Tarot
Apollon, 2021
9/10
A veteran musician who has been a touring guitarist for Paul DiAnno and Tim Ripper Owens and who also plays solo under the name The Witches of Finnmark, here Anders Buaas offers us 22 very unconventional pieces that describe the 22 cards in Tarots Major Arcana.
“The Fool” starts the listen with swift acoustic guitar before a firm drum beat and spirited electric guitar enter a folk, blues and prog-friendly climate, and this creativity continues to the playful string acrobatics of “The Magician”, as well as the reserved, cinematic “The Empress”.
The middle tracks don’t disappoint either, and include the percussively strong and intricate guitars of the dreamy “The Chariot”, while the bright and sunny “The Hermit” recruits some post-rock nods amid its agile melodies. “Justice”, one of the record’s best, then gets a bit more rugged as thick layers of rock, prog and folk enter the very eclectic landscape.
Closer to the end, “The Moon” offers much beauty in a poetic and meticulous display, and “The World” exits the listen with both busier moments and calm, sparse ebbs of beauty.
A very daring listen that touches on folk, rock, jazz and all sorts of prog-rock ideas, Buaas plays bass, several guitars, drums, mandolin, keys, percussion and theremin on this highly imaginative and carefully crafted effort.
Travels well with: Ole Teigen- Aske og Jord; Pymlico- On This Day