For its second album, The Raging Sun, the Swedish group Logh introduces listeners to another dose of its desolate, sometimes sparse, sometimes raucous, introspective art rock.
The Raging Sun can best be described as a loose-knit collection of ten tunes dwelling on the wonderful concept of the abstract. The cryptic lyrics reveal hidden layers of deep meaning emanating from what I can imagine is the slightly twisted, albeit artistically gifted, mind of Logh member Mattias Friberg. In essence, on first read, lyrical interpretation will not be instant.
Logh's four-member music attack defies convention and will be of little comfort to those expecting a pop sound. For the first few tunes, The Raging Sun begins slowly and sparsely, with the soft piano of "The End of the Cycle" and the almost-not-quite-pop of "The Alliance of Hearts." The crescendo rises quickly, as the title track and "At This My Arm Was Weakened" unleash unpolished guitars swirling in chaotic vocals. From that point onward, it is distortion mixed with somber interludes.
The Raging Sun is an album that is a schizoid, yet finely diversified, musical composition. Its beautiful/harsh dichotomy is an acquired taste but will reward those with the patience to wade through the complexities of Logh's message.
For an album completely different from the mainstream, give The Raging Sun a try. While it might confuse the heck out of you (it sure did me), you'll appreciate the true beauty of something that can teeter so brilliantly on the brink of the abstract and the profound and yet sound almost sublime.
3.5 tocks
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