Swedish, Gothenburg-based musical collective Thymeshift – drummer Johan Björklund, guitarist Thomas Gunillasson, sax player Thomas Backman and keyboards player John Lönnmyr (who joined Thymeshift for the Thymeshift United’s album, Music Outside Boxes, Imogena, 2021, after playing in prog-rock and death mnetal bands and replaced Danish keyboards player-sound artist-instrument innovator Katrine Amsler) – has always been forming an expression of its own. Layers of in Between – again in the quartet format and with Lönnmyr – marks a new step into an electro-analog, beat-based future with reminiscences of the past. The new album was recorded at Kungsten Studios in Gothenburg in February 2022. Gunillasson took the cover photo.
Layers of in Between blurs the distinction between jazz, rock and electronica and offers 14 pieces – seven credited to Gunillasson, five to Lönnmyr (including one arrangement) and only one to Björklund (and another one credited to the three musicians, flirt with heavy, power rock riffs that draw inspiration from early 70’s bands like Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. These raw pieces are contrasted with pieces that suggest Thymeshift’s more melodic, lyrical, and electronically tinged material, and are more open to improvisations.
The return to the core, powerful format after the ambitious mini-big band project of Thymeshift United, leaves Thymeshift in murky waters. Layers of in Between sounds less coherent than previous albums and Thymeshift acts like a band that has not established yet its new identity. It sounds like a rock band that is shy from diving into real intense and mean metal or more sophisticated, epic prog-rock pieces, despite the heavy usage of vintage synths and gives up its improvisation gifts. The best pieces here are the ones that tend to the more, dramatic prog-rock territories like Gunillasson’s «Becka» and «Edge of Sanity» or the sparse and reserved arrangement of Lönnmyr of the medieval hymn «Ave Maris Stella». Thymeshift can do better.
Eyal Hareuveni
Johan Björklund (drums, percussion, additional keyboards, remix), John Lönnmyr (keyboards), Thomas Gunillasson (guitars, remix), Thomas Backman (saxophone, clarinet)
