Raging Sun [Import]

Logh | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 17, 2004)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Bad Taste
• ASIN: B0002Q9V66
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #707,323 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Contractor and the Assassin

2. End Cycle

3. An Alliance of Hearts

4. The Raging Sun

5. Thin Lines

6. The Bones of Generations

7. A Vote for Democracy

8. At This My Arm Was Weakened

9. City, I'm Sorry

10. Lights from Sovereign States

Editorial Reviews

"Swedish they might be, but there’s nothing about Logh that echoes their more famous countrymen such as The Hives, The Cardigans, or the Gothenburg crew. To use the word ‘unique’ would be exaggerating, yet no other description better suits The Raging Sun and the way it conveys Scandinavian snowed-in turmoil without ever leaning on other Swedish shoulders." – Lollipop

Logh’s debut was praised and cherished for its solemn poetic nature all over the world, and by early 2003 the time had come to record the follow-up. The band spent close to two full months wrestling with a strange collection of songs. Almost an entire album was recorded, erased and re-recorded; members got sick, better and sick again. The darkness refused to let go until John Congleton (The Paper Chase, producer and engineer of The 90 Day Men and Erykah Badu) arrived. In six days, the chaos was structured and the wonderful The Raging Sun was finally completed. The album is nothing short of a keyed-down miracle. Totally cleansed from any glances in any other direction than their own, Logh evokes huge cinematic soundscapes colored with solemn beauty. The Raging Sun continues where their debut left off, but exists in an entirely different universe – by all definitions a fantastic album that hides something special, waiting to be uncovered.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's warm in this frozen land....or is it hot?, March 29, 2008

By 

A Pilgrim (San Jose, Ca United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Raging Sun (Audio CD)

Members:
Mattias Friberg (vocals, guitar)
Mathias Olden (bass)
Jens Hellgren (guitar)
Mattias Jeppsson (guitar)
Karl Arvidson (keyboards)
Marco Hildén (drums)

Country: Sweden

Normally I can't stand pop, but there are exceptions: Radiohead, Porcupine Tree (well, In Absentia at least) and Logh. The folk editors of Wikipedia tend to classify Logh as "Art rock, electro rock, post rock." Personally, I disagree with this assessment. To me, Logh just sounds like somber, competent Indie-pop.

This music is basically guitar centric, the drumming can be somewhat muffled, there are minimal array of electronic effects and mixing tricks. The overall performance and sound production lends a sense of warm dissonance, which is oddly juxtaposed with starkness. I attribute this impression to guitars, keyboards, and vocals which usually come across with a very crisp and sharp punch. Logh also makes frequent and subtle use of silence to accentuate the punctuated and stark sound of their instrumentation.

The piece Alliance of Hearts is the clear winner in this album. I'm a sucker for cathartic build ups, and while the ending of this piece is somewhat anti-climatic, it has it in spades.

The Raging Sun also relies on cathartic outbursts, but Mattias Friberg's typical sleepy/lazy/delicate vocals actually remind me of Sonic Youth's vocalist Thurston Moore, which was actually a rather pleasant surprise.

The Bones of Generations has the quickest cadence of all the songs in this album. Friberg does quite a bit of screeching in this piece. While I appreciate the use of screaming for creativity and expression, in Friberg's case it doesn't work well. Usually he sounds like his vocal cords are about to snap and he's going to pass out.

I definitely respect this album, and there are sections that I find quite beautiful and haunting, but my overall impression of the album is rather tepid.

Logh has displayed some admirable skill at employing silence, punctuated instrumentation and vocals, beautiful melodies, and a skillful use of dissonance that isn't overbearing.

But what bothers me is that this album feels incomplete. Their stark/warm/delicate approach to music is GREAT, but in this album it sounds underdeveloped and undifferentiated. In truth, I think the use of less traditional instruments (how about a violin or harp?) or environmental sound samples (e.g.wind howling, birds chirping, Swedes chanting) could have lent a more developed and varied sound, while still maintaining the starkness they like to convey. There were also opportunities to work some beautiful melodies for a longer period of time, but instead, were ended abruptly, unresolved. This method has its place, but this album is stark enough. Building up an extensive and beautiful melody to just cut it off is just too much for me.

This album is recommended, but with caution, the lack instrumental variety and melodic development can be a source of frustration.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great band, good album, April 26, 2011

By 

James - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Raging Sun (Audio CD)

To be honest I much prefer Logh's latest 2 albums, 'North' and 'A Sunset Panorama'. But this album is also quite good. However, I would only recommend it to people who are big fans of the band.