Record Reviews

TUSMORKE ~ FORT BAK LYSET SVART 401 (Barcode: 6430050666088) ~ NORWAY ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2014 - 2015 Released: 2016 This is the third album by Norwegian Prog group TusmorkeFind albums by this artist, which consists of twin brothers: vocalist / bassist Benedikt MomrakFind albums by this artist and vocalist / flautist Kristoffer MomrakFind albums by this artist (both playing a plethora of other instruments between them), keyboardist Lars Fredrik FroislieFind albums by this artist and drummer Martin Nordrum KneppenFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original songs, all written by the Momrak brothers. From the very first moment the music starts playing it is pretty obvious that the band decided to go back to the glorious tradition of the original Progressive Rock from the late 1960s / early 1970s, and skip the tedious Neo-Prog idiom completely. Musically Tusmorke is heavily influenced by Jethro TullFind albums by this artist, but combines in their music many other motifs, including Nordic Folklore, Medieval Music, and some Heavy / Dark Rock, creating a wonderful amalgam that can justly be called Prog, despite the fact that the idiom has been gone for almost five decades. The subject matter involves Norwegian mythology, which apparently is as rich and mysterious as any other existing mythology. Although the music is pretty complex and offers several themes within each song, the songs are more condensed this time, ranging between four and eight minutes, and as such more coherent, but still allow the creation of atmospheric buildup and structural dynamics. The prevailing ambience of Medieval troubadours and Gregorian chanting is absolutely magical. The music is deeply soaked in the keyboards sound (as the band does not feature a lead guitar), but those sound (or are) authentic like the keyboards of the original period, rather than the synthesizer imitating the past, which adds considerably to the authenticity and overall atmosphere of the music. The vocals, which in most cases are sung unisono, are not necessarily at the epicenter of the music and are skillfully integrated in the overall aural experience. The sound quality of the album is rather murky, which adds to the retro effect, but the music suffers to some extent, but charmingly so. Hopefully this music will never fall into Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist’s claws. The album is now out of print and is pretty difficult to find, but it is definitely worth the effort of finding a copy. Overall it is quite obvious that Tusmorke is one of the few true Prog bands active today and their albums belong to the finest achievements of the idiom in 2010s. This is an absolute must for all Prog lovers, as are all other albums released by the band so far. Brilliant stuff!

Updated: 21/09/2021Posted: 10/09/2021

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

TUSMORKE ~ HINSIDES SVART 089 (Barcode: 6430050669744) ~ NORWAY ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2015 - 2016 Released: 2017 This is the fourth album by Norwegian Prog group TusmorkeFind albums by this artist, which consists of twin brothers: vocalist / bassist Benedikt MomrakFind albums by this artist and vocalist / flautist Kristoffer MomrakFind albums by this artist (both playing a plethora of other instruments between them), keyboardist Lars Fredrik FroislieFind albums by this artist (who is also a member of other prominent Norwegian Prog bands like WobblerFind albums by this artist, White WillowFind albums by this artist and others) and drummer Martin Nordrum KneppenFind albums by this artist (also a member of Wobbler). Sverre JensenFind albums by this artist plays several instruments and adds some vocals and Morten ObyFind albums by this artist plays congas on one track. The album presents five original songs, all written by the Momrak brothers, By the time this album was recorded Tusmorke crystalized their group sound and musical direction, emerging as one of the most important contemporary Prog groups. The music, based on the tradition set by Prog Godfathers in the late 1960s / early 1970s, which is cautiously preserved, is however completely original, and offers an updated version of the original Prog sound and aesthetics. The music has a distinct Medieval atmosphere, with the flute and a plethora of analog synthesizers perfectly setting the aural background. The album’s magnum opus – a twenty-three+ minutes long suite – references to the 14th Century Black Death pandemic (how appropriate for the times this text is written), St. Sebastian and his role as protector against plague. The lyrics include Latin texts from Medieval sources, and the entire piece sounds like a soundtrack of a sacral rite. Beyond the strictly musical aspects of the album, which are all wonderful, it is great to see the intellectual involvement invested in this project, again something typical of the overall approach of the early Prog idiom. For fans of the original Prog, the music of Tusmorke is a true blessing and as the people who experienced that music at the time it was born, a most welcome resurrection and a relief of the shallow (musically and intellectually) Neo-Prog attempt to carry on. Quite possibly the young listeners exposed to this music might also seek out some of the original Prog recordings, which really lost nothing of their charm over the five decades that passed so quickly. This album is an absolutely essential listening experience and as such is wholeheartedly recommended. Hats off!

Updated: 21/09/2021Posted: 01/03/2021

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

TUSMORKE ~ NORDISK KRIM KARISMA 200 (Barcode: 7090008312000) ~ NORWAY ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2019 - 2020 Released: 2021 This is the sixth album by Norwegian Prog group TusmorkeFind albums by this artist, which consists of twin brothers: vocalist / bassist Benedikt MomrakFind albums by this artist and vocalist / flautist Kristoffer MomrakFind albums by this artist (both playing a plethora of other instruments between them), keyboardist Ivar Haugalokken StangebyFind albums by this artist (also a member of the Norwegian band ActionfredagFind albums by this artist) and drummer Martin Nordrum KneppenFind albums by this artist (also member of the Norwegian Prog group WobblerFind albums by this artist). The 2CD album presents ten original songs, nine of which were written by Benedikt and one by Kristoffer Momrak. With roots back in the mid-1990s and operating under the current moniker since 2009, Tusmorke managed to establish a formidable position on the contemporary European Prog scene, with six excellent Prog albums, one compilation, a couple of children’s albums. an EP and singles, their recorded legacy in just a decade leaves most of their “competition” in the dust. Musically the group decided to make a “fast forward” time jump between the 1970s and 2010s, skipping the dreaded Neo-Prog boredom and simply continuing the Prog idiom from the time it flourished at its peak. The classic instrumentation, magic flute, heavy keyboards and fat bass bottom are all there, combined with lengthy, highly improvised instrumental passages, mythical lyrics and gutsy riffs, sticking to the wisdom of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. The double album offers a diverse tapestry of melody lines, quirky rhythm changes and plenty of surprises while the music is playing, with nostalgic reminiscences of long haired hippies and beautiful gals dancing on the grass. But memories aside, this is Prog or perhaps Folk-Prog at its best, which can be enjoyed with ease and lust for more. The Nordic Folk influences are an obvious influence, which adds another layer to the musical structure. Personally I find the sound of this album a bit too muddled, but this definitely serves the overall atmosphere well. The keyboards are undeniably dominating the proceedings and as much as I love the organ and the Moog, I also enjoy the flute and acoustic guitars, which this time are significantly less present. Notwithstanding, as already mentioned, this is an absolutely delightful and fascinating listening experience. Overall Tusmorke continue to produce consistently excellent albums, time after time, and Prog fans can rely on their output almost blindly, which of course is extremely rare these days. Well done indeed!

Updated: 21/09/2021Posted: 29/04/2021

CD 2 Recommend To A Friend

TUSMORKE ~ RISET BAK SPEILET SVART 270 (Barcode: 6430050661762) ~ NORWAY ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 This is the second album by Norwegian Prog group TusmorkeFind albums by this artist, which consists of twin brothers: vocalist / bassist Benedikt MomrakFind albums by this artist and vocalist / flautist Kristoffer MomrakFind albums by this artist (both playing a plethora of other instruments between them), keyboardist Lars Fredrik FroislieFind albums by this artist and drummer Martin Nordrum KneppenFind albums by this artist. Five guest musicians contribute on selected tracks. The album presents eight original songs (the LP version of the album includes only five songs and the additional three appear only on the CD version as bonuses), all written by the Momrak brothers. From the very first moment the music starts playing it is pretty obvious that the band decided to go back to the glorious tradition of the original Progressive Rock from the late 1960s / early 1970s, and skip the tedious Neo-Prog idiom completely. Musically Tusmorke (at least on this album) is heavily influenced by Jethro TullFind albums by this artist, but combines in their music many other motifs, including Nordic Folklore, Medieval Music, and some Heavy / Dark Rock, creating a wonderful amalgam that can justly be called Prog, despite the fact that the idiom has been gone for almost five decades. The music is pretty complex and offers extended pieces lasting close to ten minutes in duration and in one case even fifteen minutes, which allows the creation of atmospheric buildup and structural dynamics. The music is deeply soaked in the keyboards sound (as the band does not feature a lead guitar), but those sound (or are) authentic like the keyboards of the original period, rather than the synthesizer imitating the past, which adds considerably to the authenticity and overall atmosphere of the music. The vocals, which in most cases are sung unisono, are not necessarily in the focus of the music and are skillfully integrated in the overall aural experience. The sound quality of the album is rather murky, which adds to the retro effect, but the music suffers to some extent, but charmingly so. Hopefully this music will never fall into Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist’s claws. Overall it is quite obvious that Tusmorke is one of the few true Prog bands active today and their albums belong to the finest achievements of the idiom in 2010s. This is an absolute must for all Prog lovers, as are all other albums released by the band so far. Brilliant stuff!

Updated: 21/09/2021Posted: 26/02/2021

CD 1 Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend