Det Skandaløse Orkester: Tenk om noen ser deg

If you listen to bizarre music, read on…

Norwegian progressive rock band Det Skandaløse Orkester is well, yes, progressive but that tells only part of the story. The band is billed as comedy prog and yes, they do not take themselves too seriously but make no mistake, these are some serious musicians. Although the lyrics are not in English the band’s sense of humour comes through in spades. You will just have to listen for yourself. Elements of King Crimson, Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart, you get the idea, this stuff is pretty out there. In the core of the band there are no less than ten musicians as well as fifteen guests so you can well imagine there is some complex stuff going on.

The first track “Skandale Mentale (Ouverture)� begins with slow doomy guitar riffs and some dramatic vocals including a couple of blood curdling screams to get your attention. The squelching saxophone takes the music into different planes before the sax becomes much more melodic. Its these different tangents that makes this music so exciting. Spoken word and weird instrumentation begin “Lokkemann, Lokkemann, kor e du no?� continuing with off kilter beats, an interjected party atmosphere, melodic saxophone and ‘60s style female backing vocals. It’s kind of prog and jazz mixed together before a barrage of heavy rock hits the listener right out of left field. A bizarre lullaby at less than a minute is followed by the almost as short “Epilogue�, featuring a classical string quartet. To give you an idea just how unusual this band is give �Skulle jaevlig vaert på TV� a listen. An up tempo disco disc groove, yes you read that right, with great bass and sax will keep your toes and fingers tapping before a dreamy section brings you to a completely different world then ending with the initial groove. A really cool track with so much detail it demands a careful listen. Another favourite is the orchestral “Forvirret� having a cinematic flair as the orchestra builds add dramatic intent in the song’s second half. That’s just a sampling of what you will hear with this unusual and intriguing album.

This will certainly not be for everyone, that goes without saying. That said, you can’t deny this band full marks for trying something completely different and for the most part succeeding. These guys must be a real treat in a live setting.

An Apollon Records release.

Track Listing:
1. Skandale Mentale (Ouverture)
2. Lokkemann, Lokkemann, kor e du no?
3. Skandale Morale (Vuggevise/Lullaby)
4. Epilogue
5. Skulle jaevlig vaert på TV
6. Ukomfortabel
7. Skandale Fenomenale
8. Forvirret
9. En naken mann ble funnet i et bosspann
10. Verdens beste land

Added: July 17th 2019
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band's Official Site
Hits: 806
Language: english

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