Twin brothers Benedikt ‘Benediktator’ and Kristoffer ‘Krizla’ Momrak follow 2014’s superb Riset Bak Speilet with their third album, which again showcases their idiosyncratic vision.
They sing in their native Norwegian, but their musical reference points are more familiar to non-speakers. Opener Ekebergkongen is built around a flute hook that borrows the motif from Grieg’s Hall Of The Mountain King, and it makes for a splendidly trippy folk prog introduction. De Reiser Fra Oss sees an urgent groove and breathless vocals punctuated by a portentous mantra, as if soundtracking a chase scene in a pagan horror flick set in the woods somewhere north of the Arctic Circle. Elsewhere, the Mike Oldfield-style bell tingles lacing the intro of Et Djevelsk Mareritt make you think of The Exorcist, then it unfolds into a sweetly pastoral flute-led maypole dance, before storm clouds gather and more malevolent rock shades hove into view. We’re told the album asks us to “follow Tusmørke through the falling dusk and disappear in the night, reappearing at dawn with weird wisdom and strange leaves in your hair”. Well, whatever just happened, it was quite a ride.
