Beardfish
The Void

The Zappa-like atmospheres are gone, but they had actually stopped with the second "Sleeping in Traffic". However, the eclecticism of Beardfish's prog remains very much alive. This "The Void" is certainly more significant than the incomplete "Mammoth", and although it is longer, it is also more cohesive. It maintains - even accentuates - the heavy tones, but without overdoing it, and there is indeed greater compositional maturity found there. Before its release, there was talk of a metal shift, and it's undeniable that some tracks (the opening with "Voluntary Slavery," or "This Matter of Mine") have a harder - and even rawer - sound, especially when compared to the usual tones of Sjoblom and company, but nothing truly "metallic" that would cause concern. Except for the growl on a couple of occasions... ;-)

"Turn to Gravel" continues the heavy momentum but does so in the best possible way, with a rousing ride of guitars and drums. There are also more "them" moments like "They Whisper," or the instrumental "Seventeen Again," but paradoxically they stand out less than the other tracks. The peak of the album is instead the beautiful suite "Note." Yes, "Note" indeed. Articulated in four movements, it is perhaps Beardfish's most mature and refined composition. Despite being a quarter of an hour long, it is compact and truly capable of thrilling. And then there's the poignant "Ludwig & Sverker," even offered in a double version (Rikard's piano solo closing the album). Beautiful, beautiful that lets you sense it right away but still grows on you, and after yet another listen reveals itself with chills. Could that be why they wanted to reprise it on the album? A special mention goes to the lyrics, always very evocative and engaging in their simplicity ("I have this story ready/ and I would like for you to hear it if you got the time./ Have you got the time?/ And as I'm about to descend,/ I'll skip straight to the chorus and tell you right away,/ it's all just a filthy lie" from "Where the Lights Are Low").

Albums like this are those that in one way or another force you to listen to them attentively, and that never give you the satisfaction of a definite verdict. For "The Void," after careful consideration, this is mine.