Hällas – Conundrum
Napalm Records – 2020
Rock, Seventies, Prog, Hard, Psych
Rated: ****
There are those moments when you just want to swim around in that lovely pool of seventies prog. You just want to dive deep into those swirling sounds that seem to go on forever and almost make you drown. But of course much of that pool of old bands, old albums and old songs are fairly well known. Luckily there’s Hällas! On their new album Conundrum the Swedes go even more prog than before. Continuing their trip to extract the retro seventies elements out of that hardrock and psychedelic adventure they started somewhere around 2011. More room for keys and synths and less for straight riffs, more eighties elements and less heaviness. It’s actually more of a leisurely stroll or swim, since we were talking about pools here, through the natural progrock from the seventies, those folk inspired albums from bands like Rush. They sound completely comfortable with their route chosen and the intended goal. A multi-dimensional futuristic sounding retro album. And like a righteous paradox, all of that seems to work beautifully and not at all describe what you will go through when you listen to the album. But then again, sometimes it does. Quite the Conundrum…
(Written by JK)
