The All Is One by Norwegian rock band Motorpsycho is the final work in a trilogy dedicated to Hakon Gullvag (who designed the album covers), which began with The Crucible, released in 2020.
This is the Gullvag Trilogy:
The Tower (2017)
The Crucible (2019)
The All Is One (2020)
Motorpsycho stated that Gullvag's paintings have often inspired their music, and for this reason they sought collaboration with the painter.
The artwork is, in fact, one of the most beautiful around, in my opinion; you can find all the images of the 10-panel, foldable cover below. It's wonderful and an integral part of the album, which, I must say, is a masterpiece of fantastic progressive rock from the first note to the last. The first four tracks on side I of the first vinyl—"The All Is One," "The Same Old Rock," "The Magpie," and "Delusion"—are psychedelic, very refined pieces with extraordinary jams, four gems of which "Magpie" is the finest in my opinion.
Then there's "N.O.X." , a 40-minute-plus suite masterpiece that shifts the sound from psychedelic rock to space rock with a never-ending grip, keeping you hooked to the flow even when it slows down with extraordinary mood shifts. Divided into five parts and spread across two sides of the double vinyl, sides II and III offer extraordinary emotions.
Then come four tracks on side IV: A Little Light, Dreams of Fancy, The Dowser, and Like Chrome. These continue the psychedelic vein of the initial four tracks with a different mood, leaning more toward pure progressive rock and accents of classic rock. Here, too, superb melodies and guitar sounds—a sort of distorted, yet not undistorted, sound, a tapestry of sustain and gusto that makes this band perfectly recognizable.
The psychedelic and space rock jams are exceptional on this album, rivaling the genre's most famous names in their own right.
The All Is One is a fantastic album from every perspective, visually and musically.
The Tracks
Side I
1. The All Is One (8:50)
2. The Same Old Rock (One Must Imagine Sisyphus Happy) (5:18)
3. The Magpie (5:36)
4. Delusion (The Reign of Humbug) (2:44)
Side II and III
- N.O.X. ∞ (42:38):
5. Circles Around the Sun, Pt. 1 (9:11)
6. Ouroboros (Strange Loop) (8:23)
7. Ascension (3:37)
8. Night of Pan (15:33)
9. Circles Around the Sun, Pt. 2 (5:54)
Side IV
10. A Little Light (2:19)
11. Dreams of Fancy (9:37)
12. The Dowser (2:46)
13. Like Chrome (5:03)
Running Time: 84:51
Line-Up
- Bent Sæther - lead vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards, drums
- Hans Magnus Ryan - lead guitar, vocals, keyboards, mandolin, violin, bass
- Tomas Järmyr - drums, vocals
Featuring:
- Reine Fiske (Landberk) - Guitar
- Lars Horntveth (Jaga Jazzist, Amgala Temple) - saxophones, clarinet
- Ola Kvernberg (Steamdome) - violin
