Gosta Berlings Saga- Glue Works

**Yves** · 03-02-2013

Man, I just can't get enough of this album! I discovered this band with their first album and this 3rd release didn't totally grab me at first. Now, I find it to be head-and-shoulders above the previous two. An almost perfect disc for me; and each spin makes me relive their superlative NF performance.

Looking forward to new material in the not-so-distant future! (Steve?)

**notallwhowander** · 03-02-2013

I love this album too. I didn't go the NEARFest, but picked it up from the buzz around here afterward. I find it a particularly high quality instrumental album. I hope there's more from them too.

**Yves** · 03-02-2013

The live version of "Island", with Matthias of Anglagard joining them on stage, was the high point of the 4 NFs I attended. I literally had goose bumps!

**Steve F.** · 03-02-2013

hi Yves

lots of information on their facebook page. Not all of it good. Not all of it bad.

BAD:
"GBS Disaster Summary #1, 2013: In Dec 2011 we had a break-in and lost stuff worth thousands of dollars. A few months later we were flooded by cockroaches and had to sanitate the whole studio. A month ago our www account was disabled by the hosting company as our Wordpress installation had been infected by malicious code. And two weeks ago our studio was flooded again, but this time by water - destroying the record sleeves for all remaining DHH LPs but 50 of them. Wohoo!"

GOOD:

**Baribrotzer** · 03-02-2013

The album doesn't really grab me - most of the tunes seem to consist of one good idea repeated over and over - but these guys are killer live. That kind of writing works much better on stage than on record, at least for me.

**jviola95** · 03-02-2013

I love this album. They were one of my favorites at NEARFest.

**Yves** · 03-02-2013

Originally Posted by Baribrotzer

The album doesn't really grab me - most of the tunes seem to consist of one good idea repeated over and over - but these guys are killer live. That kind of writing works much better on stage than on record, at least for me.

I respect your opinion as always John, but I love that sort of hypnotic cadence. I guess that's why I'm such a fan of the stoner genre.

**alanterrill** · 03-02-2013

Originally Posted by Baribrotzer

The album doesn't really grab me - most of the tunes seem to consist of one good idea repeated over and over - but these guys are killer live.

That's just what I felt -I loved the first two albums and was really looking forward to this, but the paucity of ideas on this leaves me very frustrated when I listen to it. They just come up with a riff and repeat it over and over with just a gradual build up of volume or some slight textural change. I find it works best if its just on in the background while I'm doing something else -listening too intently only reveals its shortcomings.

**nosebone** · 03-02-2013

Great album when I'm in a hypnotic cadence mood, like driving at night.

**Bigpicturekeys** · 03-03-2013

For me Detta Har Haant is still setting the bar. Love that Fem Trappour!

**thedunno** · 03-03-2013

I am in the-best-they-ever-did-camp. Of course there is a lot of repetition but it works wonderfully for me. Take "island'; based on one or two riffs but the build up, the tension and intensity make it an ultimate listening trip.

Glue works doesn't bore me for one single second.

So far they've made three records and they all three sound different. I am looking forward to what they come up with next.

**Sputnik** · 03-03-2013

Sadly, put me in the "doesn't grab me" camp, basically for the reasons mentioned (too much repetition of material and too little interesting material to my ears). Also, I really dislike the last track on Glue Works, which unfortunately dominates the album in length. I'm glad it's connecting with others, because I really am a fan of this band and want them to succeed, but Glue Works just missed the mark for me.

My favorite of theirs is actually the debut. There is some of that "hypnotic repetition" stuff on that album, but to me the idea the hit on there to repeat was much stronger and the album is better balanced overall, not to mention chock full of fantastic and memorable ideas. I like Detta Har Haant a lot too, but the debut really knocks me out. Hoping the new one is more in line with their earlier stuff, but they'll do what they do.

Bill

**Modry Effekt** · 03-03-2013

I have a nod for Detta Har Haant.I haven't yet heard first one.Repetitve,isn't that life itself.

**notallwhowander** · 03-03-2013

This is my first album by them, so I didn't have an expectation set by the previous albums. When a person here described the music as "a zeuhl rhythm section with post-rock guitar" I was expecting the band to jam out on a groove. This, I think, is what others experience as too repetitive. I was surprised at how immediately accessible I found it, and yet it has held up to multiple listens.

I liked Glue Works so much I would have picked up the previous album, but it wasn't available at the time.

**Progatron** · 03-03-2013

I love all three albums I have from these guys!

**NogbadTheBad** · 03-03-2013

I like repetitive.

Great band.

**mellotron storm** · 03-03-2013

Originally Posted by Bigpicturekeys

For me Detta Har Haant is still setting the bar. Love that Fem Trappour!

I agree i think their second one is a masterpiece but i also think Glue Works is great(better than the debut imo).

**adewolf** · 03-03-2013

Great stuff. Thanks for reminding us Yves.

**Camelogue** · 03-03-2013

Loved the band at Nearfest but this was a case of live is better for me. Bought the album and after about 5 spins, I sent it off to Mexico.

**Nearfest2** · 03-04-2013

Originally Posted by NogbadTheBad

I like repetitive.

Great band.

**NogbadTheBad** · 03-04-2013

Well played Sir.

**Scrotum Scissor** · 03-04-2013

Originally Posted by mellotron storm

I agree i think their second one is a masterpiece but i also think Glue Works is great(better than the debut imo).

+ 1. I like all three, and I think there's a sort of natural evolution into what they have become. They are kids of both the post- and retro-rock generations, and this manifests itself almost perfectly in their didactic.

Interestingly, there are (were?) some very few other current bands who belong to the exact same generation and execute a vaguely reminiscent ideal, although obviously with quite different end results; The Future Kings of England, Guapo, NeBeLNeST and Tarantula Hawk come to mind. I really enjoy all of these groups immensely, something about a sense of "avant-psych transgression", I think.

**Pr33t** · 03-04-2013

Originally Posted by Sputnik

Hoping the new one is more in line with their earlier stuff, but they'll do what they do.

That's unlikely to happen. Matthias Danielsson, the guitarist on the first album, had a large influence that's no longer there.

Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor

+ 1. I like all three, and I think there's a sort of natural evolution into what they have become. They are kids of both the post- and retro-rock generations, and this manifests itself almost perfectly in their didactic.

Absolutely. I heard Glue Works first and absolutely loved it. Going back to the two earlier albums and it's clear to see a well-planned, but organic evolution into what they are doing now. The building repetition is just perfect for what they do. Early on you could see links to classic Swedish bands like Kebnekaise, and a more riff-based repetition. Now they really build songs in layers, using more space to slowly build to a pretty intense level.