Conflicts
Apollon, 2020
9/10
A long running prog-rock outfit from Norway, Tammatoys are back with their arsenal of guitars and equally impressive amount of creativity as they blend pop, art and plenty of melody into their inimitable formula.
“I Will Follow” starts the listen with a spacey setting of warm, soothing sounds where proficient drumming, dreamy vocals and inviting guitar lines populate the progressive opener, and “Downfall” follows with 11 minutes of exploration that moves with a more firm approach of gritty melody, airy keys and strong riffs that touch on classic rock, too.
The middle tracks, “Politics” and “The Conflict (Part 1)”, are among the best, where the former is a swift and charged rocker alongside drum acrobatics, while the latter spreads out across 14 minutes of bare, mysterious song craft as well thick moments of turbulent rock where a cinematic quality unfolds with both beauty and intrigue. “Time” finishes the listen, and brings some of the best singing amid a symphonic quality of careful and exciting musicianship.
Although they’ve been around since 1999, this is Tammatoys’ first LP, and they certainly make the wait worth it. Let’s hope it isn’t too much longer before another release, cause the 6 members here know their way around textures that keep us fascinated and eager for more.
Travels well with: Laughing Stock- The Island; Aadal- Silver