Release Date: May 07th 2024. Record Label: Apollon Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Gjenferd - Track Listing:
1.High Octane 03:51
2.Starless 07:17
3.Burning Soil 04:43
4.Restless Nights 05:07
5.Beneath The Wave 04:03
6.All That Remain Is Haze 07:57
Review
How does one go about choosing their album of the year? Do you whittle your list down at the last minute? Do you stress over the thought of picking between album number one vs album number two? Well not me, I usually know when I hear the album that it is something special. Last year it was DeWolff’s ‘Love, Death and In Between’, an album I found quite refreshing and original with its take on 70’s rock and soul. In 2022 my mind was blown away with the progressive rock classic from Birth, easily album of the year for me. In 2020 I heard the debut album from Kryptograf, without a doubt, top slot. Which leads me to my pick for this year.
I did the time jump and mentioned Kryptograf because there’s a connection to my pick for 2024. This year for me it is Gjenferd with their self-titled release. Upon first hearing this album I was very much suspicious of the singer sounding quite familiarly like the singer from Kryptograf. I even posted a blurb on Gjenferd’s Bandcamp that states “Imagine fellow Norwegians Kryptograf but with heavy keys.” Turns out my suspicions were valid; it is in fact Vegard Bachmann Strand on guitar and vocals. Joined by Jakob Saervoll on keys/vocals, Samuel Robson Gardner on bass, and Hans Uhre on drums, and what a glorious ‘noise’ they create!
Gjenferd weave their magic through six rockin’ tracks of Hammond organ wizardry, thick guitars, endless groove, and vocal harmonies, all the while showing their outstanding musicianship and skill in songwriting. Blending prog, 70’s rock, and proto-metal with modern heavy psych and stoner-doom it’s a combination of sounds that Gjenferd has nailed, accomplishing something truly special. It’s a fresh take on what can be done, a step up from some of the ordinary sometimes staleness within the scene. Though the album may take inspiration from various outlets, it’s never recycled or uninspired, but rather a glowing beacon of originality.
Gjenferd kicks things off with the rock anthem ‘High Octane’ which puts audio to the visual of the album cover, a careless free spirit riding the open road with unavoidable death breathing down your neck. It really has that feeling to it, and when the Hammond organ kicks in from the count off you are completely held hostage by it through the entirety of the song. Not that new music can’t have an organ in it, but with Gjenferd it brings a certain vintage aspect to the ensemble.
The Stoner-Doom infused ‘Starless’ introduces the infatuating dual vocal harmonies that are flawlessly executed on this slower tempo track. In fact, the vocals are one of the stars of the album. Their weight is heavy, the gravity of them pulls you in and soon you’ll be singing ‘The city’s crumbling, oh can’t you see? The sky is starless, to me...’
Gjenferd blends proto-metal guitar riffs with classic rock styled melodies with ease. Just as ‘Starless’ did before, ‘Burning Soil’ is another track where the vocals take center stage. Feelings of despair and longing are delivered through a wistful chorus of emotions. Great songs create great albums, a simple concept in theory, though this group of Norwegians take such knowledge pushing it even further with their song-smithing and artistry.
‘Restless Nights’ starts off in an Uncle Acid manner before shifting into a Moody Blues styled 70’s rock progression. Take note of the exceptionally fluid bass guitar, it’s constantly in motion and as the volume lowers on the verses, it becomes a real highlight and point of focus.
The track ‘Beneath the Wave’ sounds as such, with a heavy underwater effect on the vocals. Like a storm coming to fruition the song eerily builds adding layer by layer, instrument by instrument. The pinnacle point being a flurry of keys followed by a tempest of notes in the form of a raging guitar solo.
The funkiest song on the album without a doubt is ‘All That Remain is Haze’, with the locked in groove between the bass and drums in a rhythmic union driving the course. Even as the song goes into a long winding bridge filled with keys and guitar, the rhythm section holds it all together. It all comes crashing back down to the captivating chorus, that, as you should know by now, Gjenferd are experts at.
Gjenferd fulfills what any album of the year should, a major re-playability factor, gratification to the listener, and ticking all the boxes of this guy’s personal tastes.
Words by Jon McGough
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