Norwegian progressive rock trio Dim Gray have been on quite a ride these past two years. (Among other things, they’re now a quintet—but we’ll get to that.)

Back in 2022, in quick succession, Big Big Train offered Dim Gray the opening slot on their fall 2022 tour, signed the group to BBT’s house label English Electric Recordings, and asked Dim Gray keyboardist-singer-songwriter Oskar Holldorff to perform double duty by substituting for BBT’s then-current keyboard player on the tour. Four months later, Big Big Train asked Holldorff to make his dual roles a long-term commitment by becoming a full member of both bands.

Meanwhile, with another month-long run of live dates on the calendar for fall 2023, Dim Gray’s founding trio of Holldorff, guitarist-singer-songwriter Håkon Høiberg and drummer Tom Ian Klungland welcomed two new members, inviting touring performers Milad Amouzegar (guitars, keys, percussion) and Kristian Kvaksrud (bass) into the fold as full band members. The group’s fall 2023 tour had them once again opening for Big Big Train on a series of dates spanning England, Scotland, and continental Europe all the way from Italy to their homeland of Norway.

Reviewing their 2022 sophomore album Firmament, I described Dim Gray as delivering “an expansive sound that alternates between moments of delicate precision and oversized, cinematic flourishes; this is music that pairs well with fjords.” It turns out that distinctive, dramatic sound translates beautifully to a live setting, as chronicled on the group’s new EP Live In Europe 2023.

The EP features 27 minutes of the band’s opening slot performances, beginning with Firmament highlight “Abalus | In Time,” featuring icy cool guitar chords reminiscent of Explosions In The Sky, with Holldorff’s brooding, emotive vocals anchoring the sound. Later on, Høiberg counterpoints with his breathy, rather quavery voice on this fantasy-tinged number named for a mythical Baltic Sea island.

Dim Gray’s lyrics tend toward impressionistic mood-setting rather than narrative storytelling, using vivid imagery to set a tone of mystery that’s accentuated by the free-flowing, frequently dramatic music. “The Wave We Thought We’d Ride Forever,” from their 2020 debut Flown, is somewhat of an exception, a breakup narrative full of portent and angst. “Wave” relies initially on Høiberg’s crisp, precise chords, with a distinctly Scandanavian spaciousness to the arrangement and Holldorff again singing lead, at least until after the dreamy middle section led by keys, whereupon Høiberg joins him. The song’s bold, cinematic character only grows as its ending jam accelerates.

“Ashes,” also from Firmament, leads with cool, airy synths and guitar strums and skittering little sprays of percussion, backing Holldorff’s keening, earnest vocals. It’s a shorter number (3:22) with sharp intensity, its narrator clearly anticipating something bad about to happen. It pairs well with companion “52~,” an ominous number about isolation, in which the narrator imagines himself hiding underwater from whatever is troubling him. Billowing piano, bass and cymbals are decorated here with off-kilter little guitar chords, contributing to a sense of unease.

The group’s 2023 single “Murals” is written and sung by Høiberg and features Norwegian folk elements, its lilting rhythm accelerating into a closing jam accentuated by evocative, wordless vocals. Closing number “Black Sun,” which also closed out Flown, is a tune about growing tension and a possible turning point in a relationship. Holldorff and Høiberg again share lead vocals, the former taking the verses and the latter counterpointing on the bridge. The group takes a characteristically inventive—and literal—approach to the typical guitar solo here, dropping out everything but the guitar for a quiet interlude that finds Høiberg eventually joined by echoey church organ synth, and then drums, bass, and piano as the tempo picks up again.

Despite the source material—this six-track EP includes performances from five different live shows with varying hall sizes, acoustics and quirks—the sonics are astonishingly clean, clear and consistent on Live In Europe 2023, thanks to the busy hands and ears of Rob Aubrey, who recorded, mixed and mastered these songs with the same precision and care he gives to every Big Big Train recording and show.

Dim Gray shows growth in more than just sheer numbers on Live In Europe 2023, demonstrating a gift for crafting and delivering musical drama of the sort that’s bound to fire the imagination and get the heart pumping. Whatever comes next, Dim Gray has established itself as a musical force to be reckoned with.

Rating: B+

User Rating: Not Yet Rated

Comments