Trettioåriga Kriget were a Swedish band whose origins were created in the very early 70's and were undoubtedly influenced by Pink Floyd's music such as that found on Umma Gumma or Saucer Full Of Secrets. Featuring 2 long winded and somewhat tiring tracks of well over 15 minutes each together with 2 shorter songs of normal length, you're in for the long haul if you want the music on this disc to do its job properly. Turn down the lights, crank up the volume, whip out the bong and strap yourself into the 70's time machine.
Considering that this music actually saw the light of day as a result of using a 2-track tape recorder to document the collective thoughts and ideas of these aspiring lads, one cannot really complain about the obviously inferior sound quality. Admittedly the sound is very raw, the playing a bit amateurish, the production rather limp and the whole thing a bit Jurassic. However, one can still be sold on the reasonable quality of the songs themselves, especially considering the relatively young age of the players.
The band use the resources of harmonica, courtesy of Olle Thörnvall to full effect for much of the duration of the CD and it's hard not to be impressed by its relentless and driving force acting as a pivotal crutch for the other musicians to accompany. The sound is often slightly dissonant and unnerving; given the prehistoric age of the original recordings but enables the band to pull off a pretty convincing attempt at emulating what the Floyd so admirably did in their prime.
Embracing many elements so typical of a psychedelic jam band, it goes without saying that the core ingredients of bass, drums, guitar, piano and organ along with the omnipresent harmonica are present in spades. The drummer is pretty sloppy in sections, the guitarist embarks on the obligatory long lead breaks with plenty of fuzz and wha wha pedal excursions while the pianist makes a rather capable contribution when he's audible or left to his own devices but I found I was tiring of the music after only 4 or 5 spins. Think of this music as a very primitive version of what bands such as Nektar, Omega, Grobbschnitt, Pink Floyd and others of that era would have achieved a few years later and you'll appreciate why this one slipped under the radar.
If you take this for what it is, you might be pleasantly surprised but it's probably a foregone conclusion that their better, self titled album from 1974 or 1975's "Krigssång were the ones to wait for as their musical content certainly made up for what this one lacks.
Track Listings:
1. Intro (0.35)
2. Amassiliations (8.55)
3. Konserten (18.18)
4. Ontro I (1.11)
5. Ontro II (1.03)
6. Thirty Years War (5.19)
7. From Your Streets: Part One / Part Two / Part Three (16.55)
8. Outtro (1.03)
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