The 3rd and the Mortal
In This Room

Three reviews about the same group weren't written by chance! The one under examination is, for me, one of the best acts of the '90s.

The ensemble certainly didn't hail from America or the United Kingdom... Rather from the remote and, in some aspects, eerie Norway.

I will once again briefly reconstruct their history. Born as a doom band accompanied by a female voice, The 3rd and The Mortal soon gravitated towards Pink Floydian, gothic, and folk sounds. This occurred, precisely and with superb results, within that jewel titled "Tears Laid In Heart." Year 1994. With the EP "Nightswan," however, they began their first attempts at experimentation, which would culminate in 1996 with "Painted On Glass." An unprecedented album!

But before reaching the magnum opus mentioned just a line above, The 3rd delivered an intermediate chapter: "In This Room".

Thirteen musical tracks or, if you'll allow me, thirteen icy gems brimming with dreamy solitude.

The "dark" vein becomes more rarefied and aseptic. Electronic eccentricities begin to sneak in (not like in "Memoirs," mind you!), synths and samples. The singer, alas, is no longer the enchanting Kari Rueslåtten but a new muse: Ann-Mari Edvardsen. A "severer" voice, forgive me this inappropriate adjective, but rich in charm and sensuality.

Listening to tracks like "Stream", "Sort Of Invisible", and "Harvest" will prove me right. Special mention for the quirky "Sophisticated Vampires", which leads us towards tense atmospheres and sounds of a semi-noise rock character (!)

Then there are some instrumental tracks. Perfect for moments of meditation.

It's not about oppressive gloom or painful "Doom" anguish. What is audible and perceptible, in fact, is a climate of reflection, gathering, and contemplation.

Probably the band's least known and least appreciated work. And that's a shame!

PS: The cover is really spot on! That mix of white and gray certainly enhances the notes contained in the album.