In 2016 the Swedish prog Blå Lotus was formed. Their inspiration comes from Emerson Lake & Palmer, Yes, Black Sabbath, Procol Harum and many more old school prog bands. Their quote is: No six-strings allowed. This trio really make heavy progressive rock without the aid of guitar. With just bass, drums, several keyboards and Theremin, the create fulfilling soundscapes and a vast array of lengthy jam-based compositions interspersed with heavy stoner-like riffs.
In 2018 Blå Lotus released their debut album ‘Tube Alloys’, which was highly acclaimed. And now, Melodic Revolution Records and Blå Lotus are thrilled to announce that a new album Högtid will be officially released worldwide digitally on June 21st.
Fredrik Andersson tells about the new album:
“As usual, I had written and prepared the songs beforehand and presented them to the rest of the band through rough demos. Of course, there was enough space for the others to leave their own mark on them. It took months to fine-tuned them. The remainder of the overdubs (that is, Farfisa, Mellotron, Pianet, Synthesizer and vocals, all weighing heavy on my shoulders).
‘Högtid’ is roughly the Swedish word for feast, or rather celebratory season (Christmas, Easter, Midsummer and so on), sort of hinting at the superficial theme of the two main tracks ‘Pagan Solstice’ and ‘Summer Demons’. And perhaps also the inclusion of our momentary rendition of an old Swedish marching tune (‘Gånglåt’). Despite this, it’s not a concept album.
‘Pagan’ was actually a leftover song from my previous band (as was ‘Unreal Estate’) in which I played the guitar, so I had to find a way to present them on the Hammond. But eventually they proved to be more in tune with the Lotus spirit anyway.
‘Summer’ began its life as a ‘simple’ Neil Young-esque folk song. Amounting to probably no more than a couple of minutes in all, but demonstrably ended up being the longest track on this record. The mopey lyrics should probably not be interpreted too deeply by a suicidal person though.
The most optimistic track on the album, ‘While You Were Asleep’, a psychedelic ode to the division of labour and what all the fearmongers tell us. And finally, ‘Rats’n Brats’ is just a piece of vintage heavy rock ’n’ roll; a good excuse for letting our hair down and maxing out the fuzz boxes toward the end.
Here you can find the official teaser
Tracklist:
01. Pagan Solstice
02. Open Hand On All Fours
03. Unreal Estate
04. While You Were Asleep
05. Gånglåt
06. Summer Demons
07. Rats’n Brats
Band Members:
Fredrik Andersson: Hammond and Farfisa Organ, Mellotron, Synthesizer, Electric Piano, Flute & Vocals
Linus Karlsson: Bass Guitar, Theremin & Random Sound Effects
Wiktor Nydén: Drums & Percussion
Album Title: Hötid
Album Art: Viktor Örneland
Release Date: June 21st, 2019
Label: Melodic Revolution Records
Format: Digital
Further information can be found at:
Facebook: Blå Lotus
Bandcamp: Blå Lotus
Media Contact: Fredrik Andersson: blalotusband@gmail.com
Label Contact: Melodic Revolution Records
Nick Katona: nick@melodicrevolution.com
Melodic Revolution Records Online:
Website: MRR
Facebook: MRR
Youtube: MRR
Twitter: MRR
Spotify: MRR