(c) Pål Laukli
In the church of Oar breach The creative fire burns particularly brightly. Due to the lack of live activities, Kjetil Nernes had a lot of time to rethink his musical vision, but also to come to terms with himself. Little by little, new material was created, of course supported by his partner Karin Park. In addition, Alain Johannes was hired as producer for what is now the tenth studio album, which was recorded entirely for the first time in their own church, which had been converted into a home and studio. „Of Darkness And Light“ sounds rockier and more accessible than ever, but without making any unnecessary compromises.
A track like “Horrors Of The Past” illustrates this catchy path perfectly. From the tornness of the verses, somewhere between post-punk bounce and murderous gothic wisdom, a buttery-soft chorus in need of harmony emerges, which has a bitter sweetness attached to it, accompanied by wonderful inscrutability. It’s bubbling under the surface, but Årabrot prefers to rely on musical, almost poppy sparkles. The fact that the following “Madness” has a technoid intensity is still surprising. A driving beat runs like a common thread through the track, noise and industrial elements collide with hypnotizing vocals.
The complexity of this record knows how to entertain. “Skeletons Trip The Light Fantastic” is dedicated to oppressive dark rock, tumbles through the depths of your own emotional world and somehow finds its way into an oppressive anthem. “You Cast Long Shadows”, on the other hand, marches forward with a flowing bounce, surprising as a gross motor track with heavy undertones. Later, “We Want Blood” turns up the heat nicely, froths a bit and becomes gruelingly catchy. “Love Under Will” is already lurking here, oscillating between 80s dark pop and subliminal wave noise, catchy and at the same time wonderfully broken, as only Årabrot can do.
As expected and yet somehow completely different, Årabrot trumps this contradiction. More darkness and more pop come as no surprise, and yet the new songs hit in a way that wasn’t expected. “Of Darkness And Light” lives up to its name, always dancing around an almost intangible abyss and shaking up melodies that Ghost would have liked to have written, without bending in the slightest. Nernes and Park consistently pull through, strange and at the same time more digestible than ever.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: October 13, 2023
Available via: Pelagic Records (Cargo Records)
Website: www.arabrot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ARABROT
Category: Magazin, Reviews