Swedish band ABRAMIS BRAMA have been around in one shape or another since 1997, and ever since they released their debut album “Dansa Tokjävelns Vals” they have been a well regarded entity among the retro-oriented hard rock bands in Sweden, with added credits from their home base for sticking with the Swedish language on a consistent basis. “Enkel Biljett” is their sixth studio album, and was released through Swedish label Transubstans Records in the spring of 2014.
My previous encounters with this band have made me mark them down in history as a fairly energetic band that have taken their cues from Black Sabbath, and possibly added some vibes from bands such as Mountain and Led Zeppelin as well, for a fairly energetic run through more or less traditional stoner rock territories, with their previous disc “Smakar Söndag” from 2009 as their most consistent album so far. Five years have gone by since then, and unless my memory is severely flawed the band have changed considerably in that time span as far as their stylistic expression is concerned.
Those fond of up tempo, in your face stoner rock with a 70’s sound does get a few items thrown their way here, S.M.E.L. arguably the most consistent and best example of that, but beyond a few instances of that nature Abramis Brama as of 2014 is a band that appears to reach out towards new frontiers.
Title track Enkel Biljett to some extent, and Ber Om Nåd later on to a greater extent, documents a band reaching towards a more traditional blues based hard rock sound, and more distinctly blues oriented details of a more or less subtle nature is in fact something of a key feature throughout this entire production. Lång Tripp adds a slight Santana-tinged to the palette explored, and the mainly instrumental Jonzos Bolero also have tendencies in that direction. More of a subtle and partially hidden feature in both cases I might add, but there are some delicate and atmospheric touches on both of these songs that you wouldn’t expect to find in a band mainly described as a stoner rock band.
My main impression of this album is that this is a band that have started searching for a way forward, for how to expand their repertoire, and while that certainly is a subjective impression and one that might be totally wrong, part of that impression comes from the fact that I find this album to be uneven. Most songs have their moments of sheer beauty, but many also feature sections that doesn’t inspire all that much.
But when the band gets it right, the end result is captivating indeed. Apart from previously mentioned Jonzos Bolero, the high point foe me was the successive trio of Blåa Toner, Vagger Mig Till Ro and Ett Steg Från Graven. The first a nice and delicate blend of blues and Sabbath-tinged riffs, with room for the finer details of the guitars to breathe adding a ton of impact to this fine song, the next song expanding on this foundation with a clever, slower paced chorus section with dream-laden tendencies, concluding with the magnificent final part of this triptych that opens up the composition for a much greater use of careful, delicate passages with psych-tinged and even some subtly jazz-inspired instrument details, at least as I experienced them. That this final piece of this threesome also sports some of the heaviest and most distinctly Sabbath-oriented riffs on this CD also merits a mention I guess, as does the fact that the band decides to toss in some Mellotron textures in the second half of this composition.
Abramis Brama as of 2014 is still a retro-sounding band, and with undeniable influences from Black Sabbath alongside possible touches from the likes of Mountain and Led Zeppelin. They have expanded their palette quite a bit though, with a stronger emphasis on blues and the addition of more distinct psychedelic touches first and foremost, and what may or may not be a slight flavoring of subtle jazz inspired instrument details on a select few occasions. Liberal minded fans of classic hard rock and stoner rock appears to be a key audience for this band, although in this case a fascination for careful blues and psychedelic details will probably also be needed to be able to enjoy this album.
My rating: 73/100
