Band : Beardfish
Album Title : Mammoth
Label : Superball Music
Distributor : Century Media - EMI
Release Date : 28/03/2011
Review : CD

Beardfish is one of those Swedish bands like Black Bonzo,  Divine Baze Orchestra or Gosta Berlings Saga that for one reason or another never met with a tremendous amount of contemporary success, but who each have their own set of core devotees among current proggers.Ex-Dream Theater Mike Portnoy is a very big devotee. "Beardfish is one of the few bands out there that blows me away with each and every release...I absolutely love every one of their albums...great musicianship and amazing songwriting that is both melodic and epic” The band's inception took place in 2000 around the nucleus guitarist David Zackrisson and singer, guitarist, keyboard player Rikard Sjöblom.
The 15-minute “And The Stone Said: If I Could Speak” is chock full of moments of unbelievable, breathtaking intensity. “Green waves” is an utter barn burner, beginning with a earth shattering electric guitar riff proceeding beneath Sjoblom’s primal roar. "Without saying anything" is a pleasant melodic up-tempo piece and the only instrumental “Akakabotu” is another extraordinary jazzy piece, short but to the point, with an infectious melody lead. Beardfish still have the ability to tone things down as well, as in the gorgeous melodious “Tightrope” and the piano intermezzo “Outside/inside”. The extended instrumental passages show a band capable of producing power, melodic cohesion, and subtle restraint when needed. Strains of all sorts of groups inform Rush, King Crimson, Zappa, ELP, Uriah Heep, Caravan and Santana among many, many, many, others. Beardfishare quite dynamic and dramatic with room for some great guitar, organ and brass solos.

A very strong album, and a must-have for collectors of prog rock.

93/100

Cosmicmasseur.