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Tusmørke — Hestehoven
(Karisma KAR254, 2023, CD / LP / DL)

by Henry Schneider, Published 2023-12-30

Hestehoven Cover art

Norwegian prog rockers Tusmørke churn out an average of one album per year. Their latest musical excursion is Hestehoven or Horse’s Hoof, a pretty odd title that is typical of this odd band, but a bit less whimsical than previous outings. This time they take a darker turn in their subject matter. The album opener, “Cycle of Gylfaginning,” is a fantastic blend of 70s prog rock, jazz, and Krautrock, telling the story of the Swedish King Gylfi who is tricked by one of the Æsir and wonders if all Æsir use magic and tricks. Gylfi is challenged to show his wisdom (foolishness) and is left standing alone on empty ground. The title track is a slow, dark, and eerie tune with some great organ. Next is “Den Behornede Guden” or “The Horned God,” a sprightly folk melody. Then Tusmørke ventures into Jethro Tull territory with “Åndemaneren” or “The Spirit Manner,” which also reminds me of Celtic rockers Horslips, leading the listener to a similar folk rocker track “Jeg Klumser Deg” or “I'm Stumping You.” This is one beautiful and enjoyable track. Next they unveil their Mellotron chops on”Kyprianos” with some lovely melodies and a bit of dissonance thrown in for good measure. The album closes with the suitably dark “Wicked Ways of Witches and Wizards,” another 70s inspired tour de force. Tusmørke never fails to please.

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases

Related artist(s): Alwanzatar (Kristoffer Momrak), Tusmørke

More info
http://tusm-rke.bandcamp.com/album/hestehoven

 

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