Major Parkinson are a unique band. I get that they won’t always be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s just something about them that drags me back every time they release an album. Their new record Valesa, Chapter II: Viva the Apocalypse! releases on March 13th and I’m loving it.
Major Parkinson comes to us from Norway. For starters, I’m thrilled to see vocalist Jon Ivar Kollbotn still going strong after his on-stage stroke in 2019. That was really scary. The current lineup joining him is Lars Christian Bjorknes on keys and percussion; Eivind Gammersvik on bass guitar, keys, percussion, and sound design; Sondre Veland on drums, rototoms, and percussion; and Oystein Bech-Eriksen on guitars. You’ll also hear Sondre Skollevoll on guitars, Peri Winkle (Claudia Cox) on vocals and violin, Halie (Hannah Emilie Wright Grung) on vocals, The Barba Sisters (Romi & Paola Barba) on apocalypse choir, William Grov Skramsett on trumpets, Morten Norheim on saxophone, and Iver Sandøy on percussion. Many of these people also provide backing vocals, and it seems like nearly everyone offers some form of percussion. You can tell right away that this album is going to be fascinating.
I’ve given up trying to describe their sound. They have progressive rock and pop in their blood, but the music is far more colorful, zany, and melodic than you might expect. Jon is an eccentric lead vocalist, and the layers of vocals throughout the album are done extremely well. You’ll hear plenty of “heavier” moments, but also catchy, biting, playful, or atmospheric ones. The album doesn’t stay still for long.
I think the lyrics play a huge role here. I don’t know the story, but the lyrics are quite clearly about the plasticity and fleeting nature of fame, consumerism, and religious domination. It plays like a satire in some ways, over the top and colorful and ridiculous, but it has something deep to say.
Valesa, Chapter II has nine tracks. For me, I like the second half the best, but the whole album is quite a ride. The first four tracks lay the stage. “Elevator Pitch” is just an atmospheric intro that leads into “Showbiz”, a theatrical and dramatic piece that is somehow also incredibly catchy, spacious, and beautiful. “Superdad” is a punch in the gut to certain toxic segments of the Internet, I think, but the song itself is full of trumpets and color. “Father Superior” ends the first half with dogmatic challenges and really reminds me of something from 2017’s Blackbox. It goes down as smooth as fine whiskey.
The second half is nigh unto perfect. The title track comes first and is incredibly catchy in its rip-roaring, full-chested style. I love it so much. “The Doctor in Command” is melodic and streams like a river; for some reason, it reminds me of something on In the Court of the Crimson King.
The last three tracks hit hard. “Karma Supernova” is nine minutes long, but the first half of it is instrumental; I love how the gorgeous synth melodies give way to spiraling edges and vicious rhythms. The song is ultimately chaotic in all the best ways. “Maybelline” is somewhat similar, full of societal indictment and gorgeous keys, but the lumbering guitars are what really make it, I think. The closer “Kiss Me Now!” brings back some of the melodies from other tracks; it’s a gentle pop song that I think ends the album wonderfully.
Major Parkinson are back and as unique as ever. I love the zaniness, though they control it better than ever, and the lyrics have enthralled me. Valesa, Chapter II is diverse and layered, smashing together both catchy melodies and challenging compositions, and it all works very well.
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The PROG Mind 