Hedvig Mollestad Trio
Black Stabat Mater

Surely, I've been influenced by the society I grew up in and all those bullshit and those stupid deviant cultures that have been ingrained in me since I was a child. It must be for this reason that sometimes I feel somewhat 'strange' when dealing with girls.

Obviously, this might immediately lead to doubts concerning my sexuality, but I'm not talking about that, just like this time I'm not referring (not primarily) to what might be my difficulties in relationships with the opposite sex or establishing a relationship. I'm referring more to something that I want to define as insane conventions and habits, the legacy of a macho culture which is still in some way dominant in our society and far from being overcome.

Let me add that I don't consider myself to be what might be termed a sexist. I'm not. Or at least I don't think I am. Generally speaking. Probably this is also true because in general I always try not to offend or cause harm to anyone and, well, as a consequence, this applies as much or more to women. On the other hand, I am still relatively young, but for example, I can say that I already have many years of experience in the working and professional field where I interact necessarily with professionals of different types and of the opposite sex. I can assert with complete serenity that in many cases, women perform the same profession as their male colleagues much better and with greater attention and competence. Moreover, how can I not admit that in general, I am always fascinated by girls who have a strong identity and who show an attitude of being independent and at the same time convey a certain sense of freedom to those around them. A fascination that might also stem from the simple fact that I primarily don't feel at all like a free person and instead am constrained in a whole series of obsessive-compulsive patterns. But that's another story, and I don't want to talk about it right now.

The fact is that, despite all this, on some occasions, I feel uncomfortable when a woman does something better than me. Let me explain better. This inevitably happens mainly in contexts where one has to measure one's strength. So for example, when I engage in sports activities. Generally speaking, I consider myself, I am a good athlete, but damn, believe me, it is really irritating, for example, while running, to see yourself being overtaken by a young and pretty girl who is half the size you might be, and a minute later, see her literally disappear from your sight. But this can also apply to music or when I am at a concert. I am a decent musician, I am satisfied with how I play, I have no intention of competing in any skill contest, but damn, listening to this record, I wondered how I would relate to a woman like Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen?

Born in Alesund, Norway, in February 1982, Hedvig is what we could very well define as a force of nature. Considered basically a jazz musician (she is a guitarist, sings and composes her songs) and also graduated from the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, among her many (innumerable) projects, in 2011 she started this one called 'Hedvig Mollestad Trio' (or HM3) with bassist Ellen Brekken and drummer Ivar Loe Bjornstad.

In a very short time, the trio has released five albums and been involved in a lot of collaborations and participated in a whole bunch of festivals and events around the world. Clearly, if you expect this trio to play traditional, relaxing, and classical jazz music, you are completely off track.

Inspired by the heavy rock music of the seventies, the trio has created its unique musical style by mixing ingredients of different genres, clearly starting from free-jazz to progressive music and heavy psychedelia. The result is something truly experimental (and noisy) that can be easily compared to the more noise and chaotic episodes of the Swans, and at the same time to a distorted and violent, furious, and monstrous Frank Zappa and what is the most psychedelic stoner music. Naturally, speaking of Norway, we cannot exclude the influences of Motorpsycho.

Just this year, the trio released two albums. Both on the same date (June 3) and both via Rune Grammofon. The first, 'Evil In Oslo', is nothing but a classic live album recorded in two clubs in the Norwegian capital, 'John Dee' and 'Buckley's'. The second is this 'Black Stabat Mater', the fourth studio album where Hedvig and her companions from the very first moment play something that honestly seems to be everything but not exactly jazz music. Right from the first track, in fact, the fourteen minutes of 'Approaching/On Arrival', the musicians' skills are evident. The bass is dominant and fills the spaces left empty by the electric guitar that alternates catchy riffs with solo parts that, even if performed with 'Ptolemaic' perfection, turn out perhaps too academic as a result. It is also impossible not to consider the drummer's abilities, who clearly starts from what might be considered the basics of jazz music teachings and then expands into more cosmic and necessarily violent branches to be adapted to such aggressive music.

It must be said that the trio has also been compared to the metal genre, but in my opinion, we are far from that type of sound. This becomes increasingly evident as one continues listening to the record (which, after all, consists of only four tracks). 'In the Court of The Trolls' is a piece of stoner psychedelia initially built on the intersection of violent riffs played by the guitar and bass and played at lightning speed and which, after an intermezzo phase, reopens for what can be defined as a final explosion.

'-40', on the other hand, is a very experimental track which frankly constitutes one of those surprises you wouldn't expect at this point at all. Musically, it made me even think of some passages of Matt Elliott's compositions, because the sounds are so evocative and literally capable of immersing you in such deep atmospheres and plunging you into your deepest thoughts. You slowly slide into a kind of imaginary bathtub and immerse yourself underwater, until you put your head in and see how long you can hold your breath. Repeat the experiment several times. Again and again. As if this attempt, this experience, constituted a real experiment on yourself, with the pretense of learning all your capacities and also understanding how far your real limits are.

A very experimental track, as mentioned, which I really like and which certainly shows yet more qualities of this trio, although it sounds somewhat strange within the context of the album, which closes with another track that I would call 'noisy', namely 'Somebody Else Should Be On That Bus', where in four minutes the trio concentrates all its expressive power. This time there's perhaps less style and more improvisation with the intent of creating a sound free of empty spaces, a noisy drum as loud as the overwhelming and deafening noise of a tank's tracks on asphalt.

The end result, after listening to the album, as far as I'm concerned, is that I feel completely exhausted. I think I wrote, by the way, a lot of bullshit in the first part of the review, but on the other hand, even considering this feeling of exhaustion, I think a few more words need to be said on the matter. A lot of women, a lot of artists, more or less commercial, use the much-abused expression 'girl power' and in many cases, this includes a kind of complete package, offered by these women, naturally made of their music, generally aggressive in tone and almost provocative in terms of attitude and lyrics, and obviously showing a very determined and captivating style and look. Almost as if they want to tell you to go to hell. Which is also fair enough, no doubt. As if it were the first time a woman told me to go to hell. But, you see, all this has nothing to do with Hedvig. This girl can really play (then what she does, you may like or not) and frankly, she seems to not give a damn about appearing strong and independent and this probably because she is. She clearly is. And do you know something? Despite the fact I am not at all as strong and fucking badass as she is, I am so attracted to her strength and I don't even remotely think about whether she's a woman or a man. This thing has no relevance.

... Okay, stop everything. If I really have to be honest, I'm perfectly fine with it, that is, I clearly prefer the fact that she's a woman, also because Hedvig Mollestad is a beautiful woman, who possesses a magnetic, electric, and spatial charm at the same time. I'm in love with her. I can't help it, you see, in the end, I couldn't help but consider her appearance as well. I'm a fucking sexist. Forgive me. I'll change, I swear, one day I will finally manage to overcome all this and be finally politically and sexually correct. Maybe.