Jens Haugan
Tales for Thule (Demo)
Private (Out now!)

Jens Haugan kjenner noen fra Thule, fra da han banka trommer på bandets debut, "Ultima Thule." Dette var i det herrens år 1987, nærmere bestemt på vårparten. Han har drevet med mye rart og litt berg/dalbane greier, men nå synes jeg personlig han har funnet formen og selv om det også her oser av egenproduksjon, er det i det store og hele en skive som falt i smak.

Jeg er fan av Thule og jeg har sansen for mye av hardrocken som kom ca 76-77 +... Jens er litt der, litt av denne sene 70/tidlig 80 talls rocken, men han har nå valgt å dra inn litt mer tyngde i stemningsavdelingen og holder for så vidt det han lover, lusker litt rundt i Thulelandskapet.

Skiva ble spilt inn vilt, hemningsløst og upolert tidligere i år. Jens bedyrer at låtene er spilt inn uten fokus på nøyaktighet eller å få en proff produksjon. Jeg hører at det, som han også nevner, lukter demo, men det er ikke dårlig dette Jens! Man får en bra klanga groove og spesielt gitarlyden kler deg.

Man skal ikke legge skjul på at det er litt fillers her, men de låtene som fungerer er i flertall. Sjekk ut The Vision, dritbra! Hawkwind anno Xenon Codex lusker litt i hjørnene her...fet og klassisk gitarsolo...Instrumentalen Northern Nights er vakker og har en bra feel. The drum of the Shaman ligger litt i thulegata, her er det en del av denne manende tonen, men det holdes litt igjen grunnet litt snublende engelsk.

Brother tar alt opp mange hakk, denne er skikkelig fet, powerballade med sterk vokal. Det er overall mye følelser og stemninger som står i fokus når Jens mekker låter, og det er imponerende at han drar i gang et slikt prosjekt på egen hånd. For alt av instrumenter og innspilling er gjort av mannen, da på en 8-spors opptaker. :)

Litt jazz får vi på andre og siste instrumentalspor, The Hunting, her leker han seg trolig og det låter veldig improvisert, men dog proft.

Standing on the Edge (The North Cape) er nok et eksempel på at Jens er en habil singer/songwriter - her rocker han godt og etterlater seg en Magnum-vibb type Kingdom of Madness.

Hymnen til moderlandet, The Highlands of Norway, er litt som The Drum of the Shaman, litt meditativ og nedtonet.

Personlig fant jeg mange bra låter her, mye bra hardrock og flere kutt/partier som vakte nydelige bilder i tankene, og Jens; det du takler, takler du bra. Skrell bort litt av fyllstoffet og du stiller garantert med en 100% skive neste gang. Noe av vokalen var litt anstrengt, men det fungerte i de fleste tifellene.

7/10

Tracklist:

1. VQluspá (1. verse)
2. Ultima Thule
3. The Vision
4. The Vision Man
5. The Long Journey
6. Northern Nights (instr.)
7. The Drum of the Shaman
8. Brother
9. The Witch
10. The Hunting (TD6K) (instr.)
11. Borgny (The Castle)
12. Who's to Blame? (I Came All Alone)
13. Standing on the Edge (The North Cape)
14. The Highlands of Norway

Jens Haugan online...


Relaterte saker
- Jens Haugan - Tales for Thule (Demo)
- Thule i thale; nordlendinger med stemninger som varemerke.
Skrevet av Yngve M. Jacobsen
Email
yjmetal@frisurf.no
 


This is my personal translation of the Norwegian interview:

Jens Haugan
Tales for Thule (Demo)
Private (Out now!)

Some people know Jens Haugan from Thule when he hit the drums on the band's debut "Ultima Thule". This was in the year of the Lord 1987, more specifially in the spring time. He has been involved in a lot of different stuff, also some uneven things. But now I personally think he has found his style. And even if this album, too, reeks of home production, it's basically to my taste.

I am a fan av Thule and I have a sense of much of the hard rock that came around 76-77 +... Jens is a little bit there, he has a little of this late 70s/early 80s rock. But he has now chosen to bring in a little more heaviness in the mood department and, for that matter, keeps his promise: he's sneaking a little bit around in the Thule landscape.

The disc has been recorded wild, without restraint and unpolished earlier this year. Jens declares that the songs are recorded without focus on precision or a professional production. I can hear that it "smells" demo, as he also metions himself, but this is not bad, Jens! One gets a well sounded groove and especially the guitar sound fits you.

One shouldn't attempt to hide that there are also some fillers, but the songs that work well are the majority. Check out The Vision, really cool! Hawkind anno Xenon Codex shows through...great and classical guitar solo... The instrumental Northern Nights is beautiful and has a good feeling. The Drum of the Shaman is a little bit in the Thule alley. Here you can find a little bit of the conjuring sound, but it is hold back a little because of stumbling English.

Brother lifts up everything many steps; this is a really great power ballad with strong vocals. There are many emotions and moods in focus when Jens makes songs and it is impressing that he does a project like this all on his own. All instruments and the recordings are handled by the man himself, on an 8-track recorder :-)

We get a little jazz on the second and last instrumental track, The Hunting. Here he is probably playing around and it sounds very improvised, but still professional.

Standing on the Edge (The North Cape) is another example of Jens being a capable singer/songwriter. Here he rocks well and leaves vibes of Magnum, type Kingdom of Madness.

The hymn to the mother land, The Highlands of Norway, is like The Drum of the Shaman, a little meditating and more quiet.

Personally, I found many good songs here; a lot of good hardrock and several tracks/parts that awakened beautiful pictures in my mind, and Jens, the things you manage, you manage well. Take away some of the filling stuff and you will come up with a 100% album next time, guaranteed. Some of the vocals were a little strained, but it worked well in most cases.

7/10

Tracklist:

1. VQluspá (1. verse)
2. Ultima Thule
3. The Vision
4. The Vision Man
5. The Long Journey
6. Northern Nights (instr.)
7. The Drum of the Shaman
8. Brother
9. The Witch
10. The Hunting (TD6K) (instr.)
11. Borgny (The Castle)
12. Who's to Blame? (I Came All Alone)
13. Standing on the Edge (The North Cape)
14. The Highlands of Norway

Jens Haugan online...

Related subjects:
<Link: Tales from Thule (review)
<Link: Interview with Thule (in Norwegian only)

Norwegian text by:
Yngve M. Jakobsen
http://www.heavymetal.no/

 
 
 
 
endra/changed/geändert : 16. October 2005