Bakelit – Wake Up Terrified

Bakelit – Wake Up Terrified

Fosfor Creation

Could Bakelit’s latest offering, Wake Up Terrified, be classified as electronic prog rock? Without a doubt. Packed with synthesizer textures and electronic elements, the album is the brain-child of Swedish Carl Westholm, who wrote, recorded, and produced the entire record, while also handling synthesizers, organ, electric piano, guitars, and bass. Joining him on vocal duties are Öivin Tronstad and Cia Backman, accompanied by guitarist Ulf Edelman and drummer Jonas Källsbäck.

The album carries a distinctly dark atmosphere, fitting for song titles such as "In a Crash," "Death and Love," "Their Brains Died in 1980," and "All Heroes Go to Hell." Orchestral and dramatic in scope, the music is balanced by Cia Backman's vocals, which bring a subtle contrast of lightness to the heavy backdrop. Wake Up Terrified is a dense, moody, and deeply haunting experience. Lyrically, Westholm delves into "the different aspects of the human mind, emotions, and behavior."

Across its eight tracks, the album doesn't falter once, delivered through stellar musicianship and strong vocal performances. For fans of dramatic, electronic-infused progressive rock, Wake Up Terrified is an essential listen.