It's more than 30 years ago that the Swedish Pär Lindh Project released its highly acclaimed debut album entitled Gothic Impressions, in 1994. That was in the days of the blossoming New Skandinavian Prog Wave, featuring lots of vintage keyboard driven bands, from Änglagård and Anekdoten to Landberk and White Willow. The great inspiration for keyboard player Pär Lindh is obviously Keith Emerson, especially due to his awesome work on the Hammond organ. Now anno 2025 the Pär Lindh Project (including drummer Mattias Olson) delivers its new album (10 years after the previous album Pär Lindh Plays 25 Pieces For Organ Harpsichord & Piano), as a tribute to the late Keith Emerson. This new album starts with the Nagelfar Suite. Nagelfar is a Norwegian legend who has a ship made of the nails of fallen Viking Heroes on their final journey to the Valhalla. This epic composition sounds varied and dynamic, between dreamy, a slow rhythm, a mid-tempo and a sumptuous outburst, embellished with sparkling piano, bombastic Hammond, orchestral keyboards and heavy and distorted guitar. The final part epitomizes the dark story with propulsive drum beats and an ominous Mellotron sound, the realm of the Valhalla. Very Nice is of course a tribute to The Nice. The climate is cheerful, with inspired English vocals, powerful Hammond runs and delicate Mellotron violins. Halfway sparkling piano and in the end pleasant synthesizer flights. I like the Sixties sound undertone. Splendid View contains a dreamy atmosphere with acoustic guitar and English vocals, then a slow rhythm featuring wonderful Grand piano and tender work on the Mellotron. Tres Vieux Jeu is my highlight. It sounds like a tribute to Fanfare/Peter Gunn Emerson, Lake & Palmer era with brassy synthesizer (evoking the Yamaha GX-1 synthesizer sound), a catchy beat with a growling bass and thunderous drums, a spectacular synthesizer solo and a bombastic grand finale, what an exciting composition! Medieval Dream delivers tasteful harpsichord work, in the vein of the title. I Believe is built around the impressive voice of Eveliina Ainsalo (powerful and a wide range), blended with tender Grand piano. Halfway an interlude with classical orchestrations. Dance Of The Knights is built upon a classical theme (Prokofiev) featuring varied Grand piano play, awesome! Pubcrawl contains swinging boogie-woogie piano, then Hammond, a drum solo (with Neil Peart echoes) and finally virtuosic Honky-tonk piano, an obvious tribute to Keith Emerson. The final track Jerusalem features a serie of guest musicians. First bombastic church organ sound and harder-edged guitar, then wonderful female vocals (the late Magdalena Hagberg) and moving, harder-edged electric guitar runs. The interplay is strong, what an inspired Emerson, Lake & Palmer cover. What a tastefully arranged tribute to Keith Emerson, blended with own and varied musical ideas. **** Erik Neuteboom (edited by Dave Smith) Where to buy? |
