We live in a reality of fantasy, fiction, and untruths. There is so much that confronts us in our daily lives that requires deep introspection that nothing can be lifted from the surface. It’s like living in a dream world where the rules of reality have been rewritten, and we need to try to wrap our minds around that. 

Swedish band Gaupa (which means lynx) always have been thought provoking in their sounds and words, and that bleeds over into their new mini-album “Fyr,” a five-track (4 new, one that blends two older songs in a live studio setting) offering that also resets their own reality. Down to a four piece with vocalist Emma Näslund, guitarist David Zol Rosberg, bassist Erik Jerka Sävström, drummer Jimmy Hurtig, the band hurtles into psychedelia and rupturing rhythms (that often remind me of Rage Against the Machine’s swagger) that takes control and makes your heart work overtime. Näslund has some Bjork-like qualities with her delivery and also has a commanding presence as her words also borrow from themes of Ursula K. Le Guin’s science fiction novel The Word for World Is Forest that, itself, is a harrowing, sobering adventure.

“Lion’s Thorn” starts in mesmerizing fashion, bagpipes courtesy of Adrian Dal Cero forming a fog, hushed singing hovering over everything. The playing builds to a burly fuzz, bubbling over before reaching a calm, pipes welling,  Näslund calling, “I’ve been told we’re all sinners, and that’s how you’d like us to stay.” The playing gets punchier and more fiery, waves lapping, bagpipes trailing. “Heavy Lord” has guitars chugging, the singing powering, a ’90s feel permeating the atmosphere. The singing swelters, going whispery in spots, and the riffs glisten as the tempo adds pressure, an ominous and catchy dash capturing you. “Ten of Twelve” has guitars running and snarling, the singing echoing as a strong chorus lands with force. “I move in slow motion,” Näslund calls, guitars snaking through dark waters, smoke rising, the notes blazing. “Elastic Sleep” pounds away, the singing gazing, rubbery, jangling guitars sending electricity through your veins. The playing heads into a dreamscape as sounds hang in the air, trudging energy pushes bones into mud, the edges leaving blisters. The battering continues, turning rock into ash, sounds slowly fading away. The last track is pulled from an EP recorded at 2023 Monkeymoon Studios, a combined piece with “Sömnen” from 2022’s “Myrid” and “Febersvan” from their 2018 self-titled debut. It gives you an immersive example of how they reinterpret their music live and sinks you into the center of it all.

Gaupa drag you into your subconscious state and allow you to contemplate dreams and realities on “Fyr,” an effectively realized smaller release that has the power of a full collection. The muscular flexibility and doses of doom metal are melded nicely, feeling like an effective attack. This also serves as a great stop gap to what’s coming next, which we heavily anticipate.

For more on the band, go here: https://gaupaband.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://us.merhq.net/us/Artists/gaupa/

For more on the label, go here: https://en.merhq.net/