MYRBEIN – Radio Jämtland 1978 (no label, 2015: rec. 1978) / Live Tonkraft Sveriges Radio P3 1979 (no label, 2015; rec. 1979) / Live Borås 1981 (no label, 2015: rec. 1981)

Myrbein's only album ”Myrornas krig” is one of the worst albums I've heard on this blog. It's prog rock (with one 'g') at its most annoying, complex for the sake of complexity alone, but with a puerile lack of compositional logic that makes them sound like a kindergarten King Crimson on a bad day. It was released in 1981, shortly before Myrbein disbanded (with some members turning up in the un-proggy postpunk band Skallarna not long after). They formed in 1977, and a couple of early tapes were made available on the band's Soundcloud in 2015, plus one from their final year.

 

Radio Jämtland 1978 (no label, 2015; rec. 1978)
Instrumental, English vocals
International relevance: ***

The earliest tape is a three-song session made by local radio station Radio Jämtland (Jämtland being Myrbein's home county). If Myrbein were musically lost in their later years, they had absolutely no fucking clue what they were doing during the earliest days. Musically illiterate songwriting and blunderous playing but chock full of over-reaching ambition. With a playing time of only 16 minutes, this shouldn't be that hard to get through but it's really an endurance test. Last track ”Pucko vinner” is unbelievably terrible.

Live Tonkraft Sveriges Radio P3 1979 (no label, 2015; rec. 1979)
Swedish vocals, English vocals, instrumental
International relevance: ***

Recorded in their home town Östersund for the legendary Tonkraft series on Swedish national radio, and perhaps that fact made Myrbein nervous enough to shape up a bit. I'm not saying it's a good show, but it's not their worst effort. Despite some misguided attempts at Samla Mammas Manna styled musical humour, the track ”Hjälp släpp ut mig” is in fact almost listenable. Unfortunately, the tiny hope that track might inspire is quickly ruined by an embarrasing rock'n'roll pastiche called ”Ko”, and a disco parody named ”Disco Baby” that kicks in wide open doors. Wow, mocking disco in 1979! Did you really think that was a forefront thing to do? Come on, guys, please...

Live Borås 1981 (no label, 2015; rec. 1981)
Swedish vocals, instrumental
International relevance: ***

This reasonably good sounding audience recording opens with a cover of King Crimson's ”Larks' Tongues In Aspic, Part II”, showing they finally left their most of their Samla Mammas Manna/Gentle Giant hang-ups in favour of a Crimson hang-up. "Larks' Tongues" is fairly well performed, it suggests Myrbein could actually pull off a bit of garage level symph rock without making complete fools of themselves, and that their biggest problem perhaps was their insufficient understanding of composition. The rest of the gig features songs from their then recent album and some leftovers from their early repertoire including ”Ko”. Fans of ”Myrornas krig” will probably like this archival outpouring of theirs the best, but I still think it scores high on the international suckitude scale.

Radio Jämtland 1978 full EP playlist  
Live Tonkraft 1979 full album playlist 
Live Borås 1981 full album playlist

MYRBEIN – Myrornas krig (Ljudskyddsföreningen Myrbein, 1981)

International relevance: ***

Swedish vocals

I seriously have no clue what these people are on about, and quite obviously, neither do they. Judging by the cover version of ”Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part II” included as a bonus track on the 1993 CD reissue of their album (the only one they made, thank goodness), they were die-hard King Crimson fans. I also sense a slight Magma influence on tracks such as ”De fyra stånden” and ”Bara du”, a bit of Zappa on ”Ur spår!”, and possibly some Samla Mammas Manna on ”Gånglåt till Peson”. But unlike any of those, Myrbein have no basic comprehension of composition, constantly getting in the way of themselves, helplessly lost in the hodge-podge of ”complicated” time signatures they stack up like a pile of dung. Here and there, they add some kind of ill-conceived ”new wave” touches which – believe it or not – makes this stinker even worse. One of the track titles asks ”Är du förvirrad?” – ”are you confused?” Well, you tell me.

Listening to ”Myrornas krig” is like listening to a mathematician trying to explain the principles of the universe without even knowing how to add 1 to 1 and get a proper result.

For a much more appropriate sample of lesser known Swedish early 80's art rock/RIO, try ”Barndomens stigar” by Kultivator, released in the same year by people who at least could tell a chair from a fork. ”Myrornas krig” is the kind of stuff that massacres art rock so bad it will never again recover from the injuries. Still, plenty of people like it, more people still will, but to me this is just a never-ending torment.

Some of the members went on to form Skallarna who recorded one postpunk single in 1982 (released the following year). They reunited decades later for a second single in 2024.

Full album playlist (Spotify)