All traps On Earth - A drop of Light (AMS)
All traps on Earth are, in essence, the spiritual continuation of the prog rock giants Änglagård. The band was created and is led by Johan Brand (bass), while also including Änglagård members Thomas Johnson (keyboards) and Erik Hammarstrom (drums). All traps On Earth lineup is completed by Johan's daughter Miranda on vocal melodies. The occasional prog listener should be aware that this is not a record for the faint of heart, it is a true successor to Änglagård, where King Crimson, jazzy interludes and mostly instrumental music, with the voice of Miranda acting purely as another instrument in the prog/jazz elegy. Thus, while it is surely not an album for everyone, every single prog purist will find true joy in its twists and turns.
The album is essentially composed of four prog rock suites & a short interlude. It begins with the first suite "All Traps on Earth", a prog journey through jazzy roads, Operatic howls, mellotron echoes and in your face bass-lines. The following composition, "Magmatic Warning" starts by grabbing you by the horns, before becoming quiet, shifting into a jazzy mood and then keeps ebbing and flowing throughout, emulating the signs of volcanic eruption while also paying a small tribute to the great french band Magma. Highlights of the track are the impressive use of wind instrumentation in key moments of the composition, setting the tone of the piece. "Omen" is the most Änglagård song of the album, while at the same time being the pinnacle of the record. Whereas in the previous 2 suites there was experimentation in other styles, here there is a more melodic prog rock vibe that is very much in line with what Änglagård did in the seminal "Viljans Öga", with the vocal colours of Miranda providing an excellent antithesis to the quick paced prog melodies displayed throughout. "Bortglömda Gårdar" starts with a male voice singing in Swedish accompanied with harpsichord, introducing the theme of the piece, where vocal led passages are intertwined with instrumentally-led ones. The piece ends with a jazz frenzy directly leading to a stunning synth solo which also eventually subsides, as a more ethereal piano-led melody takes the composition and the album to its triumphant end.
93.15/100
Below is the audio for "Omen".
The album is essentially composed of four prog rock suites & a short interlude. It begins with the first suite "All Traps on Earth", a prog journey through jazzy roads, Operatic howls, mellotron echoes and in your face bass-lines. The following composition, "Magmatic Warning" starts by grabbing you by the horns, before becoming quiet, shifting into a jazzy mood and then keeps ebbing and flowing throughout, emulating the signs of volcanic eruption while also paying a small tribute to the great french band Magma. Highlights of the track are the impressive use of wind instrumentation in key moments of the composition, setting the tone of the piece. "Omen" is the most Änglagård song of the album, while at the same time being the pinnacle of the record. Whereas in the previous 2 suites there was experimentation in other styles, here there is a more melodic prog rock vibe that is very much in line with what Änglagård did in the seminal "Viljans Öga", with the vocal colours of Miranda providing an excellent antithesis to the quick paced prog melodies displayed throughout. "Bortglömda Gårdar" starts with a male voice singing in Swedish accompanied with harpsichord, introducing the theme of the piece, where vocal led passages are intertwined with instrumentally-led ones. The piece ends with a jazz frenzy directly leading to a stunning synth solo which also eventually subsides, as a more ethereal piano-led melody takes the composition and the album to its triumphant end.
93.15/100
Below is the audio for "Omen".
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