Major Parkinson
Blackbox

We open up the black box and in there we find this Norwegian progressive rock band called Major Parkinson. It is a band that can show a discography of three albums before Blackbox that is their fourth album, and this new album certainly looks interesting and just recently it was released in a limited gold coloured vinyl edition – that I just have ordered. They are described as a cult progressive rock band and this new album is described as an unparalleled journey through cinematic progressive soundscapes and otherworldly melodies. I would describe it as a very exciting album on many accounts.

The album has been forged in stainless dark matter and is filled to the brim with musical excess. It is a treasure chest pulled patiently from the ocean floor, through shoals of curious starfish. It is also a night ride through a snowy and moonlit mountain pass, under the pale flicker of oddly shaped constellations. I think that is the best way to describe this album that can also be described as cinematic progressive rock music with originality and creativity. Whispered male vocals and haunting female vocals are creating a dynamic soundscape and an album with lots of variation through the nine tracks that makes it. The production is excellent and the sound is outstanding in every regard, great vocals and quite an original sounds – it is like they have everything.

I find this to be a great album, the songs are quite strong and the music is original and clever. I really like the female vocals by guest vocalist Linn Frøkedal, she has a haunting way of delivering her vocals lines, and she is really great. The album opens really well but that is only the beginning because it is when we meet Isabel things get really interesting. My favourite is track six Madeleine Crumbles that has a bit of everything and it is just a wonderful track, one that I think challenges for the title of best track of the year. Another challenger for that favourite song of the year has to be the ending title track that is another excellent track of this album, an album where I was certainly thinking of a rating of six for quite a while before deciding to go with a slightly lower rating.

The reason for the album falling just short of one of the highest ratings is the track Baseball that is a long and rather dreary song in the middle of the album – a song that certainly doesn’t heighten my appreciation of what I hear. But with mainly amazing songs it is still an album that probably will be a candidate for a top ten spot of this year’s releases. Really impressive stuff any which way you decide to look at it and an album I certainly will return to even now when I have written this review, but it might not be an album for everyone and it certainly one that requires both time and attention. It grows every time you hear it and it is really impressive and it is a standout album in regards to both creativity and quality. I think that it certainly is well worth looking into this black box and be amazed by some really impressive music.

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