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May 20, 2021 Web Exclusive By Haydon Spenceley

Motorpsycho: the archetypal “if you know you know” band of our times. The hard-rocking Norwegian trio have shown huge longevity over a storied career, characterized by wild abandon and always being willing to take chances musically.

And so it is that we find ourselves presented with the riff-heavy Kingdom of Oblivion, similar in tone and urgency to high points of the band’s canon from the ’90s, including the seminal Blissard but augmented by two key additional characteristics. The first is the experience and wisdom of another 25 years which gives the songs here heft and gravitas. The second is the presence of longtime collaborator Reine Fiske, whose keyboard and guitar turns give even more texture and color to tracks like “The United Debased,” which delights for a full nine minutes, and the seismic “Dreamkiller.” Yes, this is heavy, but melody abounds everywhere throughout this fine album, which shows Bent Sæther, Hans Maguns ‘Snah’ Ryan, and Tomas Järmyr are losing nothing of their potency with the passing of the years. (www.motorpsycho.no)

Author rating: 7.5/10