UMUR "Rockefeller" is a live album release by Norwegian dark/melancholic rock act Seigmen. The album was released through 1:70 (a subsidiary label to Sony Music Entertainment) in June 2006. The album was recorded at Rockefeller Music Hall, Oslo, Norway, from February 16th to 18th, 2006. Seigmen disbanded in 1999 but temporarily reunited in 2005 and played several reunion concerts in Norway.

The 13 tracks on the 74:59 minutes long album are predominantly taken from the band´s arguably most popular albums "Total (1994)" and "Metropolis (1995)" with a few nods toward "Ameneon (1993)" and the "Pluto (1992)" EP. In addition to that there are are couple of single tracks on the album too. As "Radiowaves (1997)" was generally not that well received by fans of the band, it´s no surprise that Seigmen haven´t included a single track from that album. They´ve simply picked their most revered tracks for this live album and the tracklist works wonders because of it. There are so many highlights to pick from but "classics" like "Ohm", "Slaver av Solen", the ultra heavy "Colosseum", "Döderlein", and the somewhat progressive, dark and heavy "Mesusah" are some of my favorite picks from "Rockefeller".

The album features a great flow and energy with a lot of audience participation/reactions like singing, clapping, and shouting. Even though "Rockefeller" features a very powerful and professional sound quality, it´s still obvious that this is a "real" live album, recorded in front of a live audience. It´s interesting how music as dark and melancholic as this can be this raw, powerful, and groovy in a live setting. The band are exceptionally well playing (the energetic drumming and the melancholic guitar leads are among the greatest assets) and lead vocalist Alex Møklebust is positively on fire throughout the album. In addition to delivering flawless vocals he has a great way of communicating with the audience, that makes "Rockefeller" a very authentic sounding live album. It´s not often I come across live albums, that are greater than an artist´s studio output, but to my ears "Rockefeller" might very well be Seigmen´s crowning achievement. A 5 star (100%) rating is fully deserved. If you´ve never heard of Seigmen before, I recommend starting here.

UMUR "Enola" is the 5th full-length studio album by Norwegian rock act Seigmen. The album was released through Indie Recordings in April 2015. Seigmen is a very prolific act in their homeland, and especially enjoyed a lot of success in the mid-90s. They disbanded after releasing "Radiowaves (1997)" that generally didn´t resonate that well with their fans, but reunited in 2005 to play some shows (which resulted in the brilliant "Rockefeller (2006)" live album), again in 2008, and finally in 2012, where the idea of recording a new studio album began. According to bassist/main composer Kim Ljung the original intention wasn´t to record a full-length studio album, but the material just started coming to him, and Seigmen soon had enough written material to enter a studio to record their first album in 18 years.

18 years is a long time between albums, so it´s remarkable how "Enola" sounds unmistakably like Seigmen. Heavy and dark melancholic rock with Norwegian lyrics, featuring the trademark dynamic of restrained verses and louder anthemic choruses. It´s like "Radiowaves (1997)" never existed and "Enola" was released right after "Metropolis (1995)". For most fans of the band that´s probably a big relief.

The material on the 10 track, 51:40 minutes long album (the vinyl version features the bonus track "Mot I Brystet") is well written, catchy, and always features the dark melancholy that is Seigmen´s trademark. Some tracks are slightly more light in mood (with an emphasis on slightly), while others are really dark and heavy. Examples of the latter are "Trøst", "I Mitt Hus", and "Til Verdens Ende". The two last mentioned even feature a couple of metal oriented riffs. In the other end of the spectrum there´s a ballad type track like "Tenn Alle Lys". It´s Alex Møklebust emotional vocals which set the mood, but the heavy rhythm section, and the two guitarists who compliment each other with clean and distorted tones and rhythm and leads, and seldom play in unison, are also important parts of the band´s sound.

"Enola" is very well produced, featuring a powerful, dark, and organic sound production, which suits the music perfectly. An extra atmosphere enhancer if you will. It´s always with some hesitation and fear that I listen to comeback albums by artists I once used to enjoy a lot, but "Enola" won me over on first listen. The fact that Seigmen sounds like they were never gone, although it´s been almost 20 years, is incredible, and it´s like being transported right back to the mid-90s and the heyday of this great band. "Enola" is a high quality release through and through and a 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Total" is the 2nd full-length studio album by Norwegian rock/metal act Seigmen. The album was released through 1:70/Voices Of Wonder in October 1994. The cover artwork features a different colour depending on which label version you own.

To begin with "Total" pretty much continues down the same dark and heavy rock/metal path as "Ameneon (1993)" walked. Depressive moody vocals, occasional more raw vocal ourbursts, heavy riffs but also more atmospheric guitar playing, busy and challenging drumming, and unconventional song structures. The atmosphere of total despair and sadness which "Ameneon (1993)" was drenched in, is also present on "Total" and is still a central element in the band´s sound.

Tracks like "Colosseum" and "Ohm" represent this part of the band´s sound, but Seigmen have a few surprises up their sleeve. "Total" is generally less "metallic" in style than the case was on "Ameneon (1993)" although it was always debatable if the band´s music should be tagged metal. A rock and metal hybrid is probably a more correct description of their early output. Even though the metal element is not as prominent on "Total" as it was on "Ameneon (1993)" it is still a bit surprising when "Sort Tulipan" kicks in. It´s an atmospheric and quiet track, drenched in melancholi and featuring violins. A kind of dark chamber rock track. So for about 6 minutes right there, in the middle of the 10 track, 58:12 minutes long album, it´s like the storm dies down and we´re left to mourn the damages it caused. The pace and intensity of the tracks pick up again after this but again dies down on "Nephilia" (and pretty much stays that way for the remainder of the album), which is another dark chamber rock track with cello and chanting vocals. So as mentioned "Total" is not as intense and heavy as "Ameneon (1993)" is. Instead it´s more dynamic and varied. At 58:12 minutes it´s also a pretty long album, but because of the variation on the album the almost hour long album flows by in an enjoyable way.

The musicianship is excellent. Everything is delivered with conviction and once you get used to Alex Møklebust´s rather expressive and distinct sounding vocal style, it´s hard not to appreciate how much his efforts mean to the music. "Total" is also packed in a clear and powerful sound production and this is just the kind of album that screams high class from a mile away.

"Total" is overall a great successor to "Ameneon (1993)", which itself was a really great album. While I don´t find all the features equally interesting or entertaining (sometimes the music becomes a bit too self-important and repetition is also a slight issue at times), it´s great to hear a band have the courage to develop their sound and branch out into new territories like Seigmen do on "Total". Boldness that proves to be even a partial success, should always be rewarded and a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Ameneon" is the debut full-length studio album by Norwegian rock/metal act Seigmen. The album was released in two editions in April 1993. One through the 1:70 label and one through the Voices of Wonder label.

The music on the album continues the dark and bleak rock/metal style that was initiated on the "Pluto (1992)" EP. There´s an atmosphere of deep depression and despair about the music, which runs through every fiber of the album. The tracks are heavy and atmospheric but occasionally also a bit more aggressive and energetic. The drumming is especially busy throughout the album. The musicianship is strong although lead vocalist Alex Møklebust are more distinct sounding and passionate than technically skilled. His gloomy (and occasionally aggressive) vocal style suits the music very well though (the lyrics are in the Norwegian language). The two guitarists play a central role in the music complimenting each other well with heavy riffs and atmospheric leads and motifs.

The quality of the material is generally high, but I have to mention the fantastic 9:01 minutes long "Mesusah" as the major highlight of the album. The Cure inspired opening to that track is brilliant and the chanting monotone vocals really add to the gloomy mood of the song. The bleak nature of the material might lead to the deception that the music isn´t catchy and memorable, but after a few spins, that proves to be a wrong perception of tracks that are both varied and intriguingly structured. One of the great assets of "Ameneon" is, that while there are recurring themes and what can be perceived as vers/chorus structures, Seigmen make an effort to challenge those conventional structures, which ultimately results in "Ameneon" being an album that´s worth listening to again and again. Stylistically the music on "Ameneon" is hard to nail, but references to acts like Joy Division, Bauhaus, Katatonia and a slight nod towards Tool, aren´t completely wrong. Dark and depressive rock with an occassional metal edge.

Generally I´d say the songwriting is more mature than the case was on "Pluto (1992)" and the sound production is also much stronger than the case was on the EP, so all in all "Ameneon" is a natural and positive step up for Seigmen and a 4 star (80%) rating is fully deserved.

UMUR "Pluto" is the debut release by Norwegian rock/metal act Seigmen. It´s a 5 track, 25:38 minutes long EP, originally released through the band´s own Ikon label in April 1992. "Pluto" has later seen a reissue through 1:70/Sony.

On "Pluto" the band play a dark and depressive rock/metal style. The music is heavy, repetitive, and melancholic. The Norwegian language lyrics are brooding and sinister, and this is generally music where no light shines in, which is also reflected in the song titles. Dark and atmospheric music. The musicianship is decent and the sound production relatively well sounding. The songwriting is generally a bit immature and there is definitely room for improvement in that department, but Seigmen somehow still manage to pull it off in a convincing fashion. I´m not blow away by the standard of the material but still there is something strangely attractive about it.

Overall "Pluto" is a good start to Seigmen´s career. They would mature and develop their style further over the entire span of their career, but if you´d like to hear them as heavy and metal oriented as they ever got "Pluto" is the release to listen to. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is deserved.