Paatos - Kallocain (2004)

When you're a fledgling rock band and you get invited to contribute the live accompaniment to a screening of the classic silent horror film Nosferatu, what exactly should you infer from that? In this case, it probably wasn't meant as a reflection of the band's instrumental sound (somewhat dark and sometimes eerie, but hardly evil) or its vocal style (Petronella Nettermalm sounds enough like Björk to drive thoughts of vampirism far from all but the most twisted minds), but maybe as an acknowledgment of its ability to create lush soundscapes that can be put to a variety of uses. On what appears to be their debut album, Paatos explores a strange musical territory somewhere in the borderlands between prog rock, Scandinavian folk-rock, and sort of post-metal experimentalism. Keyboardist Johan Wallen provides lots of vintage Fender Rhodes and Mellotron sounds for the old-schoolers in the audience, but the production by Steven Wilson (of Porcupine Tree) keeps the overall sound fresh and modern, both spacious and dark. Highlight tracks include the complex and beautiful "Look at Us" and the vaguely trip-hoppy "Absinthe Minded" (har har). Recommended.