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Adventure — Adventure
(Apollon Records ARP092, 2000/2026, 2LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2026-08-05

Adventure Cover art

In 2022 we covered the two parts of the Tales of Belle saga by Norway’s Adventure, Across the Ocean and Unveiled by Fire. The band’s 2000 self-titled debut has been reissued by Apollon as a double LP set, so we get to see where this group in the classic prog mold got its start. The original recordings date from 1996-99, and at the time the participants were Odd-Roar Bakken (keyboards, acoustic guitar, backing vocals), Terje Flessen (guitars, bass), and Vebjørn Moen (vocals), with occasional guests on drums and flute. Only one track features a credited drummer, though other tracks have drums, presumably either programmed or an uncredited guest. Much of the album is percussion-free, however, and has a pastoral feel to it. There are two multi-part suites, “Motherland” and “Seasons,” along with three shorter tracks. Compared to their more recent releases, Adventure shows a band that is well-versed in the tropes of progressive rock, but haven’t found a distinctive sound of their own, so a listener’s feelings about classic prog will be the determining factor. Being only somewhat facetious, I think of this as “music to play Dungeons and Dragons to,” referring as much to my own history with the style as the lyrical content of the music. I can imagine myself as a teenager, poring through the original Gygax D&D books, planning adventures while listening to Adventure, enjoying the dramatic and stately tunes and dreaming of my prized Ranger Derla with her broadsword and flowing red hair taking on orcs and evil wizards. Returning to reality, the songs actually seem to be a bit more down-to-earth and based on history than fantasy. Instrumentally, Bakken and Flessen do a good job, and Moen is a solid singer, so there’s nothing to throw you out of your enjoyment. You won’t hear a lot in the way of odd meters or dissonance, but they do have some good moments. In particular, it’s interesting to hear some of their heavier moments, like “Into the Dream,” arranged with chunky guitar but almost nothing in the way of drums. The original recordings have been remastered by Jacob Holm-Lupo for a clear and present sound. If you’re hankering for some old-school-sounding prog rock, you could do a lot worse than this reissue.

Filed under: Reissues, 2026 releases, 2000 recordings

Related artist(s): Adventure

More info
http://adventure1.bandcamp.com/album/adventure

 

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