![]() The Approbation is the kind of album I’d have playing loud in the car on the long drive to somewhere like Fusion festival. Despite the despair-laden theme of the record, I found it to be a rather life affirming piece of work. Every second of this record worked for me and every listen has put a huge smile on my face in the way that only music can. I will be watching their future work with interest. This was just the new band I needed right now, I just didn’t know it. All in all, this is an emotionally charged, beautifully crafted modern prog record, closed out by two ten minute plus epics. The sub-thirty second opening track leans into the cyclical nature of the album, so the record works amazingly well on a loop, which makes sense for a concept album. ![]() I love how the heaviness and texture isn’t always coming from the guitars though, and there are some excellent keyboard moments that drive the songs into quicker or darker territory too. Many of the songs have these blissful guitar moments that feel like closing your eyes and taking a breath on a brilliantly sunny day, letting the light of the sun wash over your eyelids. As the song continues it finds its own feet and as this is a concept album, despite The Pale Moon working well as a single, you really should listen to this as one piece. I guess if you are going to be inspired by the work of others, then drawing from the absolute best makes sense. The Wilsonisms continue and closing title track The Approbation, with its distorted almost spoken vocals veers a little too close to Porcupine Tree for comfort. “I know death comes near me” it’s all a bit Steven Wilson, in the best possible way. I love the juxtaposition between downbeat navel gazing lyrics and blissful melodies, like on The Great White River. When singers put it all out there like that, even if built around a character, it makes me feel less alone and isolated as a result. All my faith has drowned and my life feels like it’s burned to the ground” are suitably evocative. It’s reassuringly familiar, while also fresh and new at the same time. Lyrics like “All I know is that I’m down in the deep, cold sea that keeps pushing me around. The Pale Moon is a sumptuous slice of modern prog, with yearning guitar and atmospheric keys over a cyclical rhythm underpinning the heartfelt vocals, until things take a heavier and darker turn that Opeth would be proud of. Simon Bergseth’s voice is light and ethereal most of the time, which adds even greater contrast when he leans into full on growls, much like when Leprous, Haken and Novena do similar. Vocally there’s a touch of fellow Norwegians Wobbler, and even shoegazer bands like Ride. On that front this debut record delivers in spades, with the concept it’s built around making that approach even more powerful. I personally love albums with heaps of light and shade, with sheer melody and pure angst sitting alongside one another. That’s a bold approach to your first record and the kind of concept I absolutely love.ĪVKVRST have the real knack of being able to sound both uplifting and melancholy at the same time, in a similar way to artists like Porcupine Tree and Pineapple Thief. Some of the sound design is actual recordings of rain hitting the cabin or train horns in the distance during the sessions. “The Approbation is a concept album about a bleak soul who is left solely with his thoughts, isolated in a cabin deep into the dark forests, far away from civilisation.” In a completely method approach to music, the album was recorded in a cabin deep in the dark forests of Norway too. And straight off the bat they’ve hit the ground running with a proper prog record in all its glory. The fact this is the band’s first record, rather than me stumbling upon them mid-career, made how good this album was even more shocking. I thought it would be right up my street. I was excited to hear they had an LP coming out. When I first heard lead single The Pale Moon by AVKVRST, I was instantly smitten. I made similar promises with my old schoolmates and despite one of them now playing keyboards with Alexa De Strange, I never did manage to achieve any musical aspirations in adulthood! The time that Utby and Bergseth spent together has really paid dividends and then some. Now, 22 years later they’ve done just that. An album is ready – 55 minutes of music inspired by everything they grew up listening to – everything from Mew, Anekdoten and Porcupine Tree to Opeth, Neal Morse, and King Crimson.” “At the young age of 7 years old, Martin Utby and Simon Bergseth made a pact that they would form a band when they got older.
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