ALBUM REVIEW: Menneske – De Forbandede
In the beautifully colourful and picturesque city of Odense, Denmark (also the oldest city in the country), resides a formidable psychedelic fuzz rock creative force. Emerging from the ancient streets is the eclectic and dynamic DE FORBANDEDE. Drawing their influences from a plethora of sources, the Danish quartet leave no stone unturned in their musical explorations. In a short space of time the band have been in a rich vein of creativity, all of which seems to be culminating with Menneske (the Danish word for “Human”), their third and most ambitious album to date. Menneske is a colossal double album with a thematic focus on human existence, exploring the good and bad through a variety of punchy rock songs, sweeping psychedelic epics and a diverse range of musical atmospheres.
DE FORBANDEDE have put together a phenomenal 19 tracks for Menneske. With its strong thematic focus on the many facets of human existence, the band have gone to considerable depths to capture a vast range of the nuanced and complex emotions of this often ambiguous subject matter. The world events of the last few years have lead many to question how we live our lives, and for some that has taken them to dark places but enabled them to have an epiphany within themselves. With the lyrics being sung poetically and passionately in Danish, DE FORBANDEDE eloquently convey this tumultuous emotional battle that we have within ourselves – good and bad – as well as framing it within the wider world, in a way that all of us can feel. While initially it is daunting to get your head round, once you get into the flow of the album you can’t help but be blown away by the magnitude of the effort. This is an album that is meant to be experienced, and it is easy to get lost in it as time seems to melt away.
The album is seemingly split into two halves like the yin yang, a darker half with a ray of hope and a lighter half with a shadow of sadness. However, unlike the preciseness of yin yang, a lot of the album straddles the grey area that would appear if the two sides bled into one another. With moments of pure euphoria appearing in more melancholic songs and vice versa, DE FORBANDEDE have been clinical in creating the perfect vibes and moods to demonstrate the aforementioned theme. There is an unnerving intensity that bubbles away underneath the surface that keeps you in anticipation for what is coming next, which is as exciting and energetic as the music itself.
The music matches this thematic focus, varying from upbeat, punchy rock songs to sombre, melancholic psychedelic epics. Menneske is an excellent example of a band’s passion for the album format and their love for expansive, dynamic and evolving compositions. The prominent feature of the album is the heavy use of the Hammond organ; throughout the record it provides thick and full layers of sound behind the soaring guitar solos and deep bass rhythm section. Classic influences such as JIMI HENDRIX and BLACK SABBATH also permeate through this album, in the psychedelic solos and the driving doom rhythms, while 1960s sci-fi and the works of H.P. Lovecraft inspire the vast array of synth sounds, alongside more modern influences such as MONSTER MAGNET and BABY WOODROSE. With this in mind, Menneske is a beautiful mash up of styles, textures, timbres and sounds that come together with ease, which is a testament to the band’s songwriting.
With such a lengthy album there are plenty of brilliant moments and some that seem a bit flat. Despite a fairly consistent energy throughout the record, some of the longer songs seem to go on a little too long before the momentum can be regained again. The main examples of this are Eva and Næb. Both are good psychedelic songs, but they’re placed between more action packed songs so they feel a little out of place and dull some of the album’s momentum. That being said, songs such as Jorden Ved Hvem Jeg Er, Odyssé, Stemmer I Disen and Husk Du Skal Dø are wonderfully enjoyable tracks that typify DE FORBANDEDE’s sound. Layers upon layers of luscious vocal harmonies and Hammond organ that are augmented with earthy, fuzzy guitars. This is also consolidated in the album’s closing and title track Menneske, an eight-minute psychedelic epic packed with mesmeric vocals, squealing guitar solos and hypnotic half time rhythms.
Ultimately DE FORBANDEDE’s musical odyssey is a true celebration of the album format, a double album that is the pinnacle of all their work over the last few years. Despite its slower moments, the majority of the album is still packed with energy and memorable moments that you’ll want to go back and enjoy all over again.
Rating: 7/10
Menneske is set for release on May 12th via Some Studio.
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