Lost in the depths of obscurity since 1974, this recording from Swedish progressive rock band Algarnas Tradgard is now finally seeing the light of day. Originally intended to be the bands sophomore release, the material was scrapped after the band members went their separate ways and disbanded the group. I can honestly say that like a fine wine, time has aged this collection of tunes quite well.
Those into the improvisational recordings of early King Crimson will find much to rejoice in upon listening to Delayed. There are plenty of angular and distorted guitar leads that will remind of Robert Fripp, plus frenzied violin solos, menacing Mellotron, and lots of ominous atmospheric soundscapes. The opening cut “Takeoff” even hints at some of the early 70’s Krautrock bands, such as Tangerine Dream or Can, featuring spacey Moog synthesizers, trippy electric piano, and assorted percussion. The tracks are mostly instrumental, save for the Yes-like “My Childhood Trees”, which has some great Jon Anderson influenced vocals (in Swedish of course) and complex yet uplifting instrumentation. There is a nice variety to each track, and the band uses many different instruments to great effect, such as sitar on “Almond Raga”, dueling violin and guitar on “Interstellar Cruise”, and doomy cello on “Reflection.”
This is an impressive release from the vaults, and one that succeeds in setting a tone and building tension within each song. If you like the darker side of prog, and especially if some of the newer crop of bands like NeBelNest or Tarantula Hawk hit the spot, then please check out this awesome rarity. Apparently the bands debut is floating around on CD as well, and would also be worth tracking down.
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