EP REVIEW: FYR – Gaupa
It’s a brave new world for Swedish quartet GAUPA. Following a steady rise in trajectory over the course of the last few years – which saw them craft their own, wondrous cosmos within the stoner, doom and psychedelic metal world – the band found themselves at a crossroads when guitarist Daniel Nygren left the band last year to concentrate on his family. They decided to continue without replacing him, learned how to make up the hole he’d left and are now back with FYR – a word that has a number of meanings from ‘lighthouse’ to the Swedish word for the number four and even ‘to set something on fire’ – released on Friday, July 4th via Nuclear Blast Records.
If there weren’t any doubts over how GAUPA would sound without one of their core member, that would be an extraordinary statement of trust from their fanbase – nevertheless, those who harboured concerns wouldn’t have to wait long for them to be quelled. FYR‘s four tracks are as ethereal, magical and fantastical as ever, and it all begins with Lion’s Thorn, a seven-and-a-half minute journey that builds beautifully, each instrument coming in gradually before Emma Näslund‘s low vocals bring the mixture to boiling point and then, at more or less that halfway point, the song fully explodes into life, painting colours through sound and creating an exquisite, symphonic canvas, culminating in a superb guitar solo. It’s followed by Heavy Lord, a more straightforward number that showcases GAUPA‘s doomier talents more, with SABBATH-esque riffs and melancholic lyrics, Näslund this time sounding like a high priestess overseeing a ritual.
The second half of the EP mirrors the first – Ten of Twelve is the shorter number and brings to the fore another facet of GAUPA‘s sound, namely their progressive side. At points, you could be forgiven for thinking you were listening to TOOL, both in the guitar tone and the way the band expertly change time signatures across the number, a feat even more impressive given it’s not much over four minutes in length. The final track, Elastic Sleep, is the longest at eight minutes and brings together everything they’ve done so far across the record – it begins progressive, segues into another gorgeous psychedelic section where Näslund shines once more and finishes with heavy hitting riffs and cymbal crashes; a perfect way to close off twenty-four minutes of sonic excellence.
GAUPA have navigated arguably the trickiest period in their career with finesse, and FYR is evidence enough that they are still as creatively fertile as ever. If you’re a fan of the psychedelic, and stoner underground, specifically bands like BLOOD CEREMONY, LOWEN and SLIMELORD, you’re going to have a bundle of fun with this release.
Rating: 8/10
Fyr is out now via Nuclear Blast Records.
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