Back to Ruphus! a band from Norway and it isn't black metal this time. Back in 1973 they recorded an album called New born day (1973, Polydor, 2382 037) and this piece of prog/jazz/heavy/fuzzy-sounding audio journey is damn fine this early summer. It is strange to think of this as Norwegian since my view on music from that country is very coloured by the early 90s but even someone as ignorant as me do see that there must have been other kinds of music before and after the blaze in the northern sky. Ruphus do sound very much like other bands from that time in a way so to say that they should "sound" Norwegian would be exaggerated but still I can't help to feel that there's something about them that is something of their own. The cover with the snow doesn't make me think of UK or US very much either.
My favorite track is without a doubt "Trapped in a game" and it is not because of the bloody brilliant drum intro and not because of the heavy riff at the beginning but instead mostly because of Gudny Aspaas' amazing vocals. Her voice is very well pitched but still somewhat harsh at times and with a beautiful vibrato, this makes me shiver down my spine. I can't help but to think of Jinx Dawnson from Coven and that is certainly something good coming from me.
I am sorry that I don't upload the music I write about like other blogers do but if your interested you'll find the gems somewhere I am sure.
All for now
/P
(The frost of Ruphus)
