Contrapasso by Seven Impale

Contrapasso by Seven Impale, from 2016

I've already mentioned this band; it's made up of six musicians with backgrounds in jazz and classical music, further evidence that the Scandinavian scene, what I call  Northern Prog, has been steadily growing for many years now and is dominating the progressive music of this century.

It's their second album, released shortly after their excellent debut,   City of the Sun,, in 2014, and then followed many years later by  Summit, in 2023, their peak in my opinion.

This is an excellent, eclectic, and intense progressive rock album, blending jazz-rock, avant-prog, and psychedelic influences, as is typical of this band, with great complexity in the often sudden tempo changes and atmospheres ranging from captivating to dark.

The saxophone is fantastic, very present, enriching the complexity of the songs, which also feature heavy prog influences at times.

Complex, syncopated, and shifting tempos, executed with splendid passages, are certainly a challenging listen, but one that offers many different atmospheres, from fun and light-hearted mod to melancholic and dark.

The band has grown significantly, and Stian Økland on vocals changes tone and interpretations with great skill and flexibility, feeling at ease with both the heavier and more emotional songs.

The album's opening track, "Lemma," is beautiful, intense and emotional, followed by the captivating "Convulsion" and the hypnotic "Helix." Less effective, however, is "Phoenix," which closes the album and does a good, but not excellent, job.

A complex listen that has led many to criticize the album, I believe its complexity is a quality and not a negative aspect, a complexity that increases compared to the debut album. It brings together many styles and interpretations of progressive rock in a single album, which is why I recommend it without hesitation.

Tracklist

1. Lemma (8:59)
2. Heresy (7:16)
3. Inertia (9:09)
4. Langour (7:39)
5. Ascension (1:37)
6. Convulsion (5:06)
7. Helix (9:16)
8. Serpentstone (7:20)
9. Phoenix (11:14)
Duration 67:36

LineUp

- Stian Økland - vocals, lead guitar
- Erlend Vottvik Olsen - guitar, vocals
- Håkon Vinje - keyboards, vocals
- Benjamin Mekki Widerøe - tenor saxophone, flute, vocals
- Tormod Fosso - bass, cello
- Fredrik Mekki Widerøe - drums and percussion, banjo, vocals