Black Debbath
Welcome To Norway

THE REVIEW

Perhaps someone will say that reviewing Black Debbath here is a bit like talking about C.S.I. on a Lithuanian site (=a purely national phenomenon hardly exportable), yet I dare to not care at all and rely on the idea that "good music knows no boundaries" (after all, it's not very difficult to get foreign CDs).

Ok, I'll close the introduction and move on to talk about the band: These four Norwegians were born (as the name suggests) as a simple cover band of Black Sabbath, nothing extraordinary in that, then they discovered that that type of seventies hard rock can evolve into something completely new if mixed with their very personal Nordic touch and taste for ironic/satirical lyrics.
Their first album "Tung, Tung Politisk Rock" (sung almost entirely in Norwegian) comes out, in which they ridicule the entire political system and all the parliamentary spectrum with heavily stoner guitars and psycho-rock breaks.

But their consecration as a cult band comes in 2001 with their second madness: "Welcome To Norway" which is nothing more than a tourist guide! Indeed, to quote the words from the introduction in the booklet "a combination of factual information and ass-kicking rock music".
The lyrics are entirely in English and provide (sarcastic and brilliantly crazy) information on history, nightlife, culture, food, and local habits; all of it shouted, whispered, and hummed over hard and baroque hard rock at the same time (there are also violas, violins, and flutes refining the atmospheres).

Certainly one of the strangest and musically gifted bands I've come across. Whether or not you fancy taking a trip to the land of the midnight sun, this "hard rock guide" is highly recommended.