Ache

Prog was, and continues to be, a worldwide musical force. We think about bands from the UK, Holland, Germany, Italy – even Argentina but there was a burgeoning Prog scene as far away as Denmark and Ache were one of the prime exponents of the form over there.

The line up of the Olafsson brothers (Torsten, Bass & Finn, guitar) along with Peter Mellin on keys and Glen Fisher on drums created, as Proggists tend to do, the world’s first Rock Ballet in ‘De Homine Urbano’ (About Urban Man) and if you strip away the pretentiousness of that concept the album is a real cracker. Mellin’s Hammond work is superb and Finn Olafsson demonstrates real dexterity in his guitar playing. – a lovely fluid sound full of soul and miles away from the Blues riffery of many of his contemporaries.

The vocals are fine, albeit a bit of an afterthought but it is the orchestral feel to the rock music that makes the band – they claim The Nice as influences and you can definitely hear that band’s sound signatures here although there is also the feel of The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown and some of the darkness of Atomic Rooster in the music.
The debut album consists of two tracks, each an album side in length but you do not feel that they are stretching to try and fill it out – the length of the songs is justified.

‘Green Man’ is – to quote Torsten Olafssson – “Ache Rock Theatre – a dramatical art form based upon the coordination of heavy rock music, psychedelic light, dancing and acting” and it most definitely has the feel of a stage inspired series of tracks – be nice to see a DVD of the whole show at some time – and has moved into a heavier and more dramatic place. The music is more powerful and you really can sense the development of the band as musicians although there is a little less of the sweet naivety of the first album.

These guys were – and are – musicians of real quality and they produced two albums that are never less than interesting. Of the two I would probably go for ‘De Homine Urbano’ but they both have a place on my decks.