Oslo Ess – Alle Hjerter Deler Seg

Having a little break with the Doom/Stoner metal genre and reviewing the only album I’ve got that isn’t of pre-mentioned genres! So up next is OSLO ESS with their 3rd album ‘Alle Hjerter Deler Seg‘, am sure Craig probably thought it was some more Doom to push on me? However how wrong he is, I have heard of OSLO ESS and know that they are quite massive in their native Norway (hell this album made it to no. 1 in the charts). So what got to number 1 in Norway? Well OSLO ESS play rock/punk (as their website states) about life, drinking, good times etc, however with it all being in Norwegian they could be singing anything, so onwards I go and press play!

The first track explodes into life and remind me of (pop) punk bands like NEW FOUND GLORY, SUM 41, GOOD CHARLOTTE etc. The track is okay and isn’t to offensive to the ears. The second track “Under Radaren” is quite different as it had more of a rock feel about it and struts about like a proud cock and is very THE DARKNESS esq! The 3rd track (and one of the best on the album) “Himmel Og Helvete” is more of a nod towards Punk Rock in the vein of THE VANDALS, LAGWAGON, BOUNCING SOULS and early OFFSPRING & BLINK 182. “Down At The Docks” is reminiscent of early DROPKICK MURPHYS and the chorus is actually sung in English and the tune is very catchy and will have you humming along to it. The other stand out track is “Det Brenner Under Beina Mine” which is more like a ska infused punk song, think of “Timebomb” by RANCID or “Johnny Quest Thinks Were Sellouts” by LESS THAN JAKE and would be a great song to have a “dance” to. The rest of the album is then happy go lucky and catchy punk with smidges of rock thrown in here and there in the vein of BLINK 182, NEW FOUND GLORY, ALL TIME LOW, later GOLDFINGER albums and so on.

This would be an instant classic album  if they did more of the Punk Rock in the vein of the VANDALS and so on instead of the more commercial pop punk rock. However the songs are catchy and the album is short and to the point and I can see why they are so big in Norway, so with the nicer weather just around the corner (hopefully), sit in the sun, crack open a beer, put the BBQ on and have this as an album for the good times. The way they would probably want it played.

SCORE – 8

ALBUM INFO

Track List:

1… Stormen
2… Under Radaren
3… Himmel Og Helvete
4… Down At The Docks
5… Midnatt
6… Det Brenner Under Beina Mine
7… Leiter Etter Jobb
8… Brenn Byen Ned
9… Den Gyldne Tiden
10… I Skrivende Stund

Record Label:
Indie Recordings

Release Date:
4th April 2014

Stand Out Tracks:
“Himmel Og Helvete”, “Down At The Docks” & “Det Brenner Under Beina Mine”