ProgAtom are a Norwegian progressive rock band who have been at it since 2012, known for blending melodic, symphonic rock with atmospheric textures and the occasional unusual time signature. Their sound swings from orchestral, almost sacred passages to heavier, hook-laden arrangements in the spirit of classic 70s hard prog, with a lot of interplay between instruments and carefully built vocal parts. The lineup is Tore Christer Storlid on vocals, Mattis Sørum on guitars, Arild Sveum on keyboards, Rune Ulen on drums, and Åsmund Mjelva on bass. After the albums Sagittarius A in 2015 and Spiral in 2018, they’ve spent this year releasing singles, including “I Can Smell the Hay,” with Ukrainian guest vocalist Roy Crank, and “In Every Heartbeat.” Their latest, “New Shoes,” arrived October 2nd.
New Shoes
“New Shoes” carries a jazz-rock streak alongside its prog core, and the band describe it as hefty, energetic music. Keyboardist Arild Sveum wrote the music and Gun E. Norstrøm wrote the lyrics, which take on online trolling and hateful pile-ons and argue for seeing the world from someone else’s position before passing judgment. The title is the whole point in two words, an invitation to step into another person’s shoes, and the lyrics build toward it with scenes of mockery and cruelty that feed on themselves and leave people on opposite sides of a widening gap. It’s a subject the band openly admit is all too current.
Musically, the song glides forward on a wave-like melody that seems to move on its own, with small, unexpected hooks surfacing along the way and touches of blues folded naturally into the progressive framework. About four minutes in, the arrangement opens up and guitarist Mattis Sørum gets plenty of room to tell a story of his own, the kind of extended solo spot a good prog piece earns, before the song closes with the full set of ingredients back in play. The band recorded it themselves, then took it to Beef & Sound Studio for mixing and on to Lydbildet Studio for mastering.
There’s a larger story around the band too. Bassist Åsmund Mjelva has been involved in relief work in Ukraine and was profiled by Norwegian broadcaster NRK this spring, which gives their recent run of releases a human backdrop beyond the music itself.
Final Thoughts
“New Shoes” is a lively, thoughtful prog single that pairs real instrumental craft with a message that’s hard to argue with, and it’s a strong sign of where ProgAtom are headed after a busy year. It’s available now through the band’s listening link, and you can find more about them at mjelvamusikk.no.
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