Kristoffer Gildenlöw - [Humanised]

Abstracte zwart-witte figuur die oprijst uit een gestructureerde, contrastrijke achtergrond.

Kristoffer Gildenlöw - Humanised

New Joke Music


'Humanised' is a mirror (or selfie-cam?), held up in front of the modern day person. Over-producing, over-consuming, over-shallow, over- greedy, exclusively inclusive... and puts this in the perspective that nothing will ever stay the same... nothing!'


This is a quote from the press release accompanying Kristoffer Gildenlöw’s new album *Humanised*. An album that differs considerably from the subdued albums the Swedish-Dutch artist has produced previously. To get straight to the point: this is an album that demands a high volume. It can be loud because it *is* loud. On this album, Kristoffer Gildenlöw plays, among other instruments, a seven-string guitar. That makes the sound a lot heavier. Additionally, his bass playing is, as usual, of exceptional class.

May I be completely honest? This album is a class above what his brother is currently producing with *Pain of Salvation*.

The album seems to start fairly calmly with the track ‘Rendering’ but explodes in the second part. Especially in the song ‘Landfill’, Kristoffer really lets loose. It is a heavy album with a heavy theme, and that touches me on all sides. Gildenlöw lets himself go completely on this album. No longer a singer-songwriter, but a powerhouse pushing musical boundaries.

He is supported by drummer Leo Margarit on drums and by guitarists Daniel Magdic and Thijmen van der Meer on drums, who each deliver a beautiful solo. But most of the work is done by Kristoffer Gildenlöw himself.

Now, he has a beautiful dark voice that fit very nicely on his previous, quiet albums, but on Humanised he shows just how much power is in that voice too! I am truly blown away by this album. This is prog/metal/rock of the highest category. The theme that appears at the beginning of this review returns very clearly in all the songs: human failure, the human tendency to want everything and take too little responsibility. The themes are very clear. Humanised is truly rock solid. I can't get enough of it, and I think this will be beautiful on stage. Kristoffer Gildenlöw has pushed his boundaries in an amazing way. Humanised is a sublime album that deserves a lot of attention.