With “Variola Vera”,  their second full-length studio release, Psychedelic Rockers HIMMELLEGEME have come up with an album that uses heavy riffs, chilling melodies, and melancholy-laden lyrics to create a timeless sound that is dark and otherworldly.  Highly appropriate for an album whose underlying theme is the impact that humans have had on this planet of ours.
 
As a final taste of what “Variola Vera” has to offer fans ahead of its October 1 release, Karisma Records have today released a fourth and final single from the album.  Titled “Agafia”, the track can be streamed or downloaded from various services at this location.

It is a single about which the band, whose influence,  drawn from both Blues and Atmospheric Prog Rock,  is undeniable, had this to say:
 
“Agafia” is a track where the name and lyrical content are based on Agafia Lykova, the Russian woman who has been living alone in the inhospitable Russian wilderness since the late 80s. She was  a part of a family who had been forced to flee government persecution because they had not wanted  to be a part of their new ideologies.  It’s about how she is forced to live more like modern humans, being torn between a more modern life and her fear of God and the society that left her. 
 
Musically the song started its life as a loop Hein made with some delays, and then it just kept building up to what it is today. We wanted to make it sound epic, like a scene from a movie. This feeling is best described in the outro of the track.

Recorded  from late spring through to the  late fall of 2020 at Bergen’s Broen Studio, “Variola Vera”  was produced by Anders Bjelland (ELECTRIC EYE / HYPERTEXT) who also handled the mixing and the mastering for HIMMELLEGEME’ s lineup of Aleksander Vormestrand (vocals, guitar), Hein Alexander Olson (lead guitar, slide, drums), Lauritz Isaksen (keys), Erik Alfredsen (bass, backing vocals, misc. instruments) and Leiv Martin Green (drums, backing vocals).

HIMMELLEGEME are quite adamant that although “Variola Vera” does indeed have a very definite theme running through it, it is not quite in the realms of a concept album, as the band explained:

The overall themes of the album are the impact we humans have on planet earth, and the destruction we leave in our wake wherever we go. Not only in regards to the planet itself, but also to the people inhabiting it. It’s not a concept album per se – the lyrics are fictional with roots in reality, but based on newer and older events seen from different viewpoints.  

“Variola Vera” will be available in CD, Digital, and Limited Edition LP Formats, and it is now available to pre-order from:

Bandcamp: https://himmellegeme.bandcamp.com/album/variola-vera
Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/product/artist/himmellegeme/

With cover art by Samantha Muljat,  track listing on “Variola Vera” is as follows:

1. Shaping Mirrors Like Smoke
2. Heart Listening
3. Blowing Raspberries
4. Brother
5. Let the Mother Burn
6. Caligula
7. Agafia
8. Variola Vera

HIMMELLEGEME are set to play a release concert for the album on the 2nd October at Det Akademiske Kvarter in Bergen, Norway. More details at www.facebook.com/events/432581201470635/

The official video for the track “Blowing Raspberries” from HIMMELLEGEME’s “Variola Vera” album can be seen at https://youtu.be/A1f6ihTE2II

Psychedelic Rockers HIMMELLEGEME dip a toe into the waters of history for the third single taken from their upcoming sophomore full-length album “Variola Vera”.  And their chosen subject is none other than one of the notorious, if not the most notorious, of the Roman emperors,  Caligula himself.

Why, you might be asking, has a Norwegian band chosen this well-known miscreant as the subject matter for a track on “Variola Vera”?   Well, it would seem that HIMELLEGEME see something of themselves, and us, in his flawed character, as the band’s Alexander Vormestrand explains:

So, “Caligula” is a weird one that required an unconventional method of writing from me. Melodically we drew some inspiration from some of our favourite contemporary music, such as AIMING FOR ENRIKE and ULVER, as well as KEVIN PARKER, while lyrically I was inspired by the Roman emperor Caligula. There are so many phases of this person’s life that makes him an interesting character. Many people might even find similarities from their own youth – from being a benevolent boy to becoming a horrible young man. Most of us have phases growing up, so I had to kinda get in character with this one, which may or may not have included lit candles and a “bucket o’crazy” in the middle of the night while my girlfriend slept. The verses depict Caligula  going through different phases, while the chorus is about him finding peace while he gets closer to the end of his life.

“Caligula” can be streamed or downloaded from a number of services at: https://karismarecords.fanlink.to/Himmellegeme_Caligula

Drawing their influence from both Blues and Atmospheric Prog Rock, HIMMELLEGEME’s lineup of  Aleksander Vormestrand (vocals, guitar), Hein Alexander Olson (lead guitar, slide, drums), Lauritz Isaksen (keys), Erik Alfredsen (bass, backing vocals, misc. instruments) and Leiv Martin Green (drums, backing vocals), have come up with a second studio release that is, according to them, not quite a concept album, but which does, nevertheless, have a theme running through it:

The overall themes of the album are the impact we humans have on planet earth, and the destruction we leave in our wake wherever we go. Not only in regards to the planet itself, but also to the people inhabiting it. It’s not a concept album per se – the lyrics are fictional with roots in reality, but based on newer and older events seen from different viewpoints.  

By using heavy-hitting riffs, chilling melodies and melancholic lyrics, HIMMELLEGEME have, on “Variola Vera”, created a dark, otherworldly, and timeless sound which was recorded  from late spring through to the  late fall of 2020 at Bergen’s Broen Studio. The  album was produced by Anders Bjelland (ELECTRIC EYE / HYPERTEXT) who also handled the mixing and the mastering.

With cover art by Samantha Muljat,  Karisma Records are set to release “Variola Vera” on the 1st of October in CD, Digital, and Limited Edition LP Formats, and it is now available to pre-order from:

Bandcamp: https://himmellegeme.bandcamp.com/album/variola-vera
Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/product/artist/himmellegeme/

Track listing on “Variola Vera” is as follows:

1. Shaping Mirrors Like Smoke
2. Heart Listening
3. Blowing Raspberries
4. Brother
5. Let the Mother Burn
6. Caligula
7. Agafia
8. Variola Vera

The official video for the track “Blowing Raspberries” from HIMMELLEGEME’s “Variola Vera” album can be seen at https://youtu.be/A1f6ihTE2II
 
The official video by Rasmus Even Hol Skjegstad and Leander Håvik for the track “Natteravn” from HIMMELLEGEME’s album “Myth of Earth” can be seen at https://youtu.be/JVyIGFFbPQs

As the time ticks down to the October 1 release of HIMMELLEGEME‘s sophomore full-length “Variola Vera”, Karisma Records have released another single and accompanying video from the album to whet the appetite of the band’s growing fan-base.

The track chosen glories in the title of “Blowing Raspberries” about which the band have this to say:
 
“Blowing Raspberries”  was also one of the earlier tracks written for this release. Aleksander brought the band a short demo, sort of as a joke. It wasn’t like anything he’d written before, but we quickly realized it had the potential to be a banger. Lyrically the subject is written as a space cop drama set in the future. Both lyrically and musically there are some hints pointing to a certain decade – or time period – so, put your down on and shake your bones loose!
 
“Blowing Raspberries” can be downloaded or streamed from a number of services at this location.

Whilst the video can be seen below.

Recorded from late spring through to the  late fall of 2020 at Bergen’s Broen Studio, “Variola Vera” is the follow-up to HIMMELLEGEME’s critically acclaimed debut “Myth of Earth”, an album that brought the band to the attention of prog audiences world-wide.

Produced by Anders Bjelland (ELECTRIC EYE / HYPERTEXT) who also mixed and mastered the album, “Variola Vera” is, according to the band, “not quite a concept album” as they recently explained:

The overall themes of the album are the impact we humans have on planet earth, and the destruction we leave in our wake wherever we go. Not only in regards to the planet itself, but also to the people inhabiting it. It’s not a concept album per se – the lyrics are fictional with roots in reality, but based on newer and older events seen from different viewpoints.
 
Influenced by both Blues and Atmospheric Prog Rock, HIMMELLEGEME’s lineup of  Aleksander Vormestrand (vocals, guitar), Hein Alexander Olson (lead guitar, slide, drums), Lauritz Isaksen (keys), Erik Alfredsen (bass, backing vocals, misc. instruments), Leiv Martin Green (drums, backing vocals), use heavy-hitting riffs, chilling melodies and melancholic lyrics, to create a dark, otherworldly, and timeless sound.

With cover art by Samantha Muljat, the track list for “Variola Vera” is as follows:

1. Shaping Mirrors Like Smoke
2. Heart Listening
3. Blowing Raspberries
4. Brother
5. Let the Mother Burn
6. Caligula
7. Agafia
8. Variola Vera

Set for release in CD, Digital, and Limited Edition LP Formats, “Variola Vera” is now available to pre-order from:

Bandcamp: https://himmellegeme.bandcamp.com/album/variola-vera
Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/product/artist/himmellegeme/

Bergen’s Psychedelic Rockers HIMMELLEGEME are back with “Variola Vera”, the follow up to their critically acclaimed debut album “Myth of Earth”. Recorded during the late spring through late fall of 2020 at Bergen’s Broen Studio, the band’s latest outing was produced by Anders Bjelland (ELECTRIC EYE / HYPERTEXT) who also mixed and mastered the album.

Not quite a concept album HIMMELLEGEME described “Variola Vera” thus:

The overall themes of the album are the impact we humans have on planet earth, and the destruction we leave in our wake wherever we go. Not only in regards to the planet itself, but also to the people inhabiting it. It’s not a concept album per se – the lyrics are fictional with roots in reality, but based on newer and older events seen from different viewpoints.  

Set for release on Karisma Records on the 1st October, in CD, Digital and Limited Edition LP formats, fans have today been given a taste of “Variola Vera” with the release of the single “Let the Mother Burn” which can be downloaded or streamed on various platforms at this location.

It is a single about which the band had this to say:

Let The Mother Burn was one of the first tracks that we wrote for the album. It definitely has our sound to it – a little slow paced, but also powerful and tribal. The lyrics are about being consumed by the sheer beauty and horrors that Mother Nature can provide us – it can be amazing, but also quite frightening.

Influenced by both Blues and Atmospheric Prog Rock, HIMMELLEGEME’s lineup of  Aleksander Vormestrand (vocals, guitar), Hein Alexander Olson (lead guitar, slide, drums), Lauritz Isaksen (keys), Erik Alfredsen (bass, backing vocals, misc. instruments), Leiv Martin Green (drums, backing vocals), use heavy-hitting riffs, chilling melodies and melancholic lyrics, to create a dark, otherworldly, and timeless sound.

With cover art by Samantha Muljat, the track list for “Variola Vera” is as follows:

1. Shaping Mirrors Like Smoke
2. Heart Listening
3. Blowing Raspberries
4. Brother
5. Let the Mother Burn
6. Caligula
7. Agafia
8. Variola Vera

“Variola Vera” is now available to pre-order from the following:

Bandcamp: https://himmellegeme.bandcamp.com/album/variola-vera
Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/product/artist/himmellegeme/