ALBUM REVIEW: Skyggekæmper – Sabotør
Emerging from relative obscurity comes a three pronged Danish fuzzmonster attack in the form of SABOTØR. Armed with their “Manifesto 22”, Skyggekæmper (Danish for “Shadow giants”) is a protest against all things polished and flawless, alongside a call to fight the unscrupulous power of the system. With the philosophy that when the system demands that we sell our souls to the machine, remaining true and honest to ourselves is in itself a form of resistance. Skyggekæmper can also be read as “shadowboxing” as SABOTØR launch their crusade on their multiple capitalist and fascist enemies that hide in the shadows, as they make us feel exploited, empty and alone. With big riffs, swaggering grooves and fuzz galore, Skyggekæmper is an album that aims to conquer the fear of being different and excluded by utilising it as an act of resistance to unite us all against a common enemy.
Channelling the punk DIY spirit and attitude, alongside a hefty dose of sarcasm and the instance to use a triple fuzz bass on every song, SABOTØR are a raucous, noisy riff machine. Spurning modern production, the Danish trio have opted to subvert musical boundaries and challenge the natural order of things and as a result Skyggekæmper is a well rehearsed and cohesive sounding album. From its varying riffs, almost funky grooves and dance inducing rhythms, there is an infectious desire to get up and move to it. Even though the album is sung entirely in Danish you can feel the seething derision in vocalist J. R. Kappel’s voice; the sarcasm and possible satire only adds to the album’s charm. With Danish being a musical and vowel heavy language, there is a noticeable passion, upbeat energy and power in Kappel’s delivery that fits in with their notion of giving everyone who has felt rejected a chorus to sing along to.
Some moments of the album feel like parts of some strange, dystopian, sci-fi movie, and in the case of 2040-Planen, it sounds like the epic, melancholy power song at the end of a Daniel Craig James Bond film. What is great about this album is that you can tell SABOTØR enjoy being nothing but their quirky, most authentic selves and in that they don’t take themselves too seriously, loving every bit of what they do in the process. Although the album’s chief message is to celebrate our differences to unite against people that oppose that, which is something we can all buy into, Skyggekæmper is ultimately a joyously fun record to listen to. You can’t help but want to let your hair down, put a middle finger up, have a laugh and dance to this album.
Robot kicks off the album with a mighty riff explosion, conveying the message that we are human not robots with a furious passion, flipping off the establishment in the process. Ro På, Danmark! (‘Calm Down, Denmark!’) is the most frantic and mad song on the album, with crazy rap-style verses and catchy hooks, it is hard not to chuckle at the silly nature of the song but simultaneously completely enjoy it. Arbejde Gør Fri (‘Work Makes You Free’) feels like a criticism of us all, pushing ourselves to burn out with the constant need to be productive, when rest is just as productive. King Diamond feels like a tribute to the great Danish singer, especially as Kappel make sure he puts a few falsetto wails over the top of the furious fuzz from K. B. Wellsandt’s bass. Oprør! (Rebellion!), which sounds like uproar, is a call to arms packed with big riffs, crowd chants and a groove that lodges itself in your mind like the most memorable propaganda from World War One.
Sabbatår is a BLACK SABBATH sounding, spooky song with a dance rhythm whose pounding four to the floor will have you stomping your feet and banging your head. The aforementioned 2040-Planen (2040 Plans) is the album’s sole moment of calm energy, as it utilises the soft, sombre tones of an acoustic guitar and discusses the theory that the world will be at the point of no return environmentally in 2040. Edderkoppemor (‘Spider Mother’) feels like the coming of the aliens and the madness behind conspiracy theories; the chorus melody is harmonised over chaotic overdriven riffs and carries on the dance energy that transcends the album before it launches into the eight-minute monolith of the closing title track.
Whilst SABOTØR’s message can sometimes get lost in the incredibly catchy riffs, Skyggekæmper is an enjoyable and interesting record in many ways. It serves its purpose on the riff front, but the punk attitude and Danish lyrics are what gives this album its edge, even if it is, as a whole, a completely insane listening experience in the best way possible.
Rating: 8/10
Skyggekæmper is set for release on June 10th via HQ REC/Pudsige Herrer Musik Aps.
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