Årabrot – Norwegian Gothic | Review

Norwegian noise rockers, Årabrot, have been busy. Having only just released the EP “The World Must Be Destroyed” in January, they’re back already with their new album “Norwegian Gothic”. Hardly surprising; when there are no limits to the expansiveness of your sound then multiple releases are required to encompass the sonic fallout. This time around Årabrot are bringing along an entire host of guest musicians for the ride, contributions from Lars Horntveth (Jaga Jazzist), cellist Jo Quail, Tomas Järmyr (Motorpsycho), Anders Møller (Turbonegro, Ulver) and Massimo Pupillo (Zu) are scattered throughout this hour long opus. As if that wasn’t enough, “Norwegian Gothic” was produced by the reputable Jaime Gomez Arellano, who has worked with the likes of Paradise Lost and Hexvessel to provide the best mixing and production quality available within the industry.

Ranging from Ghost/Grave Pleasures sounding hybrids to Nick Cave moodiness and avant-garde jazz, this opus is a kaleidoscopic amalgamation of every facet of the band’s sound. An audial journey through the soundscapes that they have traversed over the years, weirdly this album is Årabrot’s most accessible work to date. With the exception of a couple of spoken word filler tracks, every song on this record has a catchy, danceable beat with a strong overtone of pop musical influences apparent throughout. It’s not without heaviness, however, at its core this is still very much a rock/metal album.

A veritable melting pot of weirdness and instrumental diversity, the only minor downside to this release is the spoken word fillers – thankfully, they’re short and you won’t be missing anything worthwhile if you choose to skip over them. Another major push of the envelope for these Scandinavian experimentalists and the payoff is simply phenomenal. A genuine pleasure to listen to from start to finish, “Norwegian Gothic” is the peculiar gothic party album that 2021 didn’t know it needed. (8.0/10)

Angela Davey

Band info: https://arabrot.bandcamp.com
Label info: https://pelagic-records.com