Nordagust
In The Mist Of Morning
Karisma Records
2011
Progressive
rock, what an expansive description. It could mean so much.
So what does it mean in regards to this release from Norway's
Nordagust? It means slow, melodic rock with loads of mellotron
and sorrowful, yet sleepy vocals. As a whole, I would say that
Nordagust's style is sleepy. The title track gets things going
with drifting, ethereal movements and a pleading, dramatic voice.
Expectations is next with its beautiful vocal lines and calm,
melodic guitar lines. The song's rhythm is enhanced by a bouncing
mouthharp. The slow, shimmering beginning of Elegy is both
chilling in its calmness and ghostly with its haunting vocals.
The song then lifts heavenward with powerful guitar riffs and
imposing vocal emotions. However, the longer the album draws on
the more the songs run together and I am left feeling somewhat like it
is too long. The sleepiness of later parts of the album infects
my impression of the earlier tracks. Nordagust would like notice
to be paid to all the additional instrumental elements sprinkled
throughout the album (mouthharp, mandolin, etc.), however I feel that
it all boils down to the synth, vocals and guitar. That's where
the focus should remain. Nordagust never really gets too dramatic
or hard-hitting, preferring to stay within the realms of softness and
grey melodies. It's as if the whole album is draped in a soothing
mist and with its length it encourages me to hibernate beneath layers
of arctic ice. In The Mist Of Morning begins with much promise
but that impression is seeps away as the album continues and the songs
blur into one another.