December 9, 2019

Kungens Män Hårt Som Ben

7/ 10 Experimental rock from Sweden

Kungens Män Hårt Som Ben is a prolific experimental band from Sweden releasing raw creative material which is largely if not entirely improvisation that is post-rock and shoegaze inspired. The songs play like jeweled drones which build in complexity as they carve a path into the unknown.

Released November 2019 on the amazing Riot Season Records!

Their improvisation and impressive creativity led to 13 hours of new music recorded in 2019. This is the first release curated from this selection of compositions. The music is instrumental and exploratory and can verge on artistic abstract musical expression.

Hårt Som Ben has a theme with each song beginning minimal and adding instruments and density of tone as it progresses. Many of the songs are without repeating sections and riffs, no verse chorus here, instead the music moves forward freely.

Many songs give me a sense of falling a little short on climax and don’t seem to have a clear goal in mind. That said, Kungens Män’s appeal is the experimental and improvisational and this album captures that raw creative material in high quality studio recorded form. Other than going for a predictable approach with compositions on a steady arch with a clear moment of note their songs stay within the jam and take on a droning appeal.