When
Rune Grammofon
released
Krokofant
's dynamite self-titled debut in 2014, the power trio had already become a sensation on Norway's live scene. Their sound, equal parts avant-rock, free jazz, jazz-rock, and metal, was right in line with other bands in the "Nordic Wave" (
Hedwig Mollestad Trio
,
Elephant9
Bushman's Revenge
Moster!
Space Monkey
, etc.) but its sonic and musical character were unique. Guitarist
Tom Hasslan
, drummer
Axel Skalstad
, and saxophonist
Jorgen Mathisen
are all excellent improvisers. But dynamic as they are, these individuals understand the delicate balance involved in playing as a trio. On
Krokofant 2
, the ensemble's jazz and compositional chops are displayed even more prominently than on their initial recording. "C.O.T.A." begins as a riff-charged rocker, but also explores
Ornette Coleman
's harmolodic theory with its infectious, repetitive, vamp-like melody. It creates ample room for each member to solo. Early on,
Hasslan
holds it down while
Mathisen
solos, showcasing what he's learned from everyone from
Peter Broetzmann
and
Sonny Rollins
to
Pharoah Sanders
.
Skalstad
double- and triple-times with fills, rolls, and explosive rim shots.
's break shifts toward hard-rocking jazz fusion blues a la
Ray Russell
. When the band comes back together, it grinds around a doomy, paranoid,
Van der Graaf Generator
vibe. On "Sail Ahead," the trio takes on South African jazz, combining harmonic ideas from
Brotherhood of Breath
Abdullah Ibrahim
before taking off for the unknown with knotty metal riffs and modal jazz squall. "Nieu" commences with an
Albert Ayler
-inspired sax and guitar moan before
starts laying into sharp, angular blues arpeggios in his departure. When
enters, he signals a tight trio riff that melds post-bop -- but again through the lyrical lens of
Coleman
--
Henry Cow
, and mathy prog. "The Ship" is groove-oriented. At one point,
directly reference the interplay between
Tommy Bolin
Billy Cobham
from "Quadrant 4" on the latter's
Spectrum
. "Snakedog" comes at jazz-rock via
Jimmy Page
John Scofield
, and
Brand X
, with a killer solo from
. "Watchtower"'s intro could have come from the spiraling middle section of
King Crimson
's "21st Century Schizoid Man," but evolves into an angular yet break-laden, avant-fusion jam before leaving on a darker processional evocation.
continues to explore the historic progressive music its predecessor did, but this time out the band draws from a wider pool.
's swaggering creativity is seemingly boundless. They possess both the technical acumen and wide angle vision to stretch any boundaries they choose. This trio bends and shapes inspirational sounds and sources into their own image. Their end game is pure discovery. ~ Thom Jurek