Indulging in “dark melodic grooves … with the odd detour via psychedelic and stoneresque landscapes”, this five year old experimental black n roll band from Bergen in Norway delves into matters like the human condition and states of mind.
Let’s start with a bit of black magic. The intro with this title suggests dark and mysterious times ahead of us. What actually comes next is a rampant piece of black n roll. This is the title song, translating as “Sisters”. Life, energy, fire and a memorable rhythm are the key ingredients. It’s a fun song. The forward drive is maintained on “Jernskogmøy”, another lively piece of rock n roll. The singer screams his lungs out. The band play at pace. A mid-song break merely acts as a fleeting breather before we return to the assault. This is consummate live material. “Ensomt Rite” (Lonely Rite) carries on in the same driving vein. It’s a question of whether the band or the audience tires first. The singer growls at us. The drumming becomes tribal. The air thickens. This is music to light up rooms like fireworks. Metal noise abounds, but in the context of a rock n roll song. “Hagen er I Skyggen” (The Garden is in the Shade) continues the energy with guitar twists enhancing the rock-solid riff and the ranting, rasping vocalist. If it wasn’t for the blackened vocals, I’d be comparing this to something between Mors Principium Est and Motörhead. The guitar work is sophisticated but above all as a listening experience these grooves exude energy and life, or perhaps death given the subject matter.
“Psykonaut” is typically dirty but equally groove-laden to everything that’s been here so far. More flourishing, melody-strong guitar work provides the hook to draw us in. A desperate cry is heard. The groove line goes on round and round, and then it ends. The dark cosmic mystery of the intro returns with “Fucking Lift-Off”. By way of change “En Romalder” (A Roman Age) starts in stoner-like fashion before reverting to the usual energy and then taking on 70s air. This must be the promised ”psychedelic and stoneresque landscape”. The vocalist growls and shouts above it before raw energy and even a dash of chaos resume. The transformation to a more twisty stoner metal vibe is apparent on “Flokken” (The Flock). Hardcore shouting and more thrashy black n roll preclude the business of categorisation, but it’s safe to say that it’s aggressive, hard and lively. “En Misforstått Tanke” (A Misunderstood Thought) provides another of those strange interludes, before “Kausalitet” (Causality) brings us back to the world of aggressive rock n roll, flattening out to a metal riff, accompanied by an angry vocalist. The final song “Leik” (Play) has a strong fuzzy undercurrent to underscore the rockin’ and a rollin’, and the captivating groove line. It provides an end full of excitement, of which there’s been plenty on this album.
The strengths of this album are its energy and the combined instrumental-vocal force which combines aggression with technical skill and hooks. Yet somehow this self-titled album didn’t hold together for me. I think that was because of its division into blackened rock n roll, strange mystical passages and fuzz / stoner metal. The rock n roll did blend nicely with the stoner element when put together but the interludes, although interesting and adding a dimension, just seemed to interrupt the flow. But my overall impression is positive. Some of the songs on “Søstre” are positively blockbusting, and in spite of sounding like they come from a band just turning out to have fun, they are full of sophistication and life, translating this album into an accomplished work and rip-roaring listen.
(8/10 Andrew Doherty)
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