MANNSVERK

Norwegian band BRIMSTONE started out as The Brimstone Solar Radiation band back in 1998, and released three full-length productions using this original moniker, the aptly named "Smorgasbord" from 2009 the most recent of these. Following a five year pause they have returned with a shortened band name and their fourth full-length album, "Mannsverk", released through the Norwegian label Karsima Records.

Psychedelic progressive rock is the name of the game for Brimstone on their fourth full-length production "Mannsverk", an album that consists of vintage instruments and a vintage sound that alongside what I'd describe as a more contemporary production, as far as song structure and arrangements are concerned, ends up as a compelling and sophisticated disc. Personally I noted what to my ears were certain similarities Beardfish's 2009 album "Destined Solitaire", and in my opinion most of the people who enjoyed that production, will also enjoy this one. Especially if they also might enjoy a band with more of a psychedelic touch, and songs with a generally stronger emphasis on bass guitar and drums.

Hailing from Norway, Brimstone is the embodiment of the modern desire for retro. Sometimes this is a bad thing, but here it's perfect. Basically they're straight up prog/psych and have nailed down the grooves and instrument sounds to a tee, perhaps even going beyond retro in a postmodern sense. Where they tack on their bit of modern flavor is in the vocals, which end up being a bit on the sloppy indie side for my tastes, but oh well, the whole of the sound is still phenomenal. Early on, "Rubberlegged Man" caught my attention with its intro that tosses in some non-conventionality with tuned percussion battling against distorted guitar before diving into a swirl of vintage textures driven by Mellotron, Hammond, and chorusy guitars. "Voodoo" met my fancy with some psych meets folksy organ while "Flaming Lips at Ankle Height" nailed this thick, dirty sound on the intro melody that was absolutely delightful, apart from capitalizing on delicious grooves and a silly song title. Finally, "This is the Universe" goes to great lengths to sound retro with its decrepit piano part over a latin-esque feel in the middle, but what really grabbed me was the bombast of the tron choir followed by gritty guitars. In the end, this is a catchy, even dancy piece full of drum and bass that really grooves. If there's one last thing that needs to be mentioned its that Brimstone is all about MELODY. Wow, this band really knows how to walk that line of being catchy, melodic, and bouncy without ever leaving you feeling that they are resorting to cheap pop tricks. Well played.