Inside Cafe Mono in the Norweigan capital of Oslo, as a girl explained to me some extreme acts that domestic death metal bands had pulled, including animal mutilation and church burning, I remembered why I am not that into the genre. However, there is no doubt that Scandanavia yields some of the best metal on earth. And it would be an unfair and inaccurate stereotype upon Norway’s metal bands based on the more extremists actions. Moreover, to Apes on Tapes’ glee, there are plenty of uber talented acts coming out of Norway from various genres. Have a look at some of the finer acts Apes on Tape was introduced to during a recent trip to Norway:

 

Cold Mailman
  • Cold Mailman: Our new pal Endre from Spoon Train Audio turned us onto this enjoyable indie-pop band. Composed of several members of the older screamo band The Spectacle, you’ll appreciate the gangs’ diverse musical talent when comparing the two. The included track, “Pull Yourself Together and Fall in Love With Me” displays Mailman’s knack for thoughtful songwriting and a resemblance to Snow Patrol.
    02 pull yourself together and fall in love with me
Team Me
  • Team Me: Perhaps my favorite new find from Norway was a very young band introduced to me by their manager Thomas. The band blends eclectic influences ranging from Sufjan Sufjans’ instrumentation and harmonies to the Local Natives multi-memeber gang percussion to the Postal Service’s lyrics content and ethos. Check out the track “Weathervanes and Chemicals” below.
    01 weathervanes chemicals 

     

    Casiokids
  • Casiokids: While you might lose some of the Casiokids’ titles in Norwegian translation, that’s ok because it’s so catchy you’re not going to be worried about it. The dance-pop outfit from up north in Bergen has compared to fellow Norwegians such as the Whitest Boy Alive and Royksopp for their addicting rhythms and highly danceable tracks, we think they’re worth being labeled as the Casiokids, themselves.
    Gomur Mamma


  • Shining: This wouldn’t truly be about Norwegian music without a metal band. Not to be confused with the English and Swedish bands of the same name, Shining originally debuted in Norway in 1999. Surprisingly enough, the band was originally an acoustic jazz quartet. In the decade since then, they’ve moved onto more metal and experimental oriented areas. The 5:20 track “The Madness and the Damage Done” below highlights the direction Shining has moved in with their new LP Blackjazz.
    01 the madness and the damage done
Serena Maneesh
  • Serena-Maneesh: Translating roughly to “the veil and the area around the stage” respectively, Serena-Maneesh is ambient, shoe-gaze rock band from Oslo. Their 2005 self-titled album debut succeeded via word of mouth support and favorable Pitchfork reviews and their ethereal tunes are now signed with 4AD. Check out “Ayisha Abyss”, the opener of their new album Abyss in B Minor.
    Ayisha Abyss
Blood Command
  • Blood Command: Along with Team Me, Blood Command is also managed by Thomas Ryjord. Likewise, we also enjoy Blood Command. Hailing from Bergen, BB steered away from the town’s metal heavy influence. Their sound certainly carries high energy, up-tempo distorted riffs, but leans more toward alternative & punk vibes and female lead singer Silje Tombre’s vocals work wonderfully in the band’s mix. The track below is “Five Inches of a Car Accident”.
    five inches of a car accident
The Megaphonic Thrift
  • Megaphonic Thrift: Akin to a Norwegian take on Sonic Youth or Built to Spill, MT has made quite the waves since their 2008 debut. Since then they’ve got attention at Roskilde, SWSX, and CMJ. See what you think. The track below is “Dragon vs. Dust”.
    The Megaphonic Thrift – Dragon Vs-1. Dust

    Simon Says No

  • Simon Says No: Brilliance Records’ Lars Christian Olsen introduced me to shoegazers Simon Says No before their live show at Oslo’s Cafe Mono. True to Norwegian-form, the guys were incredibly nice–but even better on stage. Cafe Mono was packed in anticipation for their set and the crowd walked away with an very tight and extremely passionate show. They’ve already made their way to the States for CMJ, but watch for big things from SSN with their new release on Brilliance this fall. The following track is “Sigh”.
    “Sigh”

5 thoughts on “Beyond Death Metal: A look at the Norwegian music scene

    1. Hey Jon,
      Thanks for the heads-up.
      Could only discover so many bands while over there, but I will most definitely check your recommendations out. How did you tune into them?

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