Lykantropi Set Nov. 6 Release for Tales to be Told
Honestly, I could sit here until my fingers bleed from striking the keyboard telling you about the righteous melody, the classic prog and folk, the warm vibe and the ultra-Swedishy Swedishness of Lykantropi‘s forthcoming third LP, Tales to be Told, but they’ve already put out three singles from the album — the third of them, “Axis of Margaret,” is streaming below — so you should probably just take the time to find out for yourself. If it’s autumn wherever you are in the world, take particular note. Something about clear air, dappled afternoon light, crisp temperatures, that rare between-extremes serenity that seems so distant when winter hits and all those leaves are gone. An early November release could hardly be more perfect.
Tales to be Told follows the band’s 2019 sophomore outing, Spirituosa (review here), and is up for preorder now from Despotz Records, as the PR wire informs:
LYKANTROPI: Swedish Psychedelic Folk Rock Collective Unveils “Axis Of Margaret” Single; Tales To Be Told Full-Length Nears Release Via Despotz Records
Swedish psychedelic folk rock collective LYKANTROPI today reveals the stirring sounds of “Axis Of Margaret.” The band’s latest hymn comes by way of upcoming full-length, Tales To Be Told, set for release November 6th via Despotz Records.
In today’s society, old folk tales can be thought to belong to the delusions of the past. With their groovy riffs and beautiful melodies, LYKANTROPI takes its listeners back to the rock and folk music of the early ’70s. Sweet harmonies reminiscent of The Mamas & The Papas are layered with electric guitars and flutes and swirled into a smokey witch’s brew reminiscent of bands like Fleetwood Mac, Coven, and Blue Öyster Cult.
The mysterious, inexplicable, and obscure have always been what primarily defines LYKANTROPI – rock music that comes from the Scandinavian forest and wilderness; deforestation and mire, bottomed within its folklore, myths, and legends. We cannot see or touch it, but we can feel it, experience it, and pass it on. That kind of art is more difficult to define and master, but it is probably what has made the sextet from Karlstad one of the most promising new additions to enter Sweden’s rock scene in many years.
Comments bassist Tomas Eriksson of the personal theme that drives the moving sounds of “Axis Of Margaret,” “It is to some extent about when I found my mother dead and how surreal it was. It is about seeing how the person who once was your security merely becoming a shell and losing its soul. It is partly about the intense grieving, but also about the sorrow that she actually disappeared twenty years earlier when my father passed away. Her grief devoured her, it took away her meaning and made her an alcoholic in denial. Her name was Margareta and she was the shoulder of the family. At one point, at least.”
Tales To Be Told will be released on CD, LP, and digital formats via Despotz Records. Album preorders are available at THIS LOCATION: https://despotz.bigcartel.com/products
Adds bassist Tomas Eriksson, “The song ‘Kom Ta Mig Ut’ is so damn good and sweet. I love that it has several different parts that blend together. I also really like ‘Världen Går Vidare.’ The two are seven minutes each, ending Sides A and B and are in some way a mainstay for the rest of the album. ‘Världen Går Vidare’ is about life and everything in nature that wants to grow… that darkness wants to dispel and life wants more life. Everything must have arisen from nothing from the beginning. Consequently, we should be able to suspect that even nothing strives to become something…” As the two continue, it quickly becomes clear that many of the lyrics on the new album are deeply personal, including the single “Axis Of Margaret” where Eriksson tells of how he found his mother deceased.
“Loneliness has been a companion throughout my life through my upbringing and adolescence,” Martin Östlund picks up, describing the song “Life On Hold,” “I was an odd bird and quite a bit of a thinker, but music was always my thing. During the special kind of isolation that the pandemic has entailed, however, much becomes extra clear. It gets quite personal. I feel confident in what I want out of my life.”
LYKANTROPI:
Martin Östlund – vocals, guitar
My Shaolin – vocals
Ia Öberg – flute
Tomas Eriksson – bass
Elias Håkansson – guitar
Ola Rui Nygard – drums
http://www.facebook.com/lykantropiband
http://www.instagram.com/lykantropi_official
http://lykantropi.bandcamp.com
https://despotz.se/
https://www.facebook.com/DespotzRecords
https://www.instagram.com/despotzrecords
Did not know this was coming. Really enjoyed the last one.
Me too! Check out the singles on their Bandcamp if you haven’t. The album is really cool.
Cheers JJ. Doing that right now!