Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Beardfish
Label: Inside Out Records
Release: 2012
Length: 76:15
Rating: 4/5
Swedish progressive rock up-and-comers Beardfish have put out their seventh studio album in less than nine years with »The Void«. That makes them hyperproductive all this time, cranking out rhythmically complex, arrangement-rich music that lets all their virtuoso strengths shine. Even though less than a year has passed since the previous album »Mammoth« (2011), the eclectic proggers rushed out »The Void«, which is a pretty different story stylistically from its predecessor, because, against most expectations, they veered into progressive metal territory a few times.
Beardfish have never sounded as dark, uncompromising and brutal as they do on some of the tracks on »The Void«, which are packed with thundering double bass pedals, snarling guitar passages and even the occasional, though very rare, use of growling vocals, something you’d hardly have expected from keyboardist/singer Rikard Sjöblom based on his past vocal feats. Clearly, the Beardfish guys, who craved new sonic experiments (as they already hinted at on »Mammoth«), fancied dipping into the metal scene for a while, where Scandinavians have always been strong. Still, any panic that Beardfish have completely mutated into a technically aggressive prog metal band is unwarranted, because that only applies to a few opening tracks, while the album is still dominated by their trademark symphonic prog rock approach, with a clear influence from prog legends led by Genesis, King Crimson, Yes and Gentle Giant.
»The Void« isn’t a full-on concept album, even though its centerpiece is the epic, multi-part suite »Note«, which continues the story from the opening narration »Introduction« about a clairvoyant wizard who leaves this crumbling world, where he feels a growing inner emptiness, and sets off for another, friendlier dimension. After a while curiosity gets the better of him, so he returns to our world and realizes that the only thing that has changed for the better in the meantime is himself. The opening narration about the wizard features keyboardist/singer Andy Tillison of The Tangent as guest narrator. Beardfish toured with them as an opening act in 2008.
Right from the opening rager »Voluntary Slavery«, Beardfish remind you more of Fates Warning and at times of a prog metal version of Opeth than of their old-school prog rock role models, and Sjöblom’s vocal approach is a bit more aggressive than usual too, with the occasional short death metal growl. Still, amid the hard rock guitar passages and merciless drum fills, melodic transitions and clever instrumental variations rule, so in the end this unusual prog metal experiment turns out to be downright fun. »Turn To Gravel«, which continues the unusual stylistic direction, is an even darker and more nihilistic track with dirty guitar passages and wild transitions, while Sjöblom’s vocals are full of rage and pain. The brutal, ‘supersonic’ improvisations will seriously ‘blow your head off’ and will please all fans of uncompromising technical superiority.
On the excellent »They Whisper«, which delivers a striking stylistic contrast, Beardfish finally prove they haven’t forgotten how to play symphonic progressive rock, and they make the traditionalists happy with their trademark arrangement and improvisation tricks. Unpredictable rhythmic patterns and time changes stay front and center throughout, while Sjöblom proves at every turn that he’s not just an exceptional vocal chameleon but also a passionate keyboard virtuoso who adores epic symphonic arrangements. But the fling with progressive metal isn’t over yet, as the band proves with the thunderous bomb »This Matter Of Mine«, where drummer Magnus Ӧstgren goes through a series of brutal outbursts, while Sjöblom once again ‘lets it rip’, ramping up the dark atmosphere with his dramatic singing (and occasional, minimal growling) amid roaring guitar passages and furious rhythmic nuances.
On the fantastic, stylistically super-versatile instrumental »Seventeen Again«, Beardfish show off their freedom from genre constraints with a subtle opening section built on jazz rock fusion, followed by an epic transition into a nostalgic section with mighty, flowing harmonies between electric guitar and Hammond organ, which once again recalls ‘old-school’ prog rock. Thanks to numerous witty improvisations, the song’s structure and ambience keep shifting from second to second without losing the melodic component, which is the main Beardfish asset, the one that so quickly set them apart from other prog revivalists and made them interesting even to some of the pickier prog heads.
»Ludvig & Sverker«, which is sure to become a live favorite, has a brilliant central motif through which Beardfish also show some pop rock sensibility, something they’ve already done plenty of times in the past. »He Already Lives In You« is yet another atmospherically diverse mini-epic with hard rock elements, thanks to rustling organ passages and sharpened guitar variations, while Sjöblom’s high vocal screams drive home the fact that his band knows the Deep Purple legacy pretty well. The nearly sixteen-minute, multi-part suite »Note« is the atmospheric climax of the whole of »The Void«, where across all four parts Beardfish stage an unforgettable symphonic prog rock journey full of unexpected twists and turns and not a single dull moment. To close the album, Beardfish take a bit of a ‘breather’ with the moving ballad »Where The Lights Are Low«, ruled by melancholic blues rock guitar variations, once again showing off their stylistic range and a sharp ear for all kinds of musical influences.
Beardfish wanted to try something different, something refreshing on »The Void«, so they started experimenting with prog metal, and it turned out better than most people would imagine. At least for those who know these eclectic Swedish proggers well, this stylistic turn hardly came as a big surprise, since Beardfish have proven many times that they don’t care about genre borders and can play pretty much anything that ‘pops into their heads’. Who knows, maybe »The Void«, with its at times brutal and dark nature, will draw some not-too-genre-bound metalhead into the wonderful world of Beardfish, someone who’s grown tired of Viking chants and demonized growling.
Line-up
Rikard Sjöblom – vocals and keyboards
David Zackrinsson – guitar
Robert Hansen – bass guitar
Magnus Östgren – drums
GUEST MUSICIAN:
Andy Tillison (The Tangent) – spoken word (1)
Production
Beardfish
Tracklist
1. Intro (0:30)
2. Voluntary Slavery (6:33)
3. Turn To Gravel (5:30)
4. They Whisper (6:06)
5. This Matter Of Mine (7:06)
6. Seventeen Again (7:44)
7. Ludvig & Sverker (8:06)
8. He Already Lives In You (6:38)
9. Note (15:50)
I. Note
II. Descending
III. The Void
IV. Note (reprise)
10. Where The Lights Are Low (5:41)
Bonus track:
11. Ludvig & Sverker (Solo Piano Version) (6:34)
