Bithammer! - 2020 - Minimum Style, Maximum Effort [2022 Edition]

(32:00; That's Entertainment Records / Apollon Records)






















Track list:
1. That's Entertainment 1:18
2. Make You Mine 2:25
3. Why! 3:08
4. God Mode, Death March 3:13
5. Pushin' Too Hard 3:14
6. The Garden of Eden 2:44
7. Ain't Gonna Leave 3:10
8. Can't Get Enough 3:03
9. What Am I Gonna Do 2:40
10. Turning My Back (On the World for You) 3:30
11. The Garden of Sweden 3:35

Line-up:
Bithammer! - vocals, instruments
with:
Stig Amundsen - bass
Otto Gamst - drums
Kyrre Fledsberg - organ


Norwegian project Bithammer! is the creative vehicle of composer, musician and label owner Arne Thelin, a well known figure in the Norwegian as well as the international garage rock environment. The Bithammer! project appears to have been an ongoing venture for the better part of 20 years, although for my sake this venture was an unknown quantity until this year. The album "Minimum Style, Maximum Effort" dates back to 2020, but was co-released in physical and extended shape by the labels That's Entertainment Records and Apollon Records in the spring of 2022.

Rather unsurprisingly, garage rock is the common denominator throughout this production. Thelin knows this style of music very well indeed, and this is something you can hear throughout this production. Rather than opting for one orientation of the style he has opted for several different variations for starters, and the songs reference different artists as wel as time periods.

The most intriguing cuts for me were the fuzzed out, dark toned creations that with and without psychedelic and noise rock elements strikes me as clear tips of the hat in the direction of The Cramps. Beefier and a tad more aggressive and solemn than I can recall The Cramps ever were, and with less of the 50's rock 'n roll references my memory tells me was a staple for that legendary US band, but I suspect many fans of The Cramps will find the small handful of cuts in the early part of this album to be excursions into familiar sounding landscapes.

As this album moves onward we are gradually taken longer back in time too, with elements of power pop and 60's style garage rock and psychedelic rock gradually making more and more of an inroad into the material explored. The organ gets more prominent, the moods lighter in tone and spirit, but with some garage rock and proto-punk elements still in place to a lesser or greater degree. That is until the final cut, 'Garden of Sweden', which is quite the naughty and cheeky creation with the organ rising to full prominence in a track that might be a suitable soundtrack for a retro style x-rated movie. Possibly and probably referencing indirectly certain movies made in Sweden back in the day, but also some songs from the 60's or possibly the 70's that featured similar cheeky vocal effects as a part of the total experience.

Fans of garage rock ranging from the 60's to the late 70's in particular should find a lot to enjoy on this album, and especially those among them that don't mind elements from noise rock, proto-punk, psychedelic rock and power pop mixed and blended into a retro-oriented and charming take on the garage rock genre. A solid and fun production on all levels, and one that probably will be found charming also among people without an established affection for garage rock as a genre.

Olav M. Björnsen, May 2022

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/Thats-Entertainment-Records-1026399310873384/
https://www.apollonrecords.no/

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