Fruitcake - Room For Surprise


Year of Release: 1996
Label: Cyclops
Catalog Number: CYCL 032
Format: CD
Total Time: 55:03:00

The main ingredient in this fruitcake is without any doubt the keyboards. Room For Surprise succeeds How To Make It and is the third album from this Norwegian fourpiece. It is commonly known that the rather short tracks on the studio album are given a longer treatment during live shows. However this time around that same intensity can be found in tracks such as "Time To Go," "Touch The Sky," "The Famous Hill" and "A Whisper."

It is, without a doubt, the nice and original sound of the keyboards from Siri M. Seland (a woman at last!) that make Fruitcake the original band it is. Lounging through the authentic progressive, more accessible, nowadays sound, the band has filled a unique spot in today's "experimental rock" scene. Contrary to a lot of Skandinavian bands there are little (no?) signs of folkmusic, but you get a clean-cut whole that can easily compete with the better bands of the moment, regardless if they are active in the prog sector or a different category altogether.

I also love the humour that, in most cases, is lacking in this kind of music (life is serious enough as it is, thank you very much!). A song like "Hunting Old Ladies" really is my kind of joke, whilst the music comes as a blend between vintage Genesis and Dice.

Surely a beautiful, warm record, and full marks to a band from which I expect much more in the future!


Tracklisting:
Time To Go (740) / Tall'n Dark (4:12) / Keep The Light (5:03) / Room For Surprise (4:46) / Touch The Sky (9:56) / Hunting Old Ladies (3:44) / Golden Age (3:15) / The Famous Hill (7:46) / A Whisper (8:14)

Musicians:
Pal Sovik - vocals, drums
Siri M. Seland - keyboards, vocals
Jens G. Sverdrup - guitars
Gunnar Bergersen - bass

Discography:
Fool Tapes (1992)
How To Make It (1994)
Room For Surprise (1996)
One More Slice (1997)
Power Structure (1998)
A Battle A Day (2000)
Man Overboard (2004)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin NO

Added: April 19th 2004
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Hits: 4107
Language: english

  

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