On this holy day of pagan holidays, the Winter Solstice, we have for you — wait for it — The Holy Tongue. Yes, I’m afraid that’s the best you’re going to get from me today. I’m really liking the latest song and video from this Norwegian band. It’s called “Downward Collider” and the power and fury of this heart-pounding psychedelic journey is well-illustrated by the visuals. We’re taken on an exhilarating journey through highways, tunnels, country roads, and a mysterious woman invites
us to join her in a luxurious dip in a beckoning ocean, while a friendly duel plays itself out in the foreground. As we look through artistically filmed Venetian blinds, a maelstrom of electric guitar mayhem is delightfully unleashed, further heightening the hypnotic trance, before the sounds and visuals fade out. At the risk of being presumptuous (and because I can’t quite make out the lyrics), I’ll take this to be overflowing with metaphor relating to our life’s journey.
“Downward Collider” was produced by Bjarne Stensli in Oslo Klang Studio. The video was filmed by Espen Glomsvoll, edited by David Børke and produced by David Børke and Kenneth Andersen.
Hailing from Oslo, Norway, The Holy Tongue began as the duo of David Børke and Svein Are Brekke, releasing their debut album in April 2013. This new single is their first after becoming a quartet, with the addition of Kenneth Andersen and Magnus Lie on drums and bass. I’ve seen their music referred to as “psychedelic industrial blues” and that seems an apt description. An explanation of their new sound as “the band has replaced the typical wind queer organs from the first album with ’80s synths to better underpin the soundscape they wish to convey” got me bristling with curiosity. My research paid off big.
Whether cheesy organs or more sophisticated synths, the music of The Holy Tongue is fabulously foreboding, mysterious and intriguing. We’ll look forward to that forthcoming album!
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