Four versatile records in another loaded week!

Seemingly out of nowhere comes this british trio – and manages to blow my mind, every single time anew when I throw on “The Last Three Seconds” again. Originally a jazz trio, they took the polyrhythmic madness of Meshuggah, Car Bomb and the likes, some good old Bach and a healthy dose of Tigran Hamasyan piano awesomeness, threw everything (including their jazz roots) in a blender – and created a stunning piece of art I simply can’t get enough of. Front and center are the elegant piano and superphat synth sounds of main man Aleks Podraza and despite the absence of a guitar, this album reaches disgusting levels of heaviness at times in the absolute best ways, providing eargasm after eargasm. A highly addictive affair and those last three seconds (just kidding, more like the last two minutes) of album closer “Home Could Be Lightyears Away” are simply out of this world. Dario

I would be lying if I said that I’m surprised that Norwegian Woodland-proggers Jordsjø is following up on their last releases “Nattfiolen” (2019) and “Jord” (2017) with another near flawless album. Håkon Oftung and Kristian Frøland have spoiled me, and the level of quality they managed to achieve on this latest “trilogy” has been impressive, to say the least. “Pastoralia” continues down the same path as their previous releases, while still hiding some new tricks up its sleeve. Tracks like the almost Jan Johanson like “Fugleviskeren” mixes jazz and Scandinavian folk music in an excellent way, while the warm, organic, and infectiously catchy tune “Skumring i Karesuando” might be some of the best music they have ever written. Add to that the fantastic 11-minute finisher “Jord III”, with its sombre piano melody, flute and lyrically spoken poetry describing nature in all its glorious detail, and you have a future classic. There is no doubt in my mind that people who enjoy bands like Wobbler, Änglagård, or the Canterbury scene bands of the 70s’ will love this album. Rune

Just three weeks after the return of Liquid Tension Experiment, fans of instrumental supergroups have another reason to rejoice: a new live album by The Aristocrats! And as expected, the trio takes the listener on a wild ride through six dazzling songs of their signature sound that merges rock, prog, jazz, funk, metal, even country and much more. Their unique chemistry unfolds perfectly in the live setting and their sheer joy of making music together is highly contagious. Drum alien Marco Minnemann gets the spotlight in an extended drum solo section in ‘Get It Like That’, while Bryan Beller’s space shines especially in the Guthrie Govan ballad ‘Last Orders’, that’s closing off an exhilarating musical journey on a distinct melodic high note. An excellent addition to The Aristocrats’ discography. Dario

After 6 years running, with their debut album “Olde One Ascending” released in 2016, Swedish progressive stoner/sludge metal group Vokonis have already launched their fourth album! “Odyssey” is their latest offering, and it is another solid release. With a variety of vocal styles by frontman Simon Ohlsson, ranging from soaring cleans to blackened screeches to an almost thrashy, yet unique raspiness adding to that fine balance of stoner and sludge. And on top of that, a nice consistency of catchy songs throughout that will keep you hooked all the way to the closing 13-minute epic “Through the Depths”. Fans of bands like Void of Sleep, King Goat, Anciients, and DVNE will find lots to love from this full-length. Colin