Adventure - 2022 - Tales of Belle Part 1. Across the Ocean

(42:20; Apollon Records)

Track list:
1. Hell's Belle 5:07
2. The Journey Begins 1:55
3. Too Far 4:24
4. Come Join Me 5:12
5. Dreams 4:27
6. Haunted Wedding 2:19
7. Courting / The First Marriage 5:14
8. Rumours Say 3:18
9. Voices 4:52
10. The Last Goodbye 3:57
11. Crossing 1:35

Line-up:
Kjell Myran - vocals
Elen Cath Hopen - vocals, piano, flute
Terje Craig - bass, vocals, synthesizers, mandolin, mandola
Terje Flessen - guitars
Odd-Roar Bakken - organ, synthesizers
Alf Helge Lund - drums, percussion
with:
Marit Johan Stokke - voice
Per Arne Aftret - voice
Grethe Bogen - backing vocals
Berit Överkil - violin
June Straume Strand - voice


Prolusion.
Norwegian band Adventure has been an ongoing venture for 25 years and a bit, with a new album appearing every 5 years or thereabouts on average. This spring they released their fifth studio album "Tales of Belle Part I - Across the Ocean" through Norwegian label Apollon Records.

Analysis.
Adventure is among those progressive rock bands that sports a more retro-oriented expression on their particular take on the progressive rock genre, and they tend to focus on a particular variety of the form that tends to be described as heavy prog. It would appear that this has been a constant on all of the albums released by Adventure so far, and that is still very much the case for this latest album too.

As the album title implies, this is the first album of a planned two part concept album, and the concept explored is the life of Norwegian born woman Belle Gunness, a woman who rose to infamy after moving to the US where she became a serial killer before disappearing under mysterious circumstances. This album covers her backstory in Norway and the first parts of her life in the US.

Those fond of bands using the good, old combination of dark toned guitar riffs and the organ will find a lot to enjoy about this production, as that is the bread and meat of a majority of the songs we are provided with here. Some slower paced with a more majestic expression, other pacier and tighter with more of an energetic drive. Liberal use of keyboards in general and vintage sounding keyboards in particular is most likely a bonus feature for those who tend to enjoy this specific variety of progressive rock, and expanding nicely upon a core foundation that will reference likely sources of inspiration like Deep Purple and Uriah Heep now and then.

As with all progressive rock bands we get more than driving or majestic creations of course, with calmer sections featuring the acoustic guitar or the piano in more central roles. More expressive sections are present too, where the keyboards add more of a symphonic progressive rock oriented form either as vital and more flamboyant excursions or settling down into more atmospheric laden landscapes not too far removed from the likes of Camel. An additional aspect of the total experience is the liberal use of folk music elements throughout, and given the concept explored the elements of choice have been harvested from Norwegian folk music in general, and possibly or probably regional folk music from the geographical area the band share with the subject of this conceptual production.

One additional small dimension added to the material are cinematic spoken voices used as an effect to emphasize the regional Norwegian roots of this album, and while only used in one song I suspect those familiar with Norwegian dialects will find this to be quite the effective tool in terms of giving this album a specific geographical location.  

This album has a lot going for it on musical grounds, especially for the audience with a specific interest in this type of progressive rock, but one aspect of this album that might be just a tad divisive at times will be the lyrics. This is an album very much oriented on telling a story, and the lyrics strike me as being much more in a storytelling mode than in a poetic mode. Due to that the songs here strikes me more as a story given a musical backing rather than being poetry given a musical backing, with the rhymes, rhythms and patterns of poetry taking a back seat for the purpose of storytelling if you like.

Conclusion.
Adventure as a band has a proven history of being providers of a distinctly retro-oriented variety of heavy prog with symphonic progressive rock tangents, and they retain those qualities also on this most recent album of theirs - albeit with a few subtle expansions to the landscapes explored that ties in with the story and the concept explored. Those who love and treasure 70's style heavy progressive rock with a bit of symphonic swagger should feel right at home with this production, and then in particular if concept albums are a matter of general interest.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, May 2022

Links:
https://www.adventureprog.com/
https://www.apollonrecords.no/