Self-styed “young veteran” of the Norwegian metal scene, Ole Petter Andreasson has set aside his racy past with Thulsa Doom and the Cumshots for his new project, which was written and produced at his own studio with a core band and a bunch of local guests.
While the guitars tend to tread the time-honoured path of riffs from Deep Purple to Opeth – sometimes all in the same song – the drums rock with a dextrous beat that keeps everyone on alert, whatever the tempo.
But it’s Andreasson’s vocals, pitched somewhere between a howl and a scream with their distinctive enunciation that hog your attention through the seven lengthy tracks, along with his keen ear for a majestic prog hook.
His voice can run through a gamut of emotions without ever getting overly melodramatic, although there’s an awesome power to some of the choruses. He knows how to play with stereo, too.
