A couple of weeks ago Black Debbath released their sixth CD, “Nå får det faen meg være rock! Akademisk stoner-rock!” (Now, God Dammit It Must Be Rock! Academic Stoner-Rock!). Last week they started their concert tour in Norway, and last night they played a sold out Rockefeller Music Hall in Oslo.
It is the time for Christmas and the yearly lists of the best albums of the year. Different magazines and radio shows have their own lists, and the forums have eager discussions about these lists. One of the music styles that causes the most discussions, is metal rock. Here are a few of the candidates for this year’s best metal rock album, international and Norwegian that I have photographed this last year and before. (Picture above: Enslaved, from the last Hole In The Sky Festival in Bergen 2011)
One of the most popular Norwegian bands in the late 80’s and early 90’s was Return from Stange, a small place some 70 miles north of Oslo. Their biggest hit, Sing Me A Song, stayed for a whole year on Norsktoppen, a popularity chart show on Norwegian radio, NRK P1.
Norway have had a few artists with international success, a-ha the most successful of these. But in the 80’s Stage Dolls were on their way to something big with a single on the Billboard chart and a record contract with Big Time Records.
The Norwegian band Hellbillies released their 13th CD two weeks ago to great reviews in newspapers and blogs. Some have held this as their best CD so far. Saturday night they held their 20 year anniversary concert as a recording band at a sold out Oslo Spektrum together with some good artist friends.
W.A.S.P. were some of the really bad bands in the 80s, with songs like Animal (Fuck Like a Beast), Helldorado, Chainsaw Charlie, Dirty Balls, plus live shows with blood and porn. They were banned in many countries, but now the scandals are gone, and Blackie Lawless has found God.
In 1967 the two Danish brothers Thomas and Anders Koppel started a band with jazz drummer Alex Riel, guitarist Jens Rugstedt, Flemming Ostermann and Annisette Hansen. They called the band The Savage Rose, and 45 years later Annisette is the only one left. But her voice is such an important part of the band that you never doubt which band you are listening to. Thursday night The Savage Rose played at the Rockefeller Music Hall in Oslo.
Norway have many great artists, and every once and again a new one arrives who has that special thing that makes her or him stand out from the crowd. John Olav Nilsen is one of those, and he was immediately recognized, even before he released his debut CD in 2009. Since then he has played many concerts with his band, Gjengen, and their third CD, Den eneste veien ut (The Only Way Out) is out now.
Seigmen was one of Norway’s leading rock bands in the 90’s. They were supposed to follow up the heritage from the four big ones, Dum Dum Boys, De Lillos, Raga Rockers and Jokke og Valentinerne. But they disbanded in 1998 after a 9 year carreer. Luckily they have had many comebacks after that, and one of them was tonight.
Granittrock is something as unusual as a free, non-alcoholic festival in Oslo, where some of Norway’s best and biggest bands play. The festival was arranged Friday and Saturday this weekend, and I was there on Friday.
Artist Pictures Blog 