The Death Defying Unicorn
The Death Defying Unicorn brings Motorpsycho and keyboard player Ståle Storløkken together for a large, theatrical journey. Heavy rock, jazz and orchestral writing share the same space, with strings and brass contributing much more than decoration. The music follows a nautical story, but its strongest attraction is the constant interaction between the different players.
Out Of the Woods establishes an unsettled atmosphere through woodwind and strings. The Hollow Lands then expands the sound, allowing a fuller ensemble to arrive before making room for singing and acoustic guitar. That movement between a crowded arrangement and a more open one gives the early sequence a clear dramatic shape.
Through the Veil develops around a strong repeating figure. The surrounding harmony and instrumental details become more complicated, but the rhythm supplies a centre. The piece demonstrates how this collaboration can become dense without losing the forward movement of a rock band.
Doldrums changes the setting through quieter exchanges between the orchestral instruments. Into the Gyre brings the musicians back towards a more forceful mixture of melodic psychedelia and irregular rhythms. These transitions help the album feel connected, even when individual passages sound very different from one another.
The darker second half is less immediate. Some of its slower, more spacious material takes longer to establish momentum, and the dramatic setting can make the distance between the rock passages feel substantial. The quieter tension is part of the design, although that does not make every stretch equally engaging.
Mutiny! restores a stronger physical attack through powerful bass, active drums and guitar. Into the Mystic then gives the ending a more open character. Violin and keyboards become central to the finale, while the returning musical material helps connect the conclusion to the earlier journey.
This is a demanding record, both in length and in the amount happening inside its arrangements. Its scale is occasionally tiring, but the collaboration creates an unusually rich sound. The Death Defying Unicorn succeeds because the orchestra and band keep changing each other's roles, producing progressive rock with imagination, force and a convincing sense of occasion.
