Monster Blomster
Stadig Flere Velger Feil
Mons Rec.

From their base in Trondheim, Monster Blomster have offered their guitar-driven music during most of the nineties, and rumour tells us that this record, their third, is destined to be their last.

I can still remember the first time I heard their first CD. I had heard some so-so demos earlier, so when I picked up their first album, Lisa går til helvete some five years ago in a second hand shop, it was without too high expectations. An odd band name, directly translated Monster Flowers, even more odd song titles ("So You're Dead Now", "Happy Boy", "But, Suddenly", to try to translate a few), a poor record cover to match and a band with lousy live reputation.

I was proven wrong. For a long time, I could hardly remove the CD from my stereo, and it is an album I still return to again and again. The band consisted of three distinct songwriters, Øyvind Ryan, Dag F. Fløan and Bjørn Hulbækdal with ears for good tunes and a willingness to try out new ways both to record and to play their instruments. On top of that, they were not afraid of using their not too perfect voices in not too perfect harmony throughout the album, and it may possibly be the best Norwegian debut album of the nineties.

Other Trondheim musicians, notably members of Motorpsycho and Epinastic Movements, were supportive and probably gave them the drive to keep on despite poor record sales and general ignorance. Their second album titled Vanlig normal with one of my all time favourite Norwegian songs "Alltids noen som har det verre" (a radio favourite as well!) was better still. This time Ryan had made most of the songs on his own, proving a rare diversity and confidence.

On Stadig Flere Velger Feil (Increasingly more people make mistakes (!)), the other two are back as songwriters. With Dag's "Sønnavind" (the in-your-face-rock'n'roll tune of the record) and Bjørn's En fin sang (a soft and gentle lullaby) as opposite poles the MoBlo's has made their finest LP to date. The Jews' harp ridden "Dumm", Neil-Young-out-in-the-fields "Potensiell avviker" (a radio favourite again!), "Den Følelsen tar innpå", both delicate and creepy at the same time, are other favourites here. (I can easily manage without the instrumental groping (some of them several minutes long) between the 'ordinary' songs though).

"Don't you dare hype this record", the cover of their first record stated (in English). Well, I do anyway. If you buy this record, it may exceed a sale of something like 400 items. And that sure is something.

If the rumour of the departure of Monster Blomster is true, may we hope for new releases from all three of them?

Probably hard to find outside Trondheim as their distribution network seems non-existent. Try: MONS.

Copyright © 1999 Pingo