Beardfish were formed by guitarist David Zackrisson and singer, guitarist, keyboardist Rikard Sjöblom. The group includes bassist Robert Hansen and drummer Magnus Östgren. The first album was recorded as a quintet with Stefan Aronsson on keyboards and flute. Their primary influences are a diverse range of Zappa, King Crimson, and Gentle Giant.
To date they have released two albums, both are highly recommended. The first 'Från En Plats Du Ej Kan Se...' runs the gammet from great epics, brash hard prog, with some tasty flute and mellotron thrown in. Their second album The Sane Day is a more ambitious outing.. this time down to a four piece with Rikard taking keyboard duties. A 'double' album released 2005 that might be seen a conceptual, though they deny it. The growth in the group musically is apparent, and is a good album
The group should be checked out by anyone looking for a good solid modern Art Rock group. If you have the chance.. see this group live. Ask anyone in attendance in Chapel Hill on ProgDay06, they stole the show. They will grab you and not let go. Strongly recommended. Formed in 2001 in Gävle, Sweden - Disbanded in 2016.
Progarchives
- Fran En Plats Du Ej Kan Se (2003)
Tracklist :
1. Från En Plats Du Ej Kan Se 7:53
2. Today 6:42
3. Spegeldans 8:01
4. Brother 2:54
5. Poison Ivy And The Full Monty 6:25
6. A Good Excuse 4:59
7. Om En Utväg Fanns 6:47
8. A Psychic Amplifier 14:44
9. In Your Room 8:36
10. Spegeldans (Live) 8:13
Credits :
Bass – Robert Hansen
Drums – Magnus Östgren
Guitar – Stefan Aronsson (tracks: 5)
Guitar, Tape, Vocals – David Zackrisson
Organ, Keyboards, Flute, Vocals – Stefan Aronsson
Vocals, Guitar, Piano – Rikard Sjöblom
- The Sane Day | 2CD | Two Version (2005)
Tracklist :
1.1. A Love Story 12:47
1.2. Sun Is The Devil 2:08
Flute – Rasmus Diamant
1.3. Mudhill 5:39
1.4. The Gooberville Ballroom Dancer 6:57
1.5. Igloo On Two 6:31
1.6. Tall Tales 9:25
1.7. The Basic Blues 5:18
1.8. The Summit 7:10
2.1. The Sane Day 6:06
2.2. Blue Moon 4:37
2.3. Do You Remember Fun Mom 1:25
2.4. Return To Mudhill 4:46
2.5. Waiting Room 4:37
2.6. Miss Gooberville 0:33
2.7. Mystique Of The Beauty Queen 7:02
2.8. Love Revisited 2:50
2.9. Ask Someone Who Knows 7:54
2.10. Now 6:39
2.11. The Reason Of Constructing And/Or Building A Pyramid 9:32
Vocals – Christer Jägerlund, Lisa Marklund
Credits :
Bass, Guitar, Vocals – Robert Hansen
Drums – Magnus Östgren
Edited By – Rikard Sjöblom
Guitar [Right Speaker], Synthesizer, Vocals, Effects [Live Sfx] – David Zackrisson
Vocals, Guitar [Left Speaker], Organ, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Percussion – Rikard Sjöblom
Written-By – Rikard Sjöblom
- Sleeping in Traffic, Pt. 1 | Two Version (2007)
Sleeping in Traffic, Pt. 1 is Beardfish's third album, but the Swedish outfit's first for a major progressive rock record label, namely InsideOut. Even though the album went by rather unnoticed, prog rock fans should take note of it. Beardfish do not break new ground, but their take on the genre has a lot of balls and feeling. Blending an occasional Gentle Giant influence with a strong Genesis background and a deep-running blues basis, the group is particularly successful in the melody department, without devolving into ersatz melodic hard rock. In other words, these Swedes strike a very fine balance between prog complexity and sincere feeling. In that regard, their strongest achievement is "Harmony," a moving progressive blues number showcasing the vocal prowess of the group's singer...and some mean organ playing. Also worth a special note are the all-out prog rocker "Sunrise" and the Gentle Giant/Ritual-inspired "Year of the Knife." The mini-epic "Roulette" (12 minutes) works out a little less convincingly, mostly due to a lack of general direction, as it turns into a hodgepodge of underdeveloped ideas. The ballads are also hit or miss, although "Afternoon Conversation" is a definite keeper. Overall, Sleeping in Traffic, Pt. 1 packs a nice progressive punch while remaining on the more accessible side of the fence. And it is easier (and cheaper) to find than Beardfish's previous album, the self-released double CD The Sane Day.
François Couture
Tracklist :
1. ...On The Verge Of Sanity 0:47
2. Sunrise 7:54
3. Afternoon Conversation 3:42
4. And Never Know 5:59
5. Roulette 12:07
6. Dark Poet 3:24
7. Harmony 7:20
8. The Ungodly Slob 6:42
9. Year Of The Knife 7:28
10. Without You 2:39
11. Same Old Song (Sunset) 7:51
Credits :
Arranged By, Performer, Producer – Beardfish
Bass – Robert Hansen
Written By – Rikard Sjöblom
Drums, Percussion, Vocals [Screaming] – Magnus Östgren
Guitar [Right Speaker, Acoustic], Percussion – David Zackrisson
Vocals, Guitar [Left Speaker, Acoustic], Keyboards, Accordion, Percussion – Rikard Sjöblom
– Sleeping In Traffic: Part 2 | Two Version (2008)
Although progressive rock's popularity peaked in the '70s, it continued to enjoy a cult following in the 21st century -- and one of the noteworthy prog rock bands that came out of Europe in the 2000s was Sweden's Beardfish, who have no problem balancing intellect and emotion on their fourth album, Sleeping in Traffic, Pt. 2. The material on this 74-minute CD has plenty of complexity; tracks like "The Hunter," "As the Sun Sets," "South of the Border," and "Sunrise Again" have all kinds of twists and turns, and none of them adhere to a simple verse/chorus/verse/chorus format. But complexity never comes at the expense of feeling on Sleeping in Traffic, Pt. 2; nor does it come at the expense of humor. Granted, "humor" isn't a word that one often hears in connection with progressive rock -- which has often been accused of taking itself too seriously -- but it's a word that is definitely applicable on parts of this album, and some of Beardfish's sense of humor comes from having a healthy appreciation of the late Frank Zappa. Gentle Giant, Yes, Genesis, and Camel have all been cited as major influences on Beardfish, but the Scandinavians have learned some things from Zappa as well. Zappa had no problem being cerebral and goofy at the same time, and his oddball sense of humor is a positive influence on Sleeping in Traffic, Pt. 2. This album is a consistently appealing demonstration of what prog rock has to offer in the 21st century.
Alex Henderson
Tracklist :
1. As The Sun Sets 1:13
2. Into The Night 8:52
3. The Hunter 5:57
4. South Of The Border 7:43
5. Cashflow 6:08
6. The Downward Spiral/Chimay 7:10
7. Sleeping In Traffic 35:44
8. Sunrise Again 1:37
Credits :
Bass – Robert Hansen
Drums – Magnus Östgren
Guitar – David Zackrisson
Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards, Accordion, Lyrics By, Mixed By – Rikard Sjöblom
– Destined Solitaire (2009)
Tracklist :
1. Awaken The Sleeping 6:10
2. Destined Solitaire 10:53
3. Until You Comply/Entropy 15:21
4. In Real Life There Is No Algebra 4:33
5. Where The Rain Comes In 8:29
6. At Home Watching Movies 1:53
7. Coup De Grace 9:48
8. Abigails Questions (In An Infinite Universe) 9:12
9. The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of 10:40
Credits :
Bass, Backing Vocals – Robert Hansen
Drums, Percussion – Magnus Östgren
Guitar [Right Speaker], Backing Vocals, Percussion – David Zackrisson
Recorded By [Vocals And Overdubs] – David Zackrisson
Vocals, Keyboards, Guitar [Left Speaker], Accordion, Percussion – Rikard "Gungfly" Sjöblom
Written-By – Rikard Sjöblom
- Mammoth | Two Version (2011)
On its sixth album, the Swedish band Beardfish continues to purvey its own version of '70s-style progressive rock and heavy metal. The closest antecedent may be Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, but the musicians (who also sing in nearly unaccented English) also display a familiarity with a wide range of ‘70s performers. It's really a game of Spot the Influence, as, for example, the 15-minute "And the Stone Said: If I Could Speak" recalls Deep Purple early on with its organ sound, then suggests Pink Floyd as a saxophone comes in. "Green Waves" brings to mind the traditional heavy metal of Black Sabbath, while the instrumental "Akakabotu" has some of the feel of Frank Zappa's jazz-rock excursions. And so it goes, with here a passage that sounds like Procol Harum, there a riff echoing Emerson, Lake & Palmer. The pianist reveals his classical influences with the short interlude "Outside/Inside." The lyrics can be romantically inclined, but also appropriately bombastic, as when the stone, speaking in "And the Stone Said: If I Could Speak," declares, "I was here before you, and I'll still be here when you're gone." Beardfish might be saying the same thing to music fans on behalf of prog rock, and their adherence to the style has the same validity as that of, say, a Dixieland band still playing the music of the '20s in 2011.
William Ruhlmann
Tracklist :
1. The Platform 8:06
2. And The Stone Said "If I Could Speak" 15:08
3. Tightrope 4:33
4. Green Waves 8:53
5. Outside/Inside 1:44
6. Akakabotu 5:41
7. Without Saying Anything (Feat. Ventriloquist) 8:11
Credits :
Arranged By, Producer – Beardfish
Bass, Vocals – Robert Hansen
Drums – Magnus Östgren
Guitar, Vocals, Synthesizer – David Zackrisson
Lead Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion – Rikard Sjöblom
Written By – Rikard Sjöblom
- The Void | Two Version (2012)
The career of Swedish progressive rockers Beardfish has been steadily gaining in momentum throughout the 2000s, and, notwithstanding small inconveniences like record label bankruptcies, widespread recognition could finally be at hand via 2012's consistently daring and ever unpredictable The Void. An unreserved mind-f**k in the best possible sense, the band's seventh album sculpts its genre- and time-bending material with no care for conventional compositional rules nor even chronological synchronicity (as usual), which makes it that much more remarkable that songs should prove so immediately appealing throughout, arguably like never before. On "Turn to Gravel," it's a melancholy descending arpeggio reminiscent of King's X grounding all of the other heady twists and turns; on "They Whisper," it's Steely Dan's springy pop-jazz sensibility trimming those wilder proggy nose hairs; on "Seventeen Again," "He Already Lives in You," and the epic title cut (note dazzling piano section), it's forceful, straightforward power chords reining in prog's best classical-meets-jazz excesses (Kansas, Marillion, etc.); and on "This Matter of Mine," it's simply the schizophrenic genius of Faith No More and the Mike Patton-like vocal elasticity of Beardfish leader Rikard Sjöblom. In tandem with his masterful organ improvisations and imaginative guitar creations, you'll often hear him crooning warmly or snarling soulfully on any of the above, before leaping unexpectedly into emphatic higher registers, croaked death growls, and even sardonic Frank Zappa baritones (see "Voluntary Slavery" for both of the latter) to give Beardfish's sound even more dimensions of expression. In fact, perhaps no artist informs Beardfish's anything-goes (so long as it's well thought-out) musical ethos as much as Mr. Zappa, as his acolytes will surely surmise upon first exposure to these songs. However, this observation is not meant to discredit Sjöblom and his band's achievement for harnessing that considerably complex and broad influence into their own creations, but rather underscore the possible and very deserving commercial breakthrough made possible by The Void.
Eduardo Rivadavia
1. Introduction 0:29
Narrator – Andy Tillison
2. Voluntary Slavery 6:34
3. Turn To Gravel 5:28
Soloist, Guitar [Solo] – Magnus Östgren
4. They Whisper 6:08
5. This Matter Of Mine 7:09
6. Seventeen Again 7:41
7. Ludvig & Sverker 8:05
8. He Already Lives In You 6:38
9. Note 16:02
9. -I Note
9. -II Descending
9. -III The Void
9. -IV Note (Reprise)
10. Where The Lights Are Low 5:35
Keyboards – David Zackrisson
– BONUS TRACK –
11. Ludvig & Sverker (Piano Version) 6:25
Credits :
Arranged By, Performer [Realized By] – Beardfish
Bass, Vocals – Robert Hansen
Drums, Percussion, Vocals – Magnus Östgren
Guitar, Vocals, Percussion – David Zackrisson
Lead Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion – Rikard Sjöblom
Written-By – Rikard Sjöblom
- +4626-COMFORTZONE | 2CD (2015)
They originally were just going to call this "Comfortzone" but they thought they'd make it a little more personal by putting the area code of their home town in Norway in front of it(+4626). This is a concept album about the negativity of being comfortable. One of the band members said that Comfortzone is that invisible protective suit of negative thinking. So it can be in relation to staying in your home town your whole life, or staying in that relationship or job that just isn't good for you but it's comfortable so you stay in it. The surreal cover art depicts someone who lives on a lonely planet with Earth off in the distance.
They've certainly scaled back the heaviness that was strong on the previous album("The Void"). It is quite a wordy album so it's taken some time to grow on me, and there are some rather vanilla parts. Still these guys have created another solid album even if it is right now my least favourite of the seven studio albums that I own by them(I don't have the debut). There are so many beautiful melodies on here and the lyrics are always a strong point(love the sarcasm and humour) with this band. And this is still growing on me so who knows where it will end up as far as my favs go by them.
"The One Inside Part 1: Noise In The Background" is a short intro track of less than 2 minutes in length. I like how this sets the album up with the spoken words, and the strings are a nice touch. "Hold On" has such a great sound to it to start with the guitar and bass especially. Vocals before 1 1/2 minutes with intricate guitar and a beat standing out. This is a catchy track with some uplifting sections.
"Comfort Zone" opens with atmosphere as the guitar, a beat, mellotron and more takes over. I really like this. The guitar work reminds me of Randy Bachman at times. Vocals, keys and a calm 2 1/2 minutes in. After he sings "Death walks behind you" we get an uplifting instrumental section. Vocals are back quickly though. The vocals are more passionate 5 1/2 minutes in, and then that Bachman-like guitar is back before 7 minutes. Check out the prominent bass as well. Nice. "Can You See Me Now" is a catchy and upbeat song with clever lyrics. "King" is one of my favourites. I like how heavy it is and the humour too. It's pretty intense 4 minutes in and it ends with spoken words and some killer guitar. "The One Inside Part 2: My Companion Through Life" features picked guitar and some really beautiful melodies as the vocals join in.
"Daughter/ Whore" is a barn-burner with some massive opening bass lines. Passionate vocals here as well and check out the guitar solo after 3 minutes in the incredible instrumental section that follows. I like how the vocal melodies cry out here too. The vocals are back before 5 minutes. "If We Must Be Apart(A Love Story Continued)" sounds amazing once it settles in. We even get some clapping. Too much fun here. After 3 minutes it sounds like a stadium full of people. It's so catchy a minute later, just a great tune.
"Ode To The Rock 'N' Roller" is the longest song by far at 15 1/2 minutes. Organ, bass and a beat start us off and this all sounds so good after 1 1/2 minutes. Man that bass is crunchy. It settles with picked guitar and vocals only before 3 minutes then the organ and drums join in. It's heavier after 5 minutes before settling back and it's so uplifting 7 minutes in. I like the section beginning before 11 minutes with pulsating keys, drums and vocals. A calm with organ follows then it kicks into gear again. The last 1 1/2 minutes are mellow. "The One Inside Part 3: Relief" is the laid back closer that has a feel good vibe to it.
I think it's kind of ironic that the music of BEARDFISH is comfort music for me. I think what they are trying to say is that I should move on to music that takes me out of my comfort zone(haha). A really nice album, in fact these Swedes have carved out a very good career for themselves and I for one want to thank them for all the great music.
Progarchives
Tracklist :
1-1. The One Inside: Part 1 (Noise In The Background) 1:47
1-2. Hold On 7:47
1-3. Comfort Zone 9:34
1-4. Can You See Me Now? 3:43
1-5. King 5:43
1-6. The One Inside: Part 2 (My Companion Through Life) 4:05
1-7. Daughter / Whore 5:22
1-8. If We Must Be Apart (A Love Story Continued) 15:34
1-9. Ode To The Rock 'N' Roller 7:20
1-10. The One Inside: Part 3 (Relief) 4:33
2-1. Factory 8:28
2-2. Sense Of Timing 7:55
2-3. Luminaire 5:37
2-4. Sun Down (Again) 5:30
2-5. Seem 3:38
2-6. Jack Of All Trade 4:34
2-7. Dilly Dally (Roulette) 1:35
2-8. Ya Ya 7:29
2-9. Pyramid Extract 2:54
2-10. Now 8:55
2-11. Mystique Of The ARP Synthesizer 2:41
2-12. El Niño 4:42
2-13. ...And Terry Takes The Christmas Route 11:22
Credits :
arranged By – Beardfish (tracks: 1-1 to 1-10)
Bass – Gabriel Olsson (tracks: 2-1 to 2-4), Robert Hansen (tracks: 2-5 to 2-13)
Drums – Magnus Östgren (tracks: 2-1 to 2-13)
Effects [Terry SFX] – William Blackmon (tracks: 2-13)
Flute – Stefan Aronsson (tracks: 2-1 to 2-4)
Guitar – David Zackrisson (tracks: 2-1 to 2-13)
Keyboards – Rikard Sjöblom (tracks: 2-1 to 2-4, 2-6, 2-8 to 2-12)
Speech [Some Spoken Vocal Parts] – Robert Hansen (tracks: 2-6, 2-8 to 2-12)
Tenor Saxophone – Sofie Lindgren (tracks: 2-6, 2-8, 2-10)
Vocals, Electric Organ [Hammond L-100], Synthesizer [Nord Electro], Accordion, MIDI Controller [Midi Percussion] – Rikard Sjöblom (tracks: 2-13)
Vocals, Guitar – Rikard Sjöblom (tracks: 2-1 to 2-12)
Written-By – Rikard Sjöblom – Songs For Beating Hearts (2024)
Tracklist :
1. Ecotone 4:35
2. Out In The Open (20:38)
2.I. Overture
2.II. Oblivion
2.III. Hopes And Dreams
2.IV. Oblivion (Reprise)
2.V. Around The Bend
3. Beating Hearts 11:03
4. In The Autumn 5:59
5. Ecotone (Reprise) 0:44
6. Torrential Downpour 8:39
– BONUS TRACK –
7. Ecotone - Norrsken 1982 6:14
Credits :
Arranged By – Beardfish
Artwork [Artwork By] – Spencer Keala Bowden
Bass, Backing Vocals – Robert Hansen
Drums – Magnus Östgren
Guest [With], Backing Vocals – Amanda Örtenhag (tracks: 1), Hanna Edh (tracks: 4, 6), Louise Lundquist (tracks: 4)
Guitar [Guitars], Backing Vocals – David Zackrisson
Lead Vocals – Amanda Örtenhag (tracks: 4)
Lead Vocals, Guitar [Guitars], Electric Organ [Hammond B3 Organ], Keyboards – Rikard Sjöblom
Strings – Anna Dager (tracks: 3), Hanna Ekström (tracks: 3)
Written-By [All Songs Written By] – Rikard Sjöblom
