ACTIONFREDAG – Lys fremtid i mørke
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It’s not even two months since Actionfredag debut album from 2023 was re-released, and now they are already back with their second longplayer Lys fremtid i mørke. I was rather stricken with their first record, and am happy to announce that the new material surpasses my expectations by a lot. The new album contains more songs that are also much shorter than previously. One might think that a strange move for a progressive rock band, but Actionfredag have never been like Yes’ Close To The Edge or Genesis’ Supper’s Ready, instead opting for the whimsical, pastoral sound of the Canterbury sub-scene. Especially bass icon and vocalist Richard Sinclair (Caravan, Hatfield and the North) seems to be a huge influence on the Norwegian six-piece. The opener Angst oppå bordet is a guitar driven instrumental which may have inspired by King Crimson’s Red, and the following Dalai Lama’s Five Dollar Mamas I is another upbeat track that combines Frank Zappa’s zany sense of humour with good-humoured British progginess. Actionfredag claim to play only in the major key, and label their genre as life-affirming prog, but they can, like any good Scandinavian, also excel in more melancholic terrain. The three minute short Karesuando Camping is a heart-warming ballad with stirring vocals and incredibly lush instrumentation: goosebumps inducing material! Planet Bygningsetaten, the album’s pre-release single, allows the band to unleash its inner Hatfield and the North. The vocals and the bass playing have never sounded more like Richard Sinclair, and the chorus comes with such surprising force that it will not let you go anytime soon. I will not get into each and every song now, but can assure you that Lys fremtid i mørke won’t let you down. Actionfredag has band members who also play in Tusmørke and Jordsjø, to name but the most popular bands. Add to this ten guest musicians from bands like Panzerpappa, Wobbler, Meer etc. on oboe, recorders, violin, clarinets, flutes, French horn and a few more. Reviving the Canterbury sound has been but a recent phenomenon, and Actionfredag can claim one of the top positions with Zopp and Tom Penaguin. What is so wonderful about this is not only the great music they give us, but also the hope that young people can still perform music that can move my heart. |
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11 songs |
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41:43 minutes |
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***** ***** |
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Genre: progressive rock / Canterbury Label: áMARXE Released: 6th December 2024 |
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