Motorpsycho & Ståle Storløkken: The Death Defying Unicorn

Motorpsycho & Ståle Storløkken: The Death Defying Unicorn - A Fanciful and Fairly Far-Out Musical Fable by Norwegian rock band Motorpsycho, in collaboration with Stale Storløkken, 2012.

A monumental album, about 80 minutes of an increasingly elaborate fusion of rock, jazz, and progressive rock.

A delirious experience that spans numerous styles and sounds and which I consider a masterpiece of progressive rock.

Great instrumentals that often veer into electric prog, wonderful vocal sections, fantastic drifts into space rock, but also into zeuhl or RIO, exceptional fusion digressions with the masterful touch of Ståle Storløkken.

We've already discussed Motorpsycho, a band I follow a lot, with numerous albums under our belt, including their most recent, highly praised self-titled album from 2025.

Stale Storløkken is a Norwegian jazz musician known for his work bordering on electronic music. The recording also features the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra and the great violinist Ola Kvernberg, all enriched by a hypnotic saxophone, orchestral explosions, and flutes.

"Out Of The Woods," just over two minutes of pure experimentation, with splendid wind instruments. Very orchestral, it merges with the next track.
"The Hollow Lands," a very intense song, featuring vocals, flute, mellotron, deep bass, and powerful, driving drums. The vocals are beautiful, making for a truly fantastic song, where the guitar is raw and compelling.
"Through The Veil" opens with percussion and wind instruments. A truly epic 16 minutes with an instrumental section featuring wind instruments, violin, and drums with shifting moods and beautiful guitar parts.
"Doldrums" is a beautiful, soft orchestral interlude.
"Into The Gyre" features an exceptional guitar part and the organ with its tense atmosphere. Spectacular.
"Flotsam" is a beautiful, melancholic close to the first album.
"Oh, Proteus - A Prayer" is a melancholic and sad song, with splendid violins that shift and transform into a very disturbing mood.
"Skulls in Limbo" is a brief instrumental obsession that merges with the following track,
"La Lethe," with its 8 minutes of sounds reminiscent of wood and water, a slow, pulsating rhythm, wild wind instruments in the background, male vocals, and a splendid saxophone solo that closes with the violins. Beautiful,
"Oh, Proteus - A Lament," lasts only a minute, with beautiful vocals and orchestra.
Sharks, a dark, mysterious, and beautiful song, with a consistent tempo throughout.
Mutiny! A fantastic piece, with a rather simple melody and a great prog/classic rock atmosphere, along with a great instrumental section.
Into The Mystic closes the album out beautifully, with splendid guitar and violin, flute mimicking the Mellotron, and a completely instrumental outro. A top track.

A hypnotic musical explosion, an undisputed prog masterpiece and a must-have for your collection. Not the easiest to find, but once you get it, you won't regret it.

The Songs
1. Out of the Woods (2:41)
2. The Hollow Lands (7:37)
3. Through the Veil (16:01)
4. Doldrums (3:07)
5. Into the Gyre (10:22)
6. Flotsam (1:33)
7. Oh Proteus - A Prayer (7:35)
8. Sculls in Limbo (2:21)
9. The Lethe (7:53)
10. Oh Proteus - A Lament (1:05)
11. Sharks (7:56)
12. Mutiny! (8:33)
13. Into the Mystic (7:05)
Running time 83:49

The Lineup
- Bent Sæther - vocals, bass, co-producer
- Hans Magnus "Snah" Ryan - guitars, vocals
- Kenneth Kapstad - drums
And:
- Ståle Storløkken - keyboards, orchestral arrangements
With:
- Ola Kvernberg - violin
- KÃ¥re Vestrheim - Mellotron, gongs, FX, co-producer
Trondheim Jazz Orchestra:
- Kjetil Traavik Møster - clarinet, tenor and baritone saxophones
- Hanna Paulsberg - tenor saxophone
- Klaus Ellerhusen Holm - alto saxophone
- Andre Roligheten - tenor saxophone, bass clarinet
- Mathias Eick - trumpet
- Eivind Nordseth Lønning - trumpet
- Mats Äleklint - trombone
- Kristoffer Compen - trombone
Trondheimsolistene:
- Daniele Turcina/violin
- Ã…se VÃ¥g Aaknes - violin
- Sigrid Stang - violin
-Stina Andersson/violin
- Frøydis Tøsse - purple
- Lars Marius Hølås - viola
- Marianne Lie - cello
- Tabita Berglund/cello