Isildurs Bane - Mind Volume 4: Pass

Year of Release: 2003
Label: Ataraxia Productions
Catalog Number: ATX2
Format: CD
Total Time: 56:34:00

With this new album the Swedish collective Isildurs Bane introduces the vocals of, amongst others, Christoff Jeppsson and Mariette Hansson. Both voices are used as extra instruments within the well-known detailed arrangements of the band. It most certainly sheds a completely different light onto the music whilst it most definitely gets rid of inaccessibility in a quality way. As we have been used to for nearly two decades, this album once again is the highest quality possible, resulting in a very detailed recording. In fact, this entire album is built around four large blocks of music that individually are also built out of four segments. The melancholic sound of the violin quickly mingles with percussive elements in order to set the tone for "Heal." Once real horns enter the picture, it's as if you're listening to the Salvation Army whilst Christof Jepson's voice tries the Tom Waits approach, although his timbre leans heavily towards that of Peter Gabriel. The latter is even more accentuated during "Cage," which is like an outtake from the Real World studios.

As often there are, once again tons of playful moments to be found within Isildurs Bane's music. Amongst others, there's the use of marimba in "Cage," an instrument that becomes contagious as the song evolves. As if this wasn't enough, Anna L?nnberg enters the spectrum as a trueborn Kate Bush standing side by side with her fake Peter Gabriel brethren during "Good." Because of the high vocal standard, you sometimes forget the beauty of the instrumental sections. Those of you who know the previous works of Isildurs Bane surely know how extremely talented this band is. I note yet another highlight at the end of "Eyes," when suddenly some wonderful flute steps in, as if it was part of a classical symphony. Those flutesolos are being delivered by none other than the well-known Bj?rn J:son Lindh. In the lower regions of his voice, Jeppsson sounds a little bit like Elvis Costello, such as during "Idea." Then again, when those voices melt together during "Talk," I have to think of Prefab Sprout. Prog, classical, avant-garde, rhythms, theatre, jazz, they once again knead it into yet another unique Isildurs Bane bread. Inimitably wonderful and of an unknown world class, our Swedish friends deliver with Mind Volume 4 - Pass the kind of album that reveals new details time after time after time. To me these are the requirements for a perfect album in the world of progressive rock. Fantastic!

Tracklisting:
HERE?: Halo (1:24) / Heal (5:03) / Fury (0:46) / Cage (5:31) / HOPE : Arch (1:00) / Good (3:15) / Open (2:17) / Eyes (6:38) / FEAR : Self (2:44) / Idea (8:32) / Talk (1:40) / Rage (5:33) / PASS : Part (2:11) / Dark (1:39) / Loss (4:00) / Ends (4:14)

Musicians:
Jonas Christophs - guitar
Christof Jeppsson - vocals
Fredrik Johansson - fretless bass
Matts Johansson - keyboards
Anna L?nnberg - vocals
Kjell Severinsson - djembe, drums
Klas Assarsson - percussion
Matts Persson - loops
Bj?rn J:son Lindh - flute

Discography:
Sagan Om Ringen (cass) (1981)
Sagan Om Den Irländska Älgen (LP) (1984)
Sea Reflections (LP) (1985)
Eight Moment Of Eternity (LP) (1987)
Sagan Om Ringen (LP) (1988)
Cheval - Volontè De Rocher (1989)
Sagan Om Den Irländska Älgen / Sagan Om Ringen (1992)
Sea Reflections / Eight Moments Of Eternity (1992)
The Voyage (2CD in small cardboard carrying case + booklet) (1992)
The Zorn Trio Plays Matts Johansson (1996)
Mind Vol. 1 (1997)
The Voyage - Remastered (1998)
Lost Eggs (1999)
Mind Vol. 2 Live (2001)
Mind Vol. 3 (with Metamorfosi Trio) (2003)
Mind Volume 4: Pass (2003)
Songs From The Observatory (2005) Colours Not Found In Nature (with Steve Hogarth) (2017)
Off The Radar (2017)

Mind Volume 5: The Observatory (DVD) (2005)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin SE

Added: September 5th 2004
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: www.isildursbane.se
Hits: 2703
Language: english