Waffle

The fifth studio album by Norwegian gangster-polkarockers Kaizers Orchestra is a bit of an odd duck - it's a compilation and also a new album, and it's a studio album that often feels like a live album. Kaizers have re-recorded a number of songs that were previously played on tour, put on demo's and played on the radio or otherwise previously recorded but not commercially released, spanning their entire nine-year recording career. It almost works, too: though the songs can be traced back to the writing sessions for each of the previous studio albums, the record as a whole sounds cohesive, warm and lively, with a good balance between the group's traditional beats (two-step, tango and rock) and pump-organ/guitar interplay and the brass, horn and banjo additions that broaden the sound of individual songs. Våre Demoner could pass for an album of completely new material easily, except for one thing: this time around, the Kaizers' sound's charm wears off before the album is done and things begin to sound somewhat samey. The tracks that were left off the earlier albums were, taken as a whole, almost as good as the material that did make the cut, but not quite.

This makes Våre Demoner an album for the dedicated fan rather than a good introduction to the band playing their best work; for that, any of the first three studio albums will work a lot better.

Våre Demoner was a limited release in Norway, with only one pressing being made based on the amount ordered during the first week of release. The Dutch iTunes store still has it though as do iTunes stores elsewhere.
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Below is a run-down of the individual songs and which original writing sessions they were taken from:
"Medisin & Psykiatri" is the best track on the album; a menacing intro followed by a two-step that sounds more like an old Johnny Cash track. Originally from the Maestro sessions.
"Våre Demone", also from the Maestro sessions brings a neat Sixties/surf influence to what is otherwise a typical Kaizers Orchestra track.
"Die Polizei" from the Evig Pint sessions and featured in live shows dating back to the Maestro tour at least. A slow, melancholy track.
"Fanden hakk i hel" from the Maestro sessions is hystrionic but unremarkable.
"Kavalér" from the Evig Pint Evig Pint sessions, is more jaunty, but was probably rightly left off that album.
"Gruvene på 16" from the Ompa til du dør sessions is slowish and laid-back, probably more so than it would have been if it had been recorded at the time.
"Señor Torpedo" also from the Ompa til du dør sessions. Has a stomping bass beat that is similar to "Kontroll på Kontinentet", the opening song from that album and probably their best-known song.
"Den sjette sansen" from the Maskineri sessions is a pretty unremarkable track.
"Sonny" from the Evig Pint sessions has a strong lyrical resemblence to "De Involverte", one of the best songs from that album, and is pretty good in its own right.
"Prosessen" from the Ompa til du dør sessions is an OK song given a nice lift by the added banjo part.
By "Stormful Vals" from the Ompa til du dør sessions, the album is beginning to outstay its welcome. Luckily it's the last song on the record "proper" and it's an OK song with neat brass and horn arrangements. It might be a grower. It's not a waltz, by the way.
By the bonus track "Under månen" from the Maskineri sessions, the record has definitely outstaid its welcome. What did that track sound like again?

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 14th, 2009 at 8:56 pm and is filed under Music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.