Outer Limit Lotus is a new band to me. They are Oslo-based and formed in 2015 when three of the members from noise rock cult band Haust went on an indefinite hiatus.
I don’t much about Haust either but it seems they were pretty bleak, brutal acolytes of death rock with a discerning and decidedly ‘select’ audience; one that OLL is keen to expand to incorporate the masses and which they’ve encouraged with warmer, fluffier material if not exactly cooing love ballads.
They have an interesting if perplexing strap line – ‘Outer Limit Lotus is for those who think that rock is at its best when it’s dead.‘
Well there’s nothing putrifying about ‘Let the night ride you home.’ I’ve struggled to identify their ‘genre’ and neither the band nor the PR offers much help there. There are elements of death rock in it, a smattering of psych, but, after the opening bars which could be the background to a Twin Peaks episode the song is ‘seasoned’ by some of the guitar chord progressions favoured by 1970s prog rockers like King Crimson – in a collaboration with Robert Smith!
And then, suddenly, when you’re least expecting it, out of the blue comes a stonking solo courtesy of Danish saxophonist Signe Emmeluth who has a fine set of pipes on her. The last time I heard a sax solo explode out of nowhere like that it was the incomparable Colin Stetson doing the blowing but Ms Emmeluth gives him a run for his money.
The album ‘Dazzling Darkness’ is scheduled for a May release and seemingly will include “desperate ballads, soothing melodies…playfulness, beauty and daringness.” Any of that makes for a stark contrast with what they describe ‘Let the night ride you home’ as: “a party banger for vampires and ghouls, our love letter to everything gothic.”
If they can mix all that up into a cohesive whole then the album demands you listen to it. And having just listened to some of their previous singles and album tracks I’d say they can.
‘Let the Night Ride You Home’ is out today, Friday, March 17th
‘Dazzling Darkness’ is out May 12th
The band consists of people with the most unpronounceable names I’ve experienced to date. You figure it out:
Henrik Øiestad Myrvold (guitars/vocals),
Vebjørn Guttormsgaard Møllberg (bass/vocals)
Øystein Wyller Odden (drums/percussion).
Find them on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/outerlimitlotus
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outer_limit_lotus/
