Arabs in Aspic

Arabs in Aspic, at times alsoArabs in Aspic II, is aprogressive rockband formed in 1997. They are considered an institution of Norwegianretro-prog.
Formed in 1997 as aBlack Sabbathcover band, Arabs in Aspic did not have a consistent name in their initial days of producing music.Lead guitarist and vocalist Jostein Smeby played withTommy Ingebrigtsen, who contributed as a rhythm guitarist andthereminplayer in various cover bands with a focus on themetalgenre. The formation of the band includedHammond organplayer Magnar Krutvik and two brothers, Eskil and Terje Nyhus, acting as drummer and bassist respectively.Ingebrigten's recognition as aski jumpingworld champion, coupled with the other members' passion for the sport, earned them the title of being a "ski jumping band";a attribution the partners later worked to dismiss.
Initially performing under different monikers, Arabs of Aspic took their name from  theKing CrimsonalbumLarks' Tongues in Aspic,out of reverence for the record. A book on the topic ofcricketentitledArabs in Aspicwas then found by chance oneBay, and the name was assumed for the band.
After the debut release, the group was joined by Stig Arve Jørgensen. He contributed background vocals and took over the Hammond organ after Krutvik switched to acoustic guitar and synthesiser. Following the release of the albumFar Out in Aradabia, the band went on a hiatus.
In 2006, Smeby, Eskil Nyhus and Jørgensen joined forces with new bassist Erik Paulsen to form Arabs in Aspic II. Several demos were recorded in the subsequent years, before the band recorded the albumStrange Frame of Mindin the studio ofTNTguitarist Ronni LeTekro, in 2009. The album was mastered by Tommy Hansen at Jailhouse Studios in Denmark and received critical acclaim upon its release, with the LP version appearing in 2012. Following the release, the band dropped the 'II' and continued under the name Arabs in Aspic. In 2019, long-time live and session percussionist Alessandro Elide became a permanent member of the band.
From its inception, Smeby was the primary songwriter for the group. In addition to Black Sabbath, he citedstoner rockandclassical modernismas influences, while  other band members drew inspiration fromprogressive rockstaples such asGenesis,King CrimsonandYes, as well as other genres such asmusic of the Balkans,fusion,jazzand more. These eclectic and varying sources of music influence provided the foundation for the group's sound.
As a result of their influences, the group's sound has been described as a combination of "typical Scandinavian, slightly elegiacRetroprogwith a good portion of hard rock."This style has shifted slightly over the years, with an early focus on hard andpsychedelic rockevolving into a stronger adherence to progressive rock following the band's reunion.
Drawing largely from psychedelic rock, the debut album of the band incorporates influences fromHawkwind, older Black Sabbath andPink Floyd, featuring "dark crushing guitars and a lot of Hammond organ".This influence is more pronounced than in their later releases.
The follow-up album of the band,Far Out In Aradabia,was released a year and maintained a similar musical style. However, this album incorporated more hard rock elements than the debut, with pounding guitar riffs emphasising the band's heavier sound.In addition, the creative production was more ambitious and each song demonstrated a greater degree of independence.Although the band's music was still heavily rooted in the 1970s, there were strong similarities between the two albums, and this led to speculation that "both albums were recorded in one session."
With the reunion albumStrange Frame of Mind, released in 2010, the group took a musical turn towards "likeable, perfectly old-fashioned" progressive rock,with "fat sound and impressive harmonies."Accordingly,Strange Frame of Mindwas judged to be "the beginning of their modern era" in terms of the group's stylistic development.Without entirely discarding psychedelic rock, blues rock and hard rock influences to do so, the band increasingly embraced elements of progressive rock.Keyboard playing proved to be a prominent part of this change.The development is sometimes associated with the addition of Stig Arve Jørgensen.Other developments included an expansion of the distinct "developments include the increased prominence of backing vocals in more sophisticated arrangements and more frequent use of odd meters in the music.""Ironically," says Jon Davis, the loss of the second guitarist led to more variety in guitar playing, as Smeby used more different tones and techniques.
Despite the change in style, international reviews of Arabs in Aspic's releases continued to be positive. Especially the re-releases and those after the reunion via Black Widow Records and Karisma Records received increased attention. The band is considered an "institution in its field".
The debut albumProgeria, first released in 2003 via Børse Music, received international reviews, especially after its re-release via Karisma Records. The reviews of theremasteredversion of the album by Jacob Holm-Lupo were mostly positive.masteringversion of the album were mostly positive. The release is "a short but nice combination of psychedelic retroprog and hard rock interludes", which however "still lacks the sophistication of the group's later albums", wrote Jochen Rinfrey forBabyblaue Seiten.On Metal Factory the album was praised as "[s]ehr interesting" for "70s and prog rock fans".A similar opinion was expressed for the webzine Vinyl-Keks. The album is for "prog rockers and fans of the 70s [...] a clear recommendation!" However, the debut was "not yet as musically mature" as subsequent releases.Mario Wolski from Saitenkult, on the other hand, criticised that the album "[was] much too short to pass as a full album."
Far Out In Aradabiafollows the quality of its predecessor, but convinces with its humour. The humour and the improvised pieceButterpriest Jamled to a gradually better rating by Wolski from Saitenkult.The humour is also emphasised by Rinfrey for Babyblaue Seien.Norbert von Fransecky from Musikansich.de referred to the "messages recorded in German, which are completely weird numbers, both in terms of language and content."For Jon Davis of Exposé, the band also show more independence and creativity on the release.Meanwhile, the improvisationButterpriest Jamdivided the reviewers. While the track, which was only added for the re-release, was praised by some as "19 minutes of first-rate improv rock"and "real added value"the centrepiece and highlight of the release, others such as Eric Porter of Sea of Tranquilityand Jon Davis of Exposé found it boring and tedious.
As the change in style ushered in by the reunion varied, so did the recommendations. Thus,Strange Frame of Mindwas advised to those listeners who prefer progressive rock and appreciate Arabs in Aspic's more recent releases.In this new context, the music proves to be "obsolete, as the whole thing [...] sounds quite authentically like the 70s and also picks up the first retro-prog wave of the 90s [...]", but seems to be "very well" done, "technically perfectly implemented, [...] very colourful and imaginatively orchestrated and therefore all in all very varied."
The assessment ofPicture in a Dreamremained that the group had congruently dedicated themselves to the sound of the 1970s.At the same time, the album had, "of course, nothing new to offer at all", but was "full of charm and joy of playing".Steven Reid of Sea of Tranquility, meanwhile, saw the album as evidence of the band's ongoing qualitative improvement.All the tracks proved to be extremely skilfully recorded and provided with powerful harmonic vocals.Peter Hackett of Musicwaves, however, criticised these. He said that the many voices were not balanced and thus stifled the music, which had some excellent compositions.
Victim of Your Father's Agonyalso features the familiarity of the great and classic interpreters of progressive rock, but Arabs in Aspic take up the style and interpret it "new and fresh" in "their very own way."Jürgen Meurer of Betreutes Proggen also praised the album's reliably "good-humoured 70s-inspired prog" and only criticised the playing time of 38 minutes.Contrary to speculations that the album was in constant play throughout, Henry Schneider of Exposé wrote that the album was "not a huge step ahead," yet it was "obvious that the band is evolving and maturing."
The seventh album of the bandSyndenes Magiwas praised by Thoralf Koß for Musikreviews.de as a "retro-progressive masterpiece from Norway, atmospherically moving between KING CRIMSON and PINK FLOYD".As a "musical nostalgia trip to the 70s that always evokes memories of big names from back then",and as a release "one of the most fascinating [LPs] of 2017"as well as a "consistently [... ] musical highlight"the reviewers of thewebzinesBabyblaue Seiten described the album. In addition to the toughness of the playing, which stood out from the models, the Norwegian vocals were highlighted, which gave the album its own touch.
OnMagic and Madness, Andreas Schiffmann succeeded in condensing "everything that has always distinguished them into a comparatively 'thick' core". Thus, Arabs in Aspic "transfers the early phase of Genesis into the present time", which is why he declared the album "an abrasion-proof long-runner with addictive potential and a contender for the title 'Prog Record of the Year'".Other reviews were also full of praise, saying that the album was a "firework of ingenious ideas, of great songs performed with unbeatable nonchalance".Some criticisms were made, such as by Frank Jäger ofPowermetal.de, about the production being too uniform. He speculated that an external producer could have brought out "a great album" even better.The album was repeatedly criticised for its lack of originality,as the band failed to "stand out from the self-made blueprint."On the other hand, the album was praised as such, as a successful example of retro-prog, "certainly leaving nothing to be desired by progressive music lovers".Especially "sympathisers of versatile retro-rock" would enjoy the album,because withMadness and Magic"Arabs in Aspic have once again succeeded in producing a beautiful retro-album," which is only nuances behind its predecessor, judged the reviewers of Babyblaue Seiten.
Full Length
Live
Compilations
Singles & EPs
(*) Eskil and Terje Nyhus played on the band's October 2002 demo;it is unclear how long they were members prior.