Upcoming Tracks: “Et sted under himmelhvelvet” – Lars Fredrik Frøislie (2023)

Well for this particularly provincial putz of an American, that was CERTAINLY a mouthful.

But with the obligatory Harvey Korman reference out of the way, let’s talk about today’s Upcoming Track spotlight, and we’re pleased as pigeons to take a look at (listen to, really) Et sted under himmelhvelvet, our first glimpse of Lars Fredrik Frøislie upcoming solo album Fire Fortellinger.

Frøislie is of course the keyboardist for both White Willow and notably Wobbler, one of the most heralded prog bands of the past (counts fingers) two decades. Seriously. If you’re any kind of modern prog fan, Wobbler is assuredly on your radar in some capacity. But let’s talk specifically about Frøislie and this track. Even better let’s give it a listen:

I love what I’m hearing so far. Sure, it’s an overtly pleasing slice of classic 70s prog with a touch of folk and medieval melodies. A little Genesis, a little PRM, but man those vocals escalate the song straight up the evolutionary ladder. Dark, demanding, foreboding, but not exactly sinister or macabre either. Frøislie is on the mic and it works for me.

Now as the lyrics (and Frøislie’s vocals) are in Norwegian, which I am about as proficient in as I am in ancient Sumerian. I’m fresh out of both Mesopotamian and Scandinavian, as it were. But I can tell you, thanks to the magic of Google Translate, that the title translates to “Somewhere Under The Firmament”. Frøislie endeavored to make this album an exercise in storytelling, both in prose and music. To deliver the listener to another time and place in history.

Or as Frøislie himself put it vis-a-vis this particular tune:

“The second song “Et sted under himmelhvelvet” is dreamy, possibly set in a Renaissance garden near Florence or Arcadia. But in principle it can be anywhere where it feels good to be. It is partly about travelling to a place and feeling that you have been there before – only to find out that you had ancestors who lived there long ago.”

Source: Tarjavirmakari. “WOBBLER’s Lars Fredrik Frøislie to Release Debut Solo Album “Fire Fortellinger” Metal Shock Finland, 9 March 2023, metalshockfinland.com/2023/03/09/wobblers-lars-fredrik-froislie-to-release-debut-solo-album-fire-fortellinger/. Accessed 29 March 2023

However you approach it, Et sted under himmelhvelvet is a sweet appetizer that definitely entices us for the arrival of Frøislie’s album, which is currently scheduled to drop 2 June 2023. If this track tickles your pickle, get that pre-order in at your usual haunts. Or hit up label Karisma Records, or head on over to Bandcamp.

As always, never any affiliate links or ulterior motives here. You’ve got enough aggravation.