Progressive rock; Prog folk
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Latest: Dawn of Oberon (2024) to be released Aug 27
---UMR notes
Nordisk Krim (2021)
I last left Tusmørke in 2017 (Tusmorke if searching in English) after Hinsides, which was their 4th album. This is their latest, and Tusmørke are already on their 9th album (!). I was yin and yang on those first quartet of works, having enjoyed the debut and their 3rd, but the other two were perhaps a bit too folky/singy. Given that Nordisk Krim clocks in at over 80 minutes, it would seem that we'll likely get the entire Tusmørke repertoire. And more or less, that's exactly what this album brings. You can read my reviews of the others and have an idea of the sound here. Flute remains a key ingredient, and that's their best asset IMO. If you're new to the group, this wouldn't be a bad place to enter, even though this comes late in their career. At this stage of my collecting career, it's getting to the point that even an "excellent" rating isn't moving the needle much. I need some wow moments, which Nordisk Krim lacks. But how can I say it isn't great? I don't know if I'll keep all 5 albums that I own by them, but this won't be the first out the door either.
---5/9/22
Hinsides (2017)
Tusmørke have been an entirely frustrating band. Their debut showed immense promise. Their sophomore effort was a slight step back only to have their 3rd album demonstrate a resurgence. And now another regression here on their 4th release. Tusmørke's music tends to be vocal heavy and the music lacks the kind of breaks one looks for in progressive rock. But the overall sound is still welcoming, with a distinct analog 70s feel. And the flute, as usual, provides the requisite warmth and melodic lines. Borderline keeper, but the 23 minute 'Sankt Sebastians Alter' is a cut above the rest. Couple that with the excellent packaging (yes, those things matter), and OK we're good for now. I stopped here with Tusmørke, as the band started to release albums at an alarming rate. Suitable for Buckethead maybe, but not for a group such as Tusmørke, where one would presume an extraordinary amount of effort would go into each album. And reviews have been entirely mixed. I'll keep an eye out for cheap copies all the same.
---4/29/20
Fort Bak Lyset (2016)
Ført Bak Lyset is the 3rd studio album from Tusmørke. The band continues to move away from their obvious Jethro Tull beginnings, to something far more native. As if to respond to the critics, the album opens up with a musical quote from none other than Edvard Grieg himself. English is a thing of the past, and Tusmørke are now defiantly singing in Norwegian 100%. The Viking styled choruses from the second album are still here in abundance, but they've fortunately returned back to their debut when considering the progressive quotient. Flute continues to be the main instrumental driver, and the compositions have added a bit of complexity. There's an underlying hard rock muscle throughout. It takes awhile for the ears to adjust to this one, but Ført Bak Lyset is a step in the right direction as far I'm concerned. This album just basks in its Norwegianess (word of the day). If bands from the 70s like Host and Hades excite you, then you'll be pleased with this one.
---1/12/17
Riset Bak Speilet (2014)
Riset Bak Speilet sees Tusmørke beginning to carve out their own identity, and the strong Jethro Tull influence of the debut has subsided significantly. Tusmørke have moved towards a distinct Scandinavian folk rock sound, with more vocals, less complexity, and Viking styled anthemic choruses. Even though the album seems to use only analog instruments, the style of music has a certain modern sheen to it - similar to some Scandinavian heavy metal bands - but minus the metal guitars (if that makes sense). It's not until we get to the title track, which happens to be almost double the longest, clocking in at nearly 15 minutes, that the familiar progressive rock of the debut returns. Here we get multiple shifts in theme, meter, and dynamics, along with more instrumental time for Hammond organ, flute, woody/fuzz bass, and Mellotron. The lyrics are in both Norwegian and English, though it's interesting to note that while they took the time to translate the Norwegian ones, they did not the English (presuming, I'm sure, no one in Norway needs them translated anyway). And just to add to the confusion, or fun as they probably would have it, 'Gamle Aker Kirke' is sung in English. OK, I give up! As for the bonus tracks, once again its curious to label them as such, as the music is exactly like the album proper. Of course, since it is being released on LP, it's fair to consider the extra tracks on the CD as bonus I suppose. In conclusion, I feel Tusmørke has stepped in a direction that's moving away from my personal interest area. As stated prior, this has more in common with folk rock than progressive rock, or even progressive folk rock. It's very lyric heavy, and as such, instrumental flights of fancy are rare. It's still a very good album, barely a half point off the debut. I'm ready for the third, though I do hope they consider moving back towards progressive rock styled compositions in the future.
---7/6/14
Underjordisk Tusmørke (2012)
One of my pet peeves is that every time a band features flute in rock music, then they must be compared to Jethro Tull. I mean seriously - there isn't a hint of Jethro Tull in the music of Gotic, Solaris, or Mythos - and I could site hundreds of examples here. So having said that, Tusmørke have a flute driven progressive rock sound that will remind you of... Jethro Tull. That is exactly what they're trying to accomplish - early 1970s Tull. But the abundance of mellotron and the dark nature of their music (they're Norwegian, they can't help it) will suddenly make you realize that the music is distinctive enough to not sweat the obvious comparison. In fact, if you're a deep diver of the 1970s Scandinavian progressive rock scene, then a couple of bands leap to mind. First is the Finnish band Tabula Rasa, especially at the time of their debut album. But even more to the point, is the archival release from Colours by a band called Hades, who released 20 minutes of really fine flute driven material that had as much in common with those zany Italians Osanna as it did with Jethro Tull. Most of Underjordisk Tusmørke is sung in English, with that gnarled-tree-Ian-Anderson inflection. But the final track and one of the bonus tracks feature their native Norwegian, which sounds more natural - and mysterious - and something I hope they stick with on their followup. This band has enormous potential.
---1/25/13
1/25/13 (new entry)
