My recollection of seeing Nordic Giants live is of two men with strange headgear on a dark stage playing weird and wonderful music with a big screen mirroring the strange and at times extreme journey.
This journey starts out ominously. It is clear that this is going to be a journey to a faraway place but one visiting the outer extremities of our mind. “Philosophy of Mind” is the scene-setter to the ensuing drama. With Nordic Giants there is a sense of vastness, yet in there is delicate and melancholic piano playing and the pattering of drums. The picture builds up slowly, as “Anamorphia” consists of an expanding piano- and electronic-driven track portraying an as-yet-undiscovered and potentially mysterious world. It’s not thrilling. “Hjem” takes us into a darker place with the sombre piano line now accompanied by distant voice-like sounds. It’s like an interlude but it’s too early for that as nothing has happened yet. The gloom is intensified with “Faceless”, an atmospheric and sad piece with Alex Hedley on vocals. Delicate sound waves and pattering softness run through “Convergence” like a new dawn. It’s a nice piece but I had no context, and my mind wasn’t creating one. “Convergence” breaks out before retreating and returning to the greater reflective expanse. It’s like a dream world, enhanced further by “Spheres” which has the haunting and ethereal voice of Freyja. This is a beautiful, mellow piece, and for me a highlight. As “Spires of Ascendancy” begins, we remain in the ambient world of wonder. The piano once again takes us down a dark and winding path, supported by symphonic sounds which add to the melancholy. I didn’t sense any ascendancy. The final piece is “Infinity”. In the spirit of the album, we drift languidly through sonic waves to the conclusion and I suppose towards infinity.
I suppose there’s an element here of my expectations clashing with the reality of this album. Its qualities are in its artistry and dreaminess. “Symbiosis” is for sure nothing like the live show on account of its style. That doesn’t make it a bad album of course and it’s purely my opinion but whilst I appreciate there was subtle ambiance and atmosphere on “Symbiosis”, it passed by me like a gentle breeze.
(6/10 Andrew Doherty)
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