RAGNAROK, by Ragnarok Bo Nerbe, who has run his tiny record shop Got To Hurry since 1983 in Stockholm's Old Town, takes a step back in alarm when I mention the band Ragnarok.
The only Ragnarok he knows are the aggressive Norwegian black metallers of that name who are into Satanism, death cults, Norse mythology and extreme volume. Their new bassist is Hellcommander Vargblod.
Nerbe is relieved when I tell him about the excellent New Zealand prog-rock band Ragnarok who arrived in the mid-70s with their self-titled debut album steeped in Nordic myth and synthesisers, and fronted by the powerful vocals of Lea Maalfrid.
This is Nerbe's kind of music.
The catalogue of New Zealand prog-rock albums is meagre - it was an expensive idiom - and the shortlist of good ones even smaller.
Many would argue Ragnarok - who grew out of glam - were, briefly, the best.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 2 - 8, 2022-Ausgabe von New Zealand Listener.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 2 - 8, 2022-Ausgabe von New Zealand Listener.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
