On vinyl in own collection: Sagor (The Sign Records, 2020, repressing), Äppelträdet (The Sign Records, 2018, repressing ) and Eorpe (Fuzzorama Records, 2018)
Being big supporters of Skraeckoedlan from Norrköping, SE, we have followed via social media their documented successful touring in Europe lately and have with longing eyes waited for an announcement of concert dates within geographical reach, like Helsingborg or Malmö. Happily we can now see on their Instagram account that Skraeckoedlan seems to enter into the metalsouth region on Dec. 2, 2021, at Plan B in Malmö before moving on to Denmark. We are now desperately trying to find out when and where tickets are released. But definitely – if Skraekoedlan is on the way to Malmö – we will be there waiting.
To classify bands and the style of music they play is alway hard and sometimes bands are unique in sound and performance and is not really possible to classify. To guide new listeners of the fabulous music of Skraeckoedlan we discussed a phrasing when preparing this post, but were helped by the band itself on Instagram with an urgin: “Tag your favorite psychedelic stoner/doom band that sings in Swedish and have a band name you can’t pronounce, and see if they reply.”
The Skraeckoedlan sound is their own and is very characteristic, but to make a comparison and some guidance we have to mention bands with sounds like Clutch, Kyuss and the more local Skånska Mord, i.e. with stoner influences.
The band was formed in 2009 in Norrköping, SE, and are: Robert Lamu, Henrik Grüttner, Martin Larsson and Erik Berggren. We take the opportunity to also pay tribute to fantastic artwork and design on the vinyl covers by Johan Leion (www.johanleion.com). (source: vinyl covers in picture above and Wikipedia)
We cannot think of a better re-start of going to a live concert now when corona restrictions in Sweden have been repealed. And wouldn’t it be great to post a few great pictures from the gig. That’s the plan at Plan B and very welcome here with your great riffs and hard hitting drums!!
Tribulation does it again and delivers the high quality album Where The Gloom Becomes Sound (Century Media Records Ltd., 2021), which is already heavily celebrated in music media, and not only in Sweden. The vinyl is, of course, acquired for the own collection and includes not only the 180g record, but a 16 page booklet in graphical excellence. An overall joyful customer-and music experience.
A special relation is definitely there for ‘the gloomy’ music, but also for the roots of the band to Arvika, Värmland, Sweden, where I remember spending many fantastic summers as a small boy. For this I direct much appreciation to my parents for taking my sister, brother and me out of the city to the countryside. To Tribulation I direct appreciation for setting music and words to darker thoughts and feelings. The more classical song ‘Lethe’ is another candidate for the ‘white archive’, i.e. music selection for ones own funeral and would be perfect in a church environment.
The album is highly celebrated in Swedish music press and in Sweden Rock Magazine (Issue 1/2021) it wins the months jury votes and gets a 9 out of 10 (pages 84 and 94) by Jonathan Strandlund. In the local Helsingborgs Dagblad (Jan. 27, 2021) John Palmér Jeppsson gives the album 4 out of 5 in a positive review and would probably release a 5 if the singing would rise to an even higher level (read: speculation of metalsouth). We are sad to read in the Sweden Rock issue mentioned above on pages 72-73 (by Janne Mattsson) that the extremely talented Jonathan Hultén has recently left the band (after the records production). We can only wish him good luck in new projects and hope to see him soon producing and performing. In the article we read that he has had a great importance of also this album. We at the same time wish Joseph Tholl (ex-Enforcer) good luck in joining the band and we look forward in new productions with the ‘new Tribulation’.
In conclusion, Where The Gloom Becomes Sound, we see, will be voted best Swedish Metal album also this time…an award Tribulation subscribes on for all their releases.
Tribulation, Borgholm Brinner, Öland, SE, July 28, 2018. Tribulation, Borgholm Brinner, Öland, SE, July 28, 2018.Tribulation, Borgholm Brinner, Öland, SE, July 28, 2018.
SKRAEKOEDLAN
We haven’t yet had the privilege to see Swedish stoner band Skraekoedlan, from Norrköping, SE, perform live, but we will take the first opportunity when given somewhere in the metalsouth region. In the meantime we can warmly recommend the reissue of their second studioalbum Sagor (The Sign Records, 2020). A double vinyl in purple and also here with fantastic artwork.
AUSTRIAN METAL
Let’s broaden our views and move out of the metalsouth region and even take a daring step outside of the country and put some highlight on the Austrian metal scene. We would therefore here shortly like to put focus on 2 bands:
ROBOKOPF
RoboKopf are very well placed in this post. RoboKopf is a collective founded in Vienna in 2018 that plays retro rock in the sound garment of early heavy rock and doom acts. Its debut release is The Echoes of Owls (Retro Rock, Proto-Metal, Heavy Psych, Heavy Rock, Doom, Regressive Gloom Rock). (Source: Band Press release). Please, take the opportunity with us to investigate and get acquainted to the band via the enclosed links. Based upon what we’ve heard, we will, for sure, follow this bands current and coming work.
While investigating the Austrian metal scene we also found Harakiri For The Sky via our local paper Helsingborgs Dagblad (Feb. 28, 2020, page C9) and its Sunday weekly reviews of new musical releases. John Palmér Jeppsson (also reviewed Tribulations Where The Gloom Becomes Sound, as mentioned above) is again positive and gives the album Maere (AOP Records, 2021) a 4 out of 5. He describes the Austrian duo as having a lot of longing and heartbreak and that the bands 5th studioalbum becomes 84 minutes long. We think that every minute is worth its focus.
All in all, we have now with Robokopf and Harakiri For The Sky opened the door for more fantastic music and greatly competent productions. We will listen more, learn more and look forward in keeping an eye and two ears on what Austrian metal can bring us here in the metalsouth region…and not to forget, the spreading of the word and the great music.
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