AVKRVST: “The Approbation” (2023) – Album Review

Summary

The Approbation is a stellar debut for AVKRVST, who have delivered a powerful opening album statement for progressive music fans to stand up and take notice. Delving deep into dark and moribund subject matter with strong progressive rock and metal elements, AVKRVST don’t dilute the emotional impact of their themes in an impenetrable shroud of doom; their compelling musical content renders them more immediate, accessible, and impressive.

Album Info

Introduction

Childhood pals Simon Bergseth and Martin Utby really did it!

But seriously, as kids they pledged to form a band, land a deal, and release an album. And sure enough, they did it! Twenty-two years later, but who’s counting?

The ensuing band AVKRVST and their 2023 progressive rock debut album The Approbation, fulfills the two young Norwegian lads’ promise. Bergseth contributed guitars, bass, and vocals, and Utby brought drums and synths to the mix. Both are credited composers on the project. Joining them are Øystein Aadland on bass and keyboards, Edvard Seim on guitars, and Auver Garren on keyboards.

Drawing influence from the likes of Steven Wilson, Porcupine Tree, King Crimson, Opeth, AVKRVST crafted an impressive debut album with The Approbation. A dark, foreboding tenor permeates the record, drafting a theme of despair, isolation, loneliness, and mortality. Herein, a man isolates himself in a secluded cabin, with nothing but his own thoughts to keep him company. Capping his self-imposed incarceration is the man’s inexorable, imminent death, forcing him to grapple with the concept of oblivion.

You know? For kids!

Admittedly it’s not the most uplifting of subject matter, but AVKRVST produce the grandest of distillations here. Like illusionists, they delve deep into their subject matter while embellishing these moribund contemplations with compelling musical content. They don’t dilute the emotional impact of their themes; the immediate accessibility of the music renders them more immediate.

Review

Each of the six tunes on the album, including a brief instrumental opener, radiates heavy progressive elements of power, complexity, and atmosphere, interspersed with moments of tenderness and restraint. It’s a delicate balance but one the band does fairly seamlessly.

Album intro “Østerdalen” sets the tone with 26 seconds of swirling winds, thunder, and minor-key acoustic arpeggios. Feelings of icy loneliness are pervasive as it ushers in the actual album opener, “Pale Moon”. Here thundering double-kick drums combine with staccato guitar thunder with heavy, impactful immediacy. Before long it transitions into homophonic guitar lines reminiscent of “Østerdalen”, generating a slower, dreamier vibe. The lush and rather enchanting musical presentation contrasts with the darkness of the lyrics – a haunting ode to surrendering to despair. As if responding to this dichotomy, the guitars and rhythm section return in the outro (alongside growl vocals) to cap the inevitability of oblivion. “Pale Moon” is a haunting yet beautifully textured opener which readily sets the tone for the rest of the record.

Opening with a guitar riff like ensnaring vines erupting from the soil, “Isolation” drives along quickly with a nimble high-hat and snare fills. Almost like Morse Code punches from the band, the instrumentation segues into alternating thunderous riffs and soulful soloing. “Isolation” reigns in madness, with a pervasive tone of manic depression, anxiety, even panic. Moments of softer cries intersperse themselves throughout, but the oppressive existential pointlessness dominates the tone. “Isolation” stretches the repetitive elements almost (but not quite) to the point of breaking the song, which finishes with some tasty keyboard soloing.

In a fashion similar to the previous tunes, “The Great White River” wears its atmospheric wall of keyboards, staccato guitar lines, and layered production values high up its sleeves. But then the tune slows down into more melodic, dare I say, “prettier” neo-prog verses. There’s a loveliness on display here that feels like a reprieve of sorts. That is, until the growl vocals return, dispelling the illusion with an air of menacing deterministic fate. Therein lies the dark side of the soul, dispelling hope and strangling succor in its infancy. The growls don’t slice through the beauty of the track; they underscore them.

“Arcane Clouds” opens with a bit of FM radio static, as if trying to score that proper emotional frequency. Drawing a thicker curtain than before, these clouds sport mellotron’ish warmth that evokes late-era Beatles or early Crimson. Here we have the first attempt at an emotional rescue. The narrator drowns in dark memories emanating from growing storm clouds. All the while, an unseen hero tries to rescue them. But to no avail.

I know you want me to try to hunt them down
All I know is my mind
I know that you want me to find a way
Down we go into deep dark clouds

A creepy metal riff dispels any chance of rescue. Devolving into some thundering basslines (and some fantastic drum work from Utby), we’re led to the album’s two epic final numbers. Leading them off is “Anodyne”. At over 10 minutes in length, the song begins with snippets of gasping vocalizations and some full-on Crimson mellotron’ish joy. But here come the Hammonds delivering some heavy riffage. These are minor pentatonic blues patterns dancing around some tonal zigs and funky time sigs.

Thundering along for almost five minute, the “Anodyne” surrenders to silence (a musical tip to its titular painkilling activity) and segues into a lovely minor-key acoustic melody. The narrator tries to find a way out of his predicament as time continues to pass and degrade. Thoughts becomes puzzling, and the world goes grayer, losing light and color. “Anodyne” feels like culmination of every song that came before it, recontextualizing the opening tracks accordingly. The overlapping vocal lines and haunting keyboards that end the song are an absolute highlight.

We end with the title track; and “The Approbation” solidifies the album’s many strengths in a powerful thirteen-plus minute conclusion. Opening acoustic lines ripple like a waterfall, working alongside dense keyboards to imbue the atmosphere with dreamlike transience. There are echoes of Porcupine Tree with the modulate vocals, but I can’t deny their effectiveness here. We have left the physical world. There’s a sequence that feels like it was composed by Trent Reznor for a David Fincher film. In turn, a following sequence feels like an audio snippet directly lifted from the Fincher flick, as if some indescribable horrors were occurring in the room next door.

Kicking into heavier detail, interweaving guitar lines envelop us, constricting more and more until we are ensnared within a staccato mindtrap. Inner turmoil set to an alt-90s film soundtrack. As “The Approbation” progresses, we are dropped back into “Østerdalen” in the song’s final act. Surrounded by an empty landscape, almost entirely silent. That opening wind and acoustic guitar line return. But now, instead of feeling sparse, it builds into something epic. The melody grows like an oak through the forest, towering above us. The synth lines that drive us home retain a horn or brass like quality, giving us a feel of arm-swaying, concert cellphone triumph. Whether or not that’s in service of life and redemption, or an elegy to surrender, I’ll leave that to you to decide. But it’s an epic, magnificent closer to a strong album.

And in closing…

The Approbation is a stellar debut for AVKRVST, who have delivered a powerful opening album statement for progressive music fans to stand up and take notice. While the tone and construction is fairly contained — the album isn’t driven by intricate progressive exploration and tonal experimentation — AVKRVST utilized select tools out of their toolbox to build a movie palace and screen their movie. Influenced by Bergman and Fincher, with a lush score by Porcupine Tree and King Crimson, The Approbation balances the line between intimate character study and epic dark thriller with assured compositional talent and musical tastefulness. Very highly recommended indeed.

What similar albums does ChatGPT recommend?

While it behooves me to remind my readers that everything you just read is 100% Mills, let’s ask our friendly neighborhood AI for some similar album recommendations.

Given your review’s mention of AVRKVST’s influences, such as Steven Wilson, Porcupine Tree, King Crimson, and Opeth, and its depiction of a dark and foreboding tone, I’d recommend the following albums for fans of “The Approbation”:

1. Steven Wilson – “The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories)” (2013): If you’re a fan of AVRKVST’s dark themes and progressive approach, you will probably enjoy this album. It’s a beautifully crafted set of songs featuring Wilson’s remarkable compositional skills, storytelling prowess, and emotional depth.

2. Opeth – “In Cauda Venenum” (2019): This album showcases Opeth’s mastery of blending progressive rock with elements of extreme metal. The tone and mood may appeal to fans of “The Approbation,” particularly those who appreciate AVRKVST’s blending of dark, heavy themes with atmospheric, progressive elements.

3. Riverside – “Wasteland” (2018): Riverside’s music is known for its melodic, atmospheric approach to progressive rock/metal. “Wasteland” is a post-apocalyptic concept album, brimming with emotional and tonal depth, that might resonate with fans of AVRKVST’s conceptual, introspective work.

4. Haken – “Affinity” (2016): As one of the standout bands in modern progressive rock, Haken’s sound is multifaceted, incorporating aspects of metal, prog, and pop in unique ways. Their album “Affinity” has some of the complexity and emotional depth that AVRKVST fans might appreciate.

5. Leprous – “Malina” (2017): Leprous, like AVRKVST, is a Norwegian band that has been making waves in the prog scene. Their album “Malina” is a fusion of progressive rock and metal, with intricate instrumentation and strong, emotive vocals that could appeal to fans of “The Approbation.”

Remember, musical taste is highly subjective, and what appeals to one fan might not appeal to another. I recommend giving these albums a listen and seeing which ones resonate with you.

Output from ChatGPT, OpenAI to Mills, 22 June 2023.