One thing music writers with a thousand reviews under our belts sometimes do to keep things fresh is to create little challenges. For example: describe the music of Norwegian progressive rock quintet Dim Gray without using the word “cinematic.”
Good luck with that.
Dim Gray’s third album Shards is all about space and drama. Having once described their style as “music that pairs well with fjords,” I’m hard-pressed still to move on from that phrasing: their sound is mountain-large, ice-cool and infused with a stark grandeur and beauty.
After 2022’s sophomore album Firmament, founding members Oskar Holldorff (lead vocals and keyboards), Häkon Hoiberg (guitars and vocals) and Tom Ian Klungland (drums and vocals) welcomed erstwhile touring musicians Milad Amouzegar (guitars, keys, vocals) and Kristian Kvaksrud (bass and vocals) into the band as full members, making Shards is the group’s first studio album as a quintet. The group takes full advantage of the additional range and density of sound made possible by this further evolution, adding complexity as well as some new and exotic tones.
Urgent opener “Defiance” carries all the hallmarks of Dim Gray: space, drama, and a sound that’s both crisp and full. Evoking the myth of Sisyphus, the lyric positions persistence in the face of obstacles as a form of defiance, which of course it is—maybe the most constructive form. Like the later “Peril,” it’s a co-write, with Hoiberg crafting the music and Hoiberg and Holldorff collaborating on the lyric.
“Myopia” adds a guest voice, fellow Norwegian singer-songwriter Vaarin, for a captivating blend of male and female vocals on this atmospheric number about the dangers of tunnel vision. Then, as if to put a final proof on the range the group is capable of within their characteristic sound, Hoiberg’s composition “Murals” delivers an almost Celtic sound while featuring him on lead vocals, mandolin and guitar.
Lead single “Feathers” is classic Dim Gray: abundant space, ringing, reverb-laden guitars, big washes of keyboard sound, and a deep sense of yearning as Holldorff spins the tale of connecting with a feathered avatar of nature. Then “Mooneater” spotlights Holldorff’s vocal range as he move easily from a piercing tenor to a brilliant falsetto.
Klungland powers to the fore on the next two tracks. First “Peril” opens with guitar over skittering drums on this restless, surging number, which also has Hoiberg singing the bridge. It’s further proof of something apparent in Holldorff’s other gig as keyboardist for fellow progressive rock collective Big Big Train: having multiple vocalists allows a band to paint with a broader sonic palette. Next up, “Little One” features a galloping rhythm and a dramatic mid-song drop-out before the band explodes back into view. It’s a lesson in how contrast creates drama—loud and quiet, urgency and stillness.
The final two tracks offer further studies in contrast. “Shards From A Broken Crown” is a brief (2:02), rather foreboding tale of a tyrant’s downfall, whose somber tone breaks at the final chorus. Then closer “Attakulla” billows outward into a nine-minute-plus mini-epic celebrating the majesty of a great mountain. Dynamic orchestral breaks and jams feature waves of sound amid the intertwining lines of Hoiberg’s electric guitar, Amouzegar’s Persian santoor, and the strings of guest players Ellen-Martine Gismervik (cello) and Nicoline Krohn Moland (violin). The ninth minute turns sunny and buoyant—another contrast, this time to Dim Gray’s more typically somber tone—leading into a final, dramatic crescendo.
On Shards, Dim Gray delivers an entrancing blend of ambient atmospherics, orchestral flourishes and big rock moments, producing music that’s rich in texture and bold in palette. It’s a compelling and, yes, cinematic listen that will leave you dreaming of rugged coastlines under vast skies.
