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Review Summary: A great album from the 90’s Sweden prog scene. “Riktigt Akta” is the debut studio album of Landberk and was released in 1992. The lineup on the album is Patric Helje, Reine Fiske, Simon Nordberg, Stefan Dimle and Andreas Dahlback. The album also had the participation of Simon Steensland as guest.
As we know, Sweden is one of the most important hotbeds of the progressive rock. It was true in the 70’s with bands like Kaipa, Atlas, Samla Mammas Manna and Trettioariga Kriget, only to mention a few. But it’s also true today with bands like Opeth, Pain Of Salvation, Beardfish, Moon Safari, Anekdoten, The Flower Kings and Katatonia, only to mention some too. But, in the 90’s, in the revival of the progressive rock scene, there were Swedish bands that called attention, especially Anglagard, but Landberk too. Today my review is about the debut studio work of this last band.
Landberk was a prog rock band that was formed in Sweden in 1992. It was one of the Scandinavian darkest prog bands. As happened with their compatriots Anglagard and Anekdoten they were influenced by King Crimson’s classic period especially due to the use of Mellotron. Besides, you can hear the typical characteristics for the Scandinavians, the darkness and the sadness. They released their debut album “Riktigt Akta” in 1992, soon after they had formed. It’s an interesting mix of melancholic Mellotron flute and guitars. Since the commercial success they achieved was huge, it was decided to make an English version of the album. It was released in the same year with the title “Lonely Land”. The album includes a successful cover of the track “No More White Horses”, of the album “It’ll All Work Out In Boomland” released in 1970 by the British prog rock band T2. Once again it confirmed their fascination with King Crimson’s sound.
The debut album of Landberk “Riktigt Akta” was released in its original Swedish-language version and re-recorded in English as “Lonely Land”. Despite some similarities, these appear to be two entirely different recordings. The Swedish version plays flatter and has a lower sound than the English, while they have different bonus tracks, making them both essential for the aficionado. The Mellotron, which is thin like fog and sometimes like a flood, and Reine’s delicate tone guitar create a quiet, dark, and chilly sound space, like the white nights of Scandinavia with an outstanding sense of loneliness. Adding indigenous and exotic elements to the song are the Swedish lyrics and the vocals, creating a uniquely dark world. The sophistication and heaviness have been removed from King Crimson from the time of “Red”, and the music is as pure as if it had been freeze-dried at absolute zero. All this makes this album a very appealing work.
“Rik Tigt Akta” has six tracks. “I Nattens Timma” is a very dark and soft track, a classic of Mellotron flute and vocals underpinned with a cello. It has a very haunting melody in the best tradition of the Scandinavian progressive rock bands. The beauty and the sadness are very present here. “Skogsraet” is somehow divided into two parts. It’s a very different track and more lengthier than the opener. It’s heavier and a more rock influential track with some nice hints of jazz. It’s faster too. This is a fantastic track. “Tradet” starts very calmly. It’s a clever, mellow, and intriguing track with some nice guitar and bass works. We can also hear a very beautiful accordion work which gives the album a different mood. The presence of the Mellotron can be felt all over the track. This is a very beautiful piece. “Var Hall” is a very beautiful track with really nice vocal work. We can even say this is a very emotional track. I like very much the interaction between the organ and guitar works. This is a very light track that contrasts with some other tracks with a heavier side. I love this track. “Visa Fran Kallsedet” is another pleasing and artistically very interesting composition. It follows the same mood of the previous track “Var Hall”. It’s an acoustic track with a great classical guitar work. It’s not a very experimental track. It has a lovely pastoral atmosphere. It’s a soft, beautiful track. “Undrar Om Ni Ser” is another soft and melancholic piece with the return of the vocals and the usual presence of the Mellotron. This is a piece that grows as it’s going to be built. It has repetitive parts in the middle but that doesn’t spoil the high quality of the track.
Conclusion: After four years and four albums, Landberk just quietly faded away. Landberk is generally regarded as being the least known of the Sweden’s early 90’s triumvirate of prog bands, along with Anglagard and Anekdoten. All three bands started around the same time, all discarding the changes made to prog rock in the 80’s. Unlike Anglagard, Landberk’s approach is more simplistic, relying more on the slow groove than the complex instrumental interplay. Compared to their later albums, Landberk’s debut is more in the tradition of classic 70’s prog. The typical ingredients of the Landberk style can be identified here, a consistently melancholic atmosphere and the frequent use of the Mellotron. But there are places where the guitar comes more to the fore. So, “Riktigt Äkta” goes a bit in the direction of Anglagard.
Music was my first love.
John Miles (Rebel)
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Album Rating: 4.0
This is one of the landmark prog albums of the 90’s, after the troubled years for prog after the end of the 70’s. Landberk was with their compatriots Anglagard and Anekdoten, among many others, one of the responsibles to bring prog music to the spotlights again.
Riktigt Akta is their debut work, and with the debuts of Anglagard and Anekdoten, they showed that things were finally moving in the right direction for progheads. The album is a combination of Scandinavian folk with the progressive rock with a relatively heavy style. The music isn’t as powerful as from Anekdoten or as complex as Anglagard but has its own style. This is music not to be missed for any adventurous prog fan.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Excellent review as always, e! Pos'd. I play my vinyl of this a good bit. Although it's my only Landberk album, for some reason. In any event, agreed that this album is real highlight of the Swedish prog revival, righting so many of those 80s wrongs.
Well... there's an argument to be made that 80s neo-prog blurred the *real* 80s prog revival, which declined the primary 70s prog signifiers (solos, long songs, mellotron, etc.), and is probably coded more as "art rock"--from Kate Bush to Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance to Talk Talk, pre-pop OMD, maybe even The Buggles, and so on. And I do think some of these influences soaked in, almost osmotically, into the Scandanavian prog revival. I recognize that's possibly a controversial take, though.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
I'm glad that you like the album, trickert. I didn't know that you have a vinyl copy og this album. Great. I don't have any copy of their albums but I also like of Lonely Land and, especially, of One Man Tell's Another, who actually was my intro to the band. Indian Summer is their only work I haven't checked yet.
About your second paragraph, I read it with great interest and in general I think you was right, maybe with the exception of the neo-prog of the 80's, with the British invasion, Marillion, Twelfth Night, IQ, Pendragon and Pallas, for instance. On the other hand, it's not difficult to think the Scandinavian prog was influenced by those bands plus the bands mentioned by you taht are more linked with the so called art-rock. We agreed.
Thanks, bro. It's always a pleasure to share points of view.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
I remember to have loved One Man Tells Another in one of the prog tourneys. I hope to like this too. Thanks for give me the opportunity to listen to it.. Good job as usual. Pos.
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I also remember of that. You, me and some few others, were huge fans of that album. I'm sure you'll like this one too.
Thanks, bro.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Excellent review as always, e21. You have whetted my appetite. I am going to check this one.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Nice. I hope you can like it.
Thanks.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Played my vinyl copy last night. It's actually a picture disc, and I got it a fairly reasonable price a while ago. Not sure how it compares soundwise to Lonely Land, the English language re-recording, but the sound on the Swedish original is pretty good. The instrumentation--vocals, guitar, mellotron and keyboards--all hold the middle of the recording space. I think you describe this as a kind of flattening in your review. But the drums are very well recorded and percussive. They really leap out of the recording. I don't know if that dynamic percussion carries over to the cd, though, or to Lonely Land.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Nice trickert, interersting thougts. Thanks for share with us yours immersive experience.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
I confirm I like it too. Not as great but close to One Man Tells Another. I gave to it 4.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
This is a very interesting piece. I can see the importance of the album to prog in the 90s.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Fantastic Intruder. I was sure that you'll like this album too. Correct rating too.
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I remember being introduced to this band and album from Jethro42, but I can't remember if I listened to it.
So much stuff to listen to, so little time…
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
I'm very glad that you liked the album too. Try One Man Tells Another. It's another excellent album too, probably even better.
I'm also happy that you could see the importance for the prog rock music of these kind of albums in the 90's, especially the Nordic ones.
Correct rating too.
Thanks, Hellen.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
You're right, Voivod. There's too much stuff to listen to, really.
I really miss the presence of Jethro and of his knowledge about prog. It was always a pleasure to talk with him.
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