Airbag - Sounds That I Hear - The Best Of Airbag (2024)

I've already posted a rarities album from Norwegian progressive rockers Airbag, but as that was more for people who were already fans of the band, I'm posting this 'Best Of...' to introduce them to anyone who has yet to experience their brand of superb neo-prog rock. Formed in Oslo, Norway in 2004, Airbag's consist of guitarist/vocalist Asle Tostrup, guitarist Bjørn Riis, keyboardist Jørgen Hagen, drummer Joachim Slikker, and bassist Anders Hovdan, and they recorded their first EP in their first year together. Entitled 'Come On', it was followed by 2006's 'Sounds That I Hear' and 'Safetree' in 2008, and all three EPs were initially offered for free on the band's website, going on to register over 230,000 downloads, paving the way for incoming interest from Karisma Records, with whom the band signed a deal in 2008. Their debut full-length album arrived in 2009, with 'Identity' featuring remixed versions of songs from their second and third EPs, and the album was very well received, with its lead single, 'Colours', managednotching up a top three hit on Polish radio. Their follow-up, 2011's 'All Rights Removed', saw the band adopt a more conceptual approach, favoring longer pieces and a more dramatic instrumentation. For its release, Slikker left the band and was replaced by Henrik Bergan Fossum, and it went on to receive numerous plaudits from the world of prog rock, and featured on many end-of-year lists. After opening for rock giants Marillion during their Scandinavian tour in 2012, Airbag's third release, 'The Greatest Show On Earth', landed the following year, with the band adopting a heavier, more guitar-driven approach to their music, a feeling echoed in the darker and more destructive content of their lyrics. Their fourth effort, 'Disconnected', was released in June 2016, after which Hagen and Hovdan left the band, with the remaining members deciding to press on as a trio, releasing their fifth album, 'A Day At The Beach', in 2020. Their most recent release was last year's 'The Century Of The Self', which was yet another neo-prog masterpiece, and if you don't already know of Airbag then do yourself a favour and sample some of their best work on this album.  

Track listing

01 White Walls (from 'All Rights Removed' 2011) 
02 Killer (from 'Disconnected' 2016) 
03 Redemption (from 'The Greatest Show On Earth' 2013) 
04 Dysphoria (from 'The Century Of The Self' 2024)
05 Machines And Men (from 'A Day At The Beach' 2020)
06 Colours (from 'Identity' 2009)
07 All Rights Removed (from 'All Rights Removed' 2011) 
08 Call Me Back (from 'The Greatest Show On Earth' 2013) 
09 Sounds That I Hear (from 'Identity' 2009) 
10 Broken (from 'Disconnected' 2016) 

Airbag - Speed Of Light (2007)

Norwegian progressive rockers Airbag have been around since a group of friends with similar musical tastes got together in 1994 and formed a band, with the current line-up stablising in 1999. Bjorn Riis is the lead guitarist and main songwriter, with Asle Tostruo on vocals, Jorgen Hagen on keyboards, Anders Hovdan on bass and Joachim Slikker on drums. They spent their early years playing infrequent gigs around Norway, in particular in Oslo, from where there is a live album available from a 2001 concert, and they didn't record their first demo until 2004. They released their first EP 'Sounds That I Hear' in 2007, which blended influences from acts such as a-ha, Porcupine Tree and Pink Floyd, managing to create a sonic expression defying normal genre conventions. They allowed the release to be freely downloadable from their website, and within a few months more than 10,000 people had downloaded it, establishing a good-sized, international fanbase in a very short space of time. A second EP was issued the same year, with 'Safetree' also being freely downloadable, and it further extended their popularity among an internet-savvy fanbase. 2007 also saw Airbag's debut as a proper live outfit, opening for acts like Pineapple Thief, Gazpacho and Riverside, and in 2009 they were signed by Karisma Records, with their debut album 'Identity' being issued the same year. It included three re-recorded songs from the 'Safetree' EP, but not the title track which remains exclusive to that release. Since then they have released four more albums of absolutely outstanding progressive rock, and they are currently my favourite prog-rock band alongside Porcupine Tree. If you like Steven Wilson and PT then you really have to hear Airbag, and this collection of the songs from their early EP's which weren't re-recorded for 'Identity' is a great place to start. While putting this together I discovered that Bjorn Riis has also released four solo albums, and they are every bit as good as those from his day job, and so for any fans of Porcupine Tree or Pink Floyd who have never heard of Airbag, then you're in for a real treat.  

Track listing

01 Come On In (from 'Come On In' demo EP)
02 Moon Song (from 'Come On In' demo EP)
03 Take Me (from 'Come On In' demo EP)
04 Crying Out (from 'Come On In' demo EP)
05 Speed Of Light (from 'Sounds That I Hear' EP 2007)
06 Sounds That I Hear (Parts I & II) (extended recording from 'Sounds That I Hear' EP 2007)
07 Safetree (from 'Safetree' EP 2007)