Luna Kafé e-zine  Luna Kafé record review
coverpic flag Norway - Full Moon 238 - 01/24/16

Årabrot
For Lack of Discipline You Will Die
Sheep Chase

Årabrot have come a long way since their wee start back in 2001 and their first 7", Adding D To Anger (incl. "Marionettes" and "Bogus Boogie"). The hard-core, postpunk, noise lovers have released a number of albums, and songwriter Kjetil Nernes and his players have received a lot of good press both in Norway (where they have received several Norwegian Grammy awards) and abroad. They have toured all over (this spring will take them throughout Europe) and their upcoming, 7th album The Gospel was recorded at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio studio, Chicago, as was their 2011 album Solar Anus (Fysisk Format). Albini did also produce their 2009 album The Brother Seed (Norway Rat Records/Fysisk Format).

They cite influences from all over the world of art (painters, writers, directors, philosophers/thinkers) including de Sade, Sartre, Tarkovsky, Jodorowsky, Kubrick, Paul Avril, Lautreamont, Roussel, Huysmans, Goya, Jorge Luis Borges, Cocteau, Poe, Tom Poulton, Marco Ferreri, to name but a few, as well as picking inspiration from bands such as Death in June, The Birthday Party, Melvins, Swans, Big Black and others. According to their Facebook site they claim their interests to circle themes and topics like 'dementia, megalomania, acute mania, melancholia, idiocy, hallucination, erotic mania, paralysis'.

The line 'For lack of discipline you will die' is taken from the main track on their new, exclusive 7", "Song Of Calumny", which is a groovy, raw, brutal and melodic track. The song is bulldozing its way as if nothing can stop it. The track features additional noise/sound from noise-master Lasse Marhaug. This is a metal-brute extravaganza, and indeed promising for the coming album. The flip-side is a spoken word piece in form of a narrated version of "The Isis Pool" (off 2014's I Modi), simply re-titled "The Isis Pool Narrated". Maybe this is where Poe (and Crowley?) kicks in? Anyway, "Song Of Calumny" is the killer here. All we have to do is to wait for The Gospel (scheduled for February 26th). Are we to see/hear the General and his 'Gospel' like in a master of war - like a general talking to, directing and commanding his troops in the battlefield? Could it be some General Ulysses S. Grant, who was known as a master of the art of surrender. Except that Årabrot will never surrender. They will aim for victory, for complete superiority. Or, maybe Årabrot's 'Gospel Genral' is more like the rabid, crazed out Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper from Dr. Strangelove... Discipline, troops. Patience and discipline. And chaos.

Copyright © 2016 Håvardmål e-mail address

You may also want to check out our Årabrot articles/reviews: Marionettes b/w Bogus Boogie, Proposing a pact with Jesus, The Gospel.

© 2016 Luna Kafé