Customer Reviews

Hybris

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It was only a matter of time before a band like Änglagård came around. The 1980s and the early 1990s were obviously prog rock's lean years. While some welcomed the neo-prog scene (Marillion, IQ, Pendragon, etc.), others were less than happy with the scene, accusing them as being little else than a pale, modernized update of the Gabriel-era Genesis sound. And then there's Genesis, who spent the 1980s releasing ever more commercial albums culminating with Invisible Touch (which at that point sounded pretty indistinguishable from Phil Collins' solo career, particularly No Jacket Required), and pretty much sticking in that same territory with We Can't Dance. And of course, from 1979 to 1992, you had punk rock and disco give way to new wave. And then new wave eventually gave way to the grunge/alternative rock scene (lead by Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, etc.), which seemed even less encouraging in the world of prog. And then Änglagård came around, picking up where the 1970s left off, and releasing Hybris near the end of 1992. The album was originally released on CD on the Mellotronen label in Sweden, and on LP on the long-defunct Colours label out of Norway. I happen to own the LP, which came with a booklet that had the lyrics to all the songs, and many black and white photos of the various band members. What's really surprising is you might think the band would consist of a bunch of thirty to forty-something musicians who would have been there in the '70s to witness and participate in the rise of prog rock, but not at all. The ages of the band members were from 17 (drummer Mattias Olsson) to 24 (guitarist/vocalist Tord Lindman), but they play like they were there in the 70s! Aside from Olsson and Lindman, the other members were guitarist Jonas Engdegård, keyboardist Thomas Johnson, flautist Anna Holmgren, and bassist Johan Högberg. And while everyone else in '92 were all too happy to use lots of digital synthesizers and drum machines, the members of Änglagård went for a totally analog approach. Real drums, and even so much as using a Hammond organ and Mellotron, but never a DX-7. The combination of electric and acoustic instruments was certainly welcomed, since the combination of instruments fell out of favor by the late '70s. And what was great was Änglagård's music was inspired by many of the prog greats: King Crimson, Genesis, Yes, and there's often a Nordic feel throughout their music. Also another band worth mentioning is Cathedral, with their 1978 album Stained Glass Stories, which was no doubt a big inspiration for Änglagård. The album starts off with "Jordröck" which sounds like the band revisiting SFF's Symphonic Pictures. There are some really loud passages with loud guitars and organ, which suddenly become quiet, with acoustic guitar, Mellotron, and flute. The next three cuts, "Vandringar i Vilsenhet", "Ifrån Klarhet till Klarhet" and "Kung Bore" all follow the same pattern: unbelievably complex music, where the band does one thing, sticks to it for a couple minutes, then move on to the next thing, often with loud passages becoming quiet and vice versa. Certainly the band might revisit a previous theme, but often just moves on to the next thing. The music requires your full attention, meaning it'll probably require a few listens to get it (as many good prog albums often are). It's amazing a band like Änglagård pulled off such a great album in the otherwise bleak world known as 1992. Old-time prog rock fans were obviously happy with this band, as they harkened back to the glory days of prog, and totally avoiding any '80s and '90s modern elements. It's also pretty safe to say that without Änglagård, the '90s prog rock revival wouldn't have happened, and bands like Anekdoten, Landberk, Spock's Beard, The Flower Kings, Sinkadus, etc., wouldn't have had the recognition they do now. No doubt about it, Hybris is a total must for all prog rock fans.

After a few months of searching, I was finally able to get a copy of this album. It's the digi-pack version with the bonus track to make things even better. If you are a fan of symphonic prog, especially the styling's of Genesis and King Crimson, this is THE album for you. Here is a band that knows their influences, but offers their own unique take on things. The Swedish folk overtones add a dimension that helps to make the compositions unique to the giants of '70's prog.

The musicianship is almost startling, even more so when you consider the age of the band members (all under 24). The drumming is what struck me first and foremost. The drumming is both utterly complex and amazingly delicate depending on the mood the band is trying to achieve. And speaking of moods, Anglagard switches time signatures and musical styles with blinding speed and dexterity. Music this complex is rarely shown on a debut release. And yet, they have the uncanny maturity to make all that complexity musical. This isn't just complex for the sake of showing off, they are very cognoscente of this being music and not a mathematical exercise.

I'm simply in awe of this band; one listen to Jordrok and I was hooked. Now I would consider it my absolute favorite instrumental, even more so than La Villa Strangiato. That's something I never thought I'd say. If I could give this album 6 stars; I would. I honestly don't think you can be a serious symphonic prog fan without a copy of this album. Hybris is that good and that important.

Back on December 1992 a friend who is a die-hard fan of prog as myself invited me to a live performance of a Swedish group I'd never heard before: Anglagard. Living in Mexico City where we never get to see underground groups (let alone PROG underground ones) it was not a hard decision to give it a try. The audience was not more than 150 people, all super prog fans, still I didn't know what to expect. Anglagaard came out to the stage and I could notice how young they all were, especially the drummer. Rightaway they started performing "Jordrok" and before a minute had passed we all realised that this was not another prog group, but that were in front of a MAJOR act, and best of all, in an almost private performance. We all listened astonished.

Enough. The album is definitively one the best symphonic prog attempts in the last 20 years. The influence of 70's music, especially Gabriel's era Genesis is undeniable -I mean, who played a Mellotron in the 90's? - Tomas Jonson, keyboard player, is the perfect mixture of Wakeman and Banks. Still, it was Mattias Olson, at his late teens, the one who already displayed virtuosism on drums. The complex rhythms on every song of Hybris shows a very well achieved influence of icons like Neil Peart or Terry Bozzio. It is his playing that enhances all the compositions of the record, demanding your attention from the beginning to the end. Hybris displays very much a 70's mood, but totally renewed and with much energy and creativity. It is a pity that this group split so soon, as they had everything to be one of the top five prog groups ever. If you love Prog music, this one's for you.

This classic recording is available from the band at a reasonable price. Google the band's name and go to their website. Prices are in Swedish Krona which can be converted to local currency on XE.com. Don't pay inflated prices, buy directly from the artist.

If you came home one day to find your favorite album of all time missing, how much would you pay to replace it? If you appreciate your music the way I do, the answer would be somewhere in the hundreds of dollars. If some of your favorite albums include King Crimson, Yes, Gentle Giant, or Genesis, take the chance and pay the cost for this CD. As a fan of the aformentioned bands, I can say that Hybris ranks amongst the best of progressive rock. It is an acquired taste, but it will well reward the investment you make.

If you liked the first - and only - flourishing of progressive rock at the end of the sixties and beginning of the seventies, then you've probably spent some of the intervening time wondering why people didn't make music like that any more.
It turns out that they did, but nobody in the media thought it was important enough to tell you about it.
Written and recorded by Swedes in the nineties, Hybris is thoroughly and authentically English in style, principally calling on the graded interplay between electric and acoustic instruments that was the hallmark of early Genesis or Gentle Giant.
More than that, in its gloomy intensity, sustained across five long tracks, it comfortably surpasses anything recorded after 1975 by those English bands whose star burned so brightly and faded so quickly.
If early Crimson or Genesis acts on your nerve-ends, then there is very little chance that you won't like this. There are no big solos and the vocals are the least interesting part of the mix - but this is music that you can dive into and explore. It is constantly developing - time signatures change, lush mellotron-led passages are brushed aside by angular rhythms and abrasive guitar, naive flute themes grow into grand strident statements that are abruptly halted by pools of quiet uncertainty.
Anglagard clearly know where the dividing line between indulgence and creativity lies. It's a pity they only made two discs. Of course, you can always hit their website and demand more. Or check out fellow Scandinavians, Wobbler. Or both.

For all the lovers of Progressive Rock, the band Anglagard is not going to leave your expectatives down. In spite of their big relativeness with Genesis, Spoke's Bear or maybe Focus; because to mention another name would be go to far. But the real thing is that the Anglagard music captures mainly the attention since the first song "Jordrok"... never mind the swedish lyrics. It's music! do you remember?

The quality of the musical interpretations are simple but really good. They are not espectacular performers and keep a humble atmosphere between them although the classical guitar introduction of the song "Burg Bore".

The overall sound of the recording, though it's good, it really listens like an old seventies recording, just in case you compare the disc with the Spoke's Bear or even the Marillion recordings. Wharever! I really recomend this Disc as a clear sample that the Good Progressive Rock is not dead, or at least not outside the english boundaries. Everybody is listening!.... Good Luck!