December 2008 by the brothers Asmundur S. Sigurosson (bass) and Jakob G. Sigurosson (drums), they had started to jam together, playing some Focus and Procol Harum songs in the autumn. Soon the brothers were joined by guitarist Reynir Hauksson, keyboard player Atli Bjornsson and singer E Ingi Gunnlaugsson. After Atli decided to move to Glasgow in Scotland( to learn sound engineering) and Ingi Gunnlaugsson went on to do other projects, Jakob, Reynir and Asmundur Jakob started to play together again with church organist K Ingi Arnarsson. They started to write (mainly instrumental) songs and did their first recordings in the summer of 2009, but the recordings never came out. After the summer K Ingi Arnarsson quit due to lack of time for the band, then Asmundur, Reynir and Jakob focused on song writing. But K Ingi Arnarsson rejoined the band to do some test recordings in the winter. In 2010 singer (and now actor) P Birgisson joined the band with keyboardist Heimir Klemenzson, and the musicians started rehearsing. When P Birgisson left E Ingi Gunnlaugsson came back and took his place behind the microphone. Early summer 2010 the band decided to record an album in the autumn with P Hjaltested, keyboardist of the well known Seventies prog rock band Eik from Iceland. The band wrote and rehearsed for the album during the summer and began recording it in the autumn. The recordings only took four days but P Hjaltested was busy for two weeks to do the transmission from tape to the album and the mixing. When the mix was ready Asmundur had to fly to England with these tapes in order to do the cut for the vinyl in London (limited edition of 500). Finally the album was released in 2011.

The first part of the album contains five melodic rock songs with powerful and passionate native vocals, an unique combination, how many times you will listen to prog with Icelandic vocals! I enjoyed the tasteful colouring of the music with electric guitar, saxophone, Mellotron, synthesizer, electric piano and a lot of Hammond organ.

The second part of the album features two epic compositions, drenched into the Seventies Heavy Prog tradition. In Eg Er Lifsins Brauo the intro sounds like a tribute to Ken Hensley delivering majestic and bombastic Hammond layers. Then a slow and compelling atmosphere with strong vocals and sensitive electric guitar and finally an accellaration with fiery guitar and Hammond, evoking Deep Purple. The final track is their highlight entitled Hlioarlif Vor Tuma, clocking around 15 minutes. It starts dreamy with wonderful work on electric - and Spanish guitar, then gradually more heavy featuring lush Hammond and beautiful vocals. After a swirling Hammond organ solo we can enjoy jazzy guitar and swinging piano. The final part is a kind of Heavy Prog Heaven with strong, pretty emotional vocals, fiery electric guitar (in the vein of Ritchie Blackmore) and again lush and bombastic Hammond, I love it!

What a tasteful and pleasant debut album, with the native vocals as an extra dimension. It took four years for Eldberg to release a second album entitled Par Er Heimur Hugans, so a third effort in 2019?

My rating: 3,5 star.