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Gösta Berlings Saga — Glue Works
(Cuneiform Rune 319, 2011, CD)

by Jon Davis, Published 2013-07-07

Glue Works Cover art

Gösta Berlings Saga occupies a no-band's-land in between the realms of progressive rock, post-rock, math-rock, and RIO, with elements of all but not fitting completely in any of those categories. But music is not judged by how well it fits a genre, at least not around here. For those inclined to notice such things, the 'one' doesn't always hit when expected, as meters tend to change, but the aggressive complexity of math-rock is eschewed for more melodic tendencies like you hear in post-rock. When a Mellotron comes sweeping in, you're reminded of classic symphonic prog, but the setting isn't right for that, with edgy guitar and insistent rhythms decidedly more modern in influence, though Magma isn't a farfetched reference. These guys know how to ride a riff, slowly building to climaxes through adding parts and ratcheting up the energy, much like Mono or even Sigur Rós (though without vocals). And like those two post-rock bands, the musicianship is not flashy, not built around gratuitous, ostentatious displays of technique. The melodies are catchy in the best way, drawing the listener into the aural landscape, no visa required, just the desire to hear what's there.

Filed under: New releases, 2011 releases

Related artist(s): Gösta Berlings Saga

 

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