When assembling which releases I intended to review this month, I put down Pestkrønikene from Jordsjø with zero background info about the band or album whatsoever, besides that it was being released via Dying Victims Productions, which in and of itself is a seal of approval. Upon further investigation, it turns out that this project has been around for the better part of a decade, releasing a string of albums that expand upon the various sounds and stylings of classic progressive rock. Now when I think of DVP, I don’t necessarily think of prog rock, so I knew there had to be a deeper connection. It just so turns out that Jordsjø is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist, Håkon Oftung, who has played with many prominent Norwegian acts over the years, including Black Magic, Wobbler, and DVP figureheads, Flight.
With Jordsjø, or at the very least with Pestkrønikene (I can’t speak for past releases), Oftung presents us with what can best be described as folksy heavy prog. The album, a humble 8 song offering, sounds straight out of the early ’70s, caught somewhere between the glory days of prog and the dawn of heavy metal. It’s easy to draw parallels to certain giants of the era while listening to this album, but at no point can Jordsjø ever be nailed down as a blatant knockoff act in the way that Ghost was immediately branded “BÖC lite” upon the release of 2010’s Opus Eponumous, or how Greta Van Fleet was…well, the less that’s said about those Michiganians, the better.
From the opening title track, Jordsjø wastes no time establishing the mood and ethos of this album. We’re treated to pseudo-Sabbathian riffs, warm Hammond organ lick, harmonious vocals (bouncing between English and Oftung’s native tongue), and folksy instrumentation, namely in the form of acoustic guitars, percussion, and flute. There’s no denying these songs owe a debt to prime Tull, but as the album progresses, the overall nature of the prog folk amalgamation seems less in the Tull ilk and more akin to Wishbone Ash, particularly on cuts like “White Magic” and “The Awakened” with their wall of lush vocals and mystical atmosphere.
On the heavier, explicitly proto-metal side of the spectrum are cuts like “Seven Heads” and “Kaosveldets Endelikt”. “Seven Heads” grooves with reckless abandon, passing for a long lost ancestor of Deep Purple’s “Maybe I’m a Leo” with its swaggering guitar-organ combo attack and tasty drum licks. Meanwhile, “Kaosveldets Endelikt” speeds along like a lost instrumental Purple jam circa In Rock, complete with breakneck tempo and ferocious performances from all instruments. As the album draws to a close, it retreats back to the heavy prog folk mood that opened things in the first place, resolving with the mesmerizing “Talisman II”.
Upon first listen, I couldn’t help but send Pestkrønikene to a friend who not only loves all these aforementioned classic early ’70s titans, but grew up in said era and saw all of them live way back when. She was utterly stunned at the level of dedication and authenticity, from the songcraft to the production, and couldn’t believe that a new release could so accurately capture the magic of over half a century ago. If that isn’t the ultimate compliment, I don’t know what is, and yes, I agree with her on all measures. Between this and Panorama from Hällas, 2026 is a good year to be a heavy ’70s fan!
9 out of 10
Label: Dying Victims Productions
Genre: Progressive Rock
For fans of: Deep Purple, Wishbone Ash, Uriah Heep
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