There are really two versions of this Norwegian band: the metal one and the symphonic one.
They were originally formed in 1973 by two guitarists, a bassist, keyboardist and vocalist who indulged in hard rock. No sooner had they released an album than three members split, leaving the bassist and vocalist on their own.
The two recruited three new members and released a second album of an entirely different sort.
Failing to sell, however – and their record company balking at financing a third album – they tried to widen their audience by writing material with English lyrics and even changed their name to ICE at one point, but to no avail. They split up in 1978, briefly reformed in 1991 for a couple of concerts then went their separate ways.
One of those albums that could have been huge. Høst's second album is first class Art Rock, in a peculiar yet highly accomplished style.
A forgotten classic if there ever was one. After releasing the excellent debut På Sterke Vinger in 1974, the Norweigan Art Rock band Høst went through many line-up changes, and at the time their second album was released in 1976, only the singer and the bassist were left from the original line-up.
This second album is also very different. Instead of the Thin Lizzy-esque guitar harmonies of their debut, Høst has opted for a proggier sound, and the result sort of sounds like a mix between Gentle Giant and Led Zeppelin with some influence from classical music.
Guitarist Fezza Ellingsen does many fine solos and has a great tone. He also wrote most of the music, and his talent as a composer is undeniable, although some songs could have been developed more in some places.
The singer, Geir Jahren, has a great voice, and he seems more confident with it on this album, as the vocals are stronger here than on Høst's debut.
The other members fullfill their roles well, the basslines are melodic yet they provide a solid base for the rest of the band, and the organ adds a nice Symphonic Prog-sounding touch, aswell as a nice solo in the opening track.
The drumming is solid, and the drum sound is round and full, yet punchy. I like the production of the album a lot. The lyrcis tend to be a little corny in places, but if one doesn't understand Norweigan, they won't be any problem, and Jahren's great voice more than makes up for them anyway in case one does understand them.
The music is happy and energetic, very summery, even though the band's name is autumn in Norweigan. All the tracks on this album are pretty well thought out and strong, if I was to choose the strongest, I'd pick the opener Profeten's Ord, Sirkus, Åse (an instrumental) and the closer, Æræeo.
However, you won't go wrong with any of the tracks on this album. All are equally important to the album as a whole. I give this album four stars. Essential if you're into Norweigan or Scandinavian Prog from the 1970s, but fans of Art Rock and Symphonic Prog in general will like this, it's an excellent addition to any Prog collection.
Høst - Gorobin
Track list:
01. Profetens ord (5:40)
02. Gorobin (5:09)
03. Nattergalen (7:10)
04. Ørnkloa (3:17)
05. Sirkus (7:42)
06. Lektyre (3:55)
07. Åse (3:19)
08. Æræeo (5:57)
Høst (Host):
*Geir Jahren - vocal
*Bernt Bodahl - bass
*Willy Bendiksen - drums
*Fezza Ellingsen - guitars, flute
*Halvdan Nedrejord - organ, piano, accordion
[ Thank you NELWIZARD for sending this post ]
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CODE: 49476
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