10 År Uten Bedøvelse
(10 years without sedation)

From what I've gathered Paralgin Forte is an old band from Drammen , recently resurrected. I first encountered this band back in '97, in the form of a recording made by guitarist Morten Langrind. The song “Så fint å være glad” has since been a tune I've found myself humming from time to time, so I was looking forward to checking out a full length album with this band, but I was quite surprised when I found out this was a live recording from a local pub in Drammen.

After a rather boring intro, the band marches on with the song “Hvitt Lys” (White Light) and I find myself surprised by how much this reminds me of old Norwegian rock/punk bands like Kjøtt (Meat) and Vannskrækk (Fear of water). Simultaneously I hear elements of e.g Aunt Mary. Not only are all lyrics in Norwegian, I find that the music itself sounds very “Norwegian” without being able to put my finger on excactly what creates that spesific feel.

This sounds really good. I normally don't listen to this type of music, but there's no doubt in my mind that these guys know what they're doing. This sounds really tight and at times you forget this is a live recording. I don't know how much of this has been touched up in a studio afterwards, but decide to give them the benefit of the doubt and just assume they are 100% live.

The basis of this is humour and satire, blended with music that support the lyrics in a great way, resulting in a most enjoyable experience. Paralgin Forte is not suitable for those who like the rough and brutal. The focus here is straight forward pop/rock with elements of old punk. The only disappointment here is that Morten Langrinds original version of “Så fint å være glad” from '97, is much better than the one on this album.

If you like Gartnerlosjen, Bare Egil Band, Raga Rockers, etc., you'll probably also find something to like about Paralgin Forte.

Kenneth Brastad, www.symphonium.no

Februar 2005