Beardfish
Mammoth

It is the great problem of today's music: managing to rework the coordinates launched in various genres by their major representatives, the "cornerstone" groups. The Swedish Beardfish have always managed to do so, with very positive and original results such as the two "Sleeping in the Traffic".

After "Destined Solitaire" in 2009, the four Scandinavians returned to the studio to give birth to the sixth album, released by Inside Out Music. For the band, Mammoth represented what many considered in two ways: either the work of their definitive breakthrough or one that confirmed the quality of their proposal without, however, the necessary strength to fully emerge. As expected, upon the release of Mammoth, critics and fans were divided: some call this CD the most complete of the group, while others accuse them of excessive superficiality.

Driven by curiosity and aware of facing a band that has nonetheless produced noteworthy works in the recent past, I decided to get Beardfish's latest album, to be first enthralled, then pleased, and finally even a bit disappointed. Let it be clear: the progressive rock that these four Swedes offer is much more interesting and "felt" than most of what today's music market offers, but certainly from the class of these musicians, I expected something more positive.

Drawing from the masters of progressive rock like Camel, King Crimson, and partly Rush, the group has been able to find the right balance between the significance of these groups and their personality, creating a blend with a seventies aftertaste but a distinctly modern scent. This ability of the band is further amplified in Mammoth towards an extraordinary sonic clarity and towards an undeniable increase in riffs and heaviness. For long stretches, their latest work sounds decidedly hard rock, and this is certainly not a bad thing: what does not fully satisfy in Mammoth is a widespread sensation of forced mechanisms, which slightly affect everything. Despite the good vocal performance of the leader Rikard Sjöblom, his vocal lines often seem forced, almost detached from the musical base. In fact, while "The Platform" and "Green Waves" are perfect musically, with the latter being the hardest thing ever conceived by Sjöblom and company, the vocal lines do not fully convince: a fault to be shared among the various members of the group, who seem almost to want to linger on instrumental-style songwriting, relegating the vocal part to the background. This is somewhat the trend throughout the work, balancing innate class ("And the Stone Said: If I Could Speak") with questionable solutions like the unnecessary interlude "Outside/Inside".

After several listens, Mammoth asserts itself with great moments (the jazz in "Akakabotu" is splendid) and an underlying liquidity that waters down the final judgment, also affected by tracks that occasionally lose track and stretch into forced parts. It's a shame because they have a truly important technique and stylistic variety for today, but in Mammoth, they do not manage to express it at its best. Recommended to all lovers of the genre.

1. "The Platform" (8:05)
2. "And The Stone Said: If I Could Speak" (15:09)
3. "Tightrope" (4:33)
4. "Green Waves" (8:54)
5. "Outside/Inside" (1:43)
6. "Akakabotu" (5:41)
7. "Without Saying Anything (Feat. Ventriloquist)" (8:11)