Here cOmes a CD that really surprised me!
I Only heard One track frOm these guys On "va - Sundaze" cOmpilatiOn and I have tO admit I really like this album.
SOmething really refreshing, althOugh I think many peOple wOn't like this style. But I dO.

TrOld are 3 guys frOm NOrway: BjOrn Opheim, Stein SkjOldal and Leif Askeland.
YOu prObably are asking yOurselves what kind Of music these guys are prOducing, what their style is.
Well let me tell yOu sOmething... If yOu expect One mOre CD packed with "full On grOOvy super trax", yOu're gOnna be dissapOinted and prObably yOu'll thrOw this CD intO yOur recycle bin.

The best descriptiOn Of TrOld's music wOuld be "fOrest trance with great melOdic tOuch", creating and presenting us with wOnderful picture Of cOld nOrwegian fOrests.

There's a great deal Of imaginatiOn invOlved in these guys' music.
While listening tO this CD, yOu can feel a great freedOm, nOthing is linear, every time yOu listen tO sOme track yOu discOver mOre and mOre details that yOu weren't aware Of at yOur previOus listenings, which is very interesting well, what I'm really amazed with are thOse fOrest melOdies, and trust me, there are many melOdies like that.
They give a great impulse On the visual presentatiOn Of the TrOld's music...
DO I need tO mentiOn that everything is packed with lOts Of lOOps, different rhythms, vOice samples and Other gOOd stuff...

CD has a great cOncept, frOm the beggining it gOes slOwly, and then prOgresses intO faster fOrest paths, and at the end, Of cOurse, we have a slOwer OutrO track.

My favOurites:

Slice Of pizza is the first track... Hehe nice name fOr a track a lOt Of vOice samples here... Nice One!

.... sO belOw - It starts with sOme guy speaking english with russian accent Or sO. 2:05 Great uplifting melOdy, which takes us deeper intO fOrest... 2:45 There's even better melOdy cOming in! wOw! what a great cOmbinatiOn, an Old schOOl feeling here, very nice... Till the end, there's a number Of variatiOns, cOmbinatiOns, transitiOns... Nice stOry in this track... StOry 9 minutes lOng. Just great.

Space attack !!! - This One is a little bit faster, yOu can really dance On this One. 3:50 We start tO speed up.... 4:00 Break... and...and....and...and..... Oh yeah... Very danceable, nice wOrk On rhytms, party On. Great stuff!

Ok nOw Missing link and Tail Of huldra are my favOurites!

Missing link - This track starts Off with sample that says "pOsitive states Of mind!" 0:04 and we already have a great fOrest atmOsphere... 0:15 .... killer kick + bassline... this kick is a specific One, I knOw a lOt Of peOple dOn't like it, but I dO this track is very multilayered, prOductiOn is great, changing basslines frOm time tO time, I like it... 3:04 and this is the mOment where yOur breath is gOing tO be taken away this is the mOment where great imaginatiOn and creativity Of these guys cOmes tO the surface... Great melOdic variatiOns and cOmbinatiOns here, just incredable, huge smile On my face nOw, thumbs up TrOld simply, yOu have tO listen tO this, my wOrds wOn't describe this track On the best pOssible way... An excellent track!

Tail Of huldra - AnOther masterpiece! 1:34 things are getting seriOus nOw... Great grOOve, we are all gOing fOrward nOw.. bOOm bOOm dOOm... 2:01 Hehe nice break... GrOOve gOes On, I am expecting an uplifting melOdy here... 2:30 Oh it's here! wOw wOw!!! This is the mOment when yOu hear sOmebOdy screaming On a party 3:41 .... HOhO I dOn't knOw what tO say... MelOdies put in the first place... 5:55 Break and after it there's a great backgrOund melOdy... NOw we're stuck deep in the fOrest and there's nO turning back! Great track, great stOry, a masterpiece!

HOw at the end, I feel like I reached the end Of a videO game Or sOmething hOnestly, this wOuld be a recOmmendatiOn frOm me tO everyOne whO is interested in new, fresh ideas, un-linear, interesting music that wOn't sOund bOring tO yOu, and that will nOt be same after first and after twenty-first listening.

BOOm!

Slice Of pizza is like a lOng, deep & sOlitary walk thrOugh an unknOwn nOrvegian fOrest, by this way yOu prOgressively explOrate the sOundscape Of TrOld cOmpOsed Of psychedelic melOdies.
The atmOsphere cOuld be perceived as Oppressing, wet & cOld at first yes, the edge Of this nOrvegian fOrest isn't very welcOming...
HOwever, be cOurageOus and let's try tO gO deeper inside the wOOd.
Things dOn't seem tO turn Out all right, light becOmes weaker and wasn't already very pOwerfull !
Scrutinizing mOre carefully all arOund in Order tO discOver sOme reassuring signs, yOu'll Only nOtice mOre & mOre strange phenOmenOns.
Between 3:35 tO 4:50, yOu hear unexplicable sOunds, branchs break themselves alOne Or invisible hOrses gallOping.
After 4:50, yOu're nOw cOnfrOnt with illusiOns Of view, suddenly myriad Of luciOls cOming frOm the sky light the fOrest like if they wOuld like tO indicate yOu the gOOd way tO fOllOw, helped by sOme little balls Of fire appearing when yOu're takin a wrOng directiOn.
YOu feel appeased frOm the situatiOn but start tO get tired after hOurs Of walk, yOur feet are sO heavy nOw.
That's when, at 7:05, an internal vOice tells yOu "there are persOnns whO'are asleep & whO'had tO wake up".
An encOuragement prObably yOu think, the cOre Of the hOOd musn't be very far frOm nOw...
WithOut premises, yOur heartbeat sharply decrease.

It's dOne! YOu've reached it (SO many tables), yOu're lOOking with yOur sparlin' eyes at the hidden part Of the magical nOrvegian fOrest.
It's a great & cOnfused feeling between yOur heart & mind, yOur heart is nOw palpipating.
All Over, several little differents creatures are dancing, drinking Or laughing like gnOmes,elfs, trOlls, fairies and sOme else.
Even if by mOment (arOund 5:15), a glacial wind reminds yOu're prObably lOst sOmewhere in the middle Of a huge area, yOu dOn't knOw why but yOu keep smiling & happy.
A shOrt instant (frOm 6:30 tO 7:07), all peOple arOund yOu little by little stOp their activities, yOu'll understand a bit later they were praying the spirit Of the fOrest tO thanks him fOr this rave as yOu meet the white hair & beard giant Of the hOOd which is his reincarnatiOn.
It seems that yOu're participating tO an infinite party, unfOrtunatly suddenly (8:50) an acid rain starts which irremediably means that the party is Over.

In Order tO prOtect yOu frOm the acid rain, a trOll smOking a pipe invites yOu with a wave Of the hand tO climb On an immense tree (Over 50 meters) where he has built his hut (Practical jOke).
At first the ascensiOn is quite arduOus seeing that the trunk is sleek therefOre slipery (frOm 0:00 tO 0:18).
Taking a rapid rythm in yOur scaling due tO the presence Of pic-vert giving yOu the gOOd tempO (starting at 0:56), yOu wOn't take tOO much time tO achieve the gnOme's den.
(2:02-2:16) YOu make yOur first steps On a wOOdy cracking flOOr.
After being sheltered, the trOll becOmes very talkative but nOt always understandable (2:32 & 3:30).
SOmetimes it's cracking sO strOng that yOu've gOt the impress the rOOf will fall On yOur head (3:24).
The trOll is facetiOus and dOesn't stOp flOOding yOu ears Of wOrds which tOtally hypnOtise yOur brain.
YOu remain in a half cOnsciOus state, dreaming awake up tO 7:30 when the trOll succeeds after several attempts tO wake yOu up with a "HellO-hellO... YOu understand ?"
After a quite lOng back tO nOrmal brain activity while yOu were having a meal, then (8:55 tO 10:04) yOu immediatly recOgnize this cracking wOOd, yOur eyes are heavy.
YOu're entereing the bed Offered by the trOll with the last perceptiOn Of a glacial wind blOwing all Over the fOrest just befOre being ready tO drOp.

SOme birds sing tO wish yOu a gOOd day (.... sO belOw).
After sOme discussiOn with the trOll, yOu've gOt the firm intentiOn tO explOre this mysteriOus undergrOund civilizatiOn Of the fOrest he discribed yOu.
YOu cOme dOwn frOm the tree after having said gOOd bye tO the trOll & thanked him fOr his hOspitality.
Remembering the trOll indicatiOns, yOu fOllOw the snails up tO 2 huge fly agaric where 2 wOmen all dressed Of white stand.
At 4:08, thOse 2 wOmen magically prOceed tO a mutatiOn intO a pair Of wOrms.
They nOw hOllOw a gallery lO let yOu penetrate sO belOw... the 2 wOrms are very active & energic but never stOp their effOrt; strangely the tunnel they're building is very winding, yOu just learn that straight dOesn't exist in wOrms vOcabulary.
MOre & mOre yOu gO belOw and mOre numerOus the wOrms get in Order tO draw yOu the way.
(5:57) There are sO much wOrms nOw that they gOt tO rub each Other fOr advance which causes metallic twisted shrill melOdy.

YOu've nOt arrived yet tO the mysteriOus undergrOund civilizatiOn that already yOu're hearing guardian saying "just a minute ladys & gentleman, I think sOmething is hapenning" (Space attack !!!), this gOt the prOperty Of make the wOrms escaping the place.
But the alert is given, immediatly this is an ant invasiOn running tOward yOu.
They all take the directiOn Of yOur eardrums (frOm 0:40 uptO 5:50).
5:50 tO 6:50, the ants have put a special acid OntO yOur eardrums sO effective that yOu feel giddy.
The ants are nOw happy yOu're nOw under their cOntrOl.

(Missing link) during their pOwertime, the ants make yOu travel tO a place swarming with little human beings at red eyes cOvered Of black fur having a glOOmy & melanchOlic party. "POsitive state Of mind" they claim (0:50).
The music is cycling up and the melOdy cOuld emanate frOm a mutant accOrdiOn.

(Tail Of huldra) decided tO see all part Of this hOOd, yOu walk tO the nOrth when yOu meet huldra, the nude queen Of the area. YOu make a quite lOng way tOgether.
She tries tO bewitch yOu & make yOu remaining here fOr the rest Of yOur life.
But huldra is fairplay and always let gO away sOmeOne withOut aggressive behaviOr, by the way she shOws yOu the way where yOu'll can drink water like yOu asked her.

DiscOvering NanOcOsmOs the nOthern part Of this nOrvegian fOrest near frOm a river, this zOne alsO includes the dragOOn's & unicOrn 's den, yOu're starting tO feel hOw calm are the natural elements, yOu get frequenter with them.
But there's still sOmething yOu can't explain yOurself hOwever beautiful, deep, twisted, tripping Or mOrning like in NanOcOsmOs was the sOund, as yOu just see yOu're simply sitting in frOnt Of yOur CD player within TrOld - Once upOn a time... was all this just an illusiOn, whO knOws...

FavOrites : 2, 8, 1, 5 then : 3, 6, 4 - mark : 7,5/10

Hailing frOm stavanger, a city On the west cOast Of NOrway mOre famOus fOr its bOiling Oil industry than fOr anything even remOtely resembling a thriving psytrance scene, TrOld are One Of the very few nOrwegian acts that prOduce this kind Of music.
YOu might have nOticed that their webpage is hOsted by yOurs truly trance.net, tOO.
FOrmed in 1999 as a triO, TrOld nOw Only cOmprises BjOrn Opheim and Stein SkjOldal, as third member Leif Askeland has left the grOup (althOugh he participates On One Of the tracks here).
TrOld are actually the secOnd nOrwegian psytrance act ever tO release an album, Christer BOrge Lunde's prOject ra being the first, and it's the recently established french label ApOxina that unleashes TrOld's music upOn the wOrld.

BOth their prOject name, the album title and the sleeve - which I must admit I find slightly tacky, althOugh amusing - reveal TrOld's fascinatiOn fOr nOrwegian fOlklOre a la asbjOrnsen & mOe (the nOrwegian equivalent tO the grimm brOthers), the mystique Of the fOrests and the fable creatures that pOpulate them prOviding a rather different imagery frOm mOst their genre-mates.
This inspiratiOn is nOt very evident in the music, thOugh, which is quite traditiOnal psytrance.
But althOugh this album certainly dOesn't prOvide anything earth-shatteringly new, it still cOntains sOme gOOd tunes.
HOwever, it alsO has sOme typical "debut album" flaws: sOme Of the music cOmes acrOss as a little derivative and dated, and the album is marred by sOme shOddy prOductiOn details and a a sOmewhat inferiOr sOund quality.
It must be nOted that I Only have a burnt cOpy cOurtesy Of TrOld themselves, and this might be an unmastered versiOn - I didn't ask.
As fOr the Overall sOund, the kicks and basslines here are certainly nOt as dOminating as On yer average psytrance prOductiOn these days.
And althOugh I'm all fOr music that dOesn't rely entirely On firing On all cylinders, and prOvide less One-dimensiOnal dynamics, parts Of this album cOme acrOss as a little tame, and wOuld have benefited frOm a beefier sOund.
SOme Of the pads and string sOunds are tOO flat and simplistic (Tail Of huldra in particular), and that vOice sample in Practical jOke... ahem.

SO, what abOut the music? well, TrOld have at least One fOOt in the "mOrning trance"/Old schOOl camp, with a lOt Of riffage, melOdies and atmOsphere gOing On in mOst Of the tracks, althOugh there's plenty Of the warped sOund tweaking and effects Of latter-day psytrance here as well (almOst Hux Flux-ish at times, althOugh less mental).
The material On Offer ranges frOm sOme quite minimal-Oriented tracks (placed at the beginning, fOr sOme reasOn) tO mOre riff-based assaults with melOdies all Over the place.
SOme Of the less melOdic cuts strike me as a bit uninvOlving and Ordinary, althOugh the Opener slice Of pizza is actually One Of the best tracks.
In general, thOugh, TrOld are at their best when their Old schOOl leanings and melOdic sense cOme tO the fOre, and tracks such as .... sO belOw and Space attack !!! are prObably the chOice cuts fOr listeners whO miss the merry Old sOund Of the 90's, and they might alsO be Of interest tO fans Of Serge SOuque's prOject The AntidOte.
Ok, sO it pales in cOmparisOn tO sOmething like Blue Planet COrpOratiOn's "Blue Planet" album, but then again, sO dOes just abOut anything, and TrOld cOme up with sOme useful material here.
And althOugh a lOt Of the tricks they have up their sleeve are Of the cliched variety (vOice samples harping On abOut space and "spirituality", guitar-ish synth sOunds, the cOmpulsOry clOsing dOwnbeat track), they Often make them wOrk quite well.

This isn't a starling Or state-Of-the-art album, rather a pretty Old-fashiOned recOrd which I assume cOmprises material cOnceived Over a lOng time span.
Fans Of mOrning trance and Old schOOl shOuld definitely check it Out, and althOugh this recOrd has a few shOrtcOmings in the sOund quality/prOductiOn department and suffers frOm an uneven sOng material, it has a number Of well-cOnstructed tracks.
A nice rOund-up Of TrOld's "stOry sO far", "Once upOn a time..." is a respectable, althOugh unadventurOus debut frOm a prOmising grOup.
What they need tO dO nOw is tO upgrade and mature their sOund and shOw a willingness tO see beyOnd the nOrm tO develOp a less fOrmulaic signature.