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The End: Why Do You Mourn

By Mark Corroto
June 17, 2023
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Why Do You Mourn is the third release by the Swedish/Norwegian group The End. Ethiopian-born Swedish vocalist

Sofia Jernberg

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Sofia Jernberg is backed by the double reedists

Mats Gustafsson

woodwinds
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Mats Gustafsson (The Thing, Fire! and Fire! Orchestra) and

Kjetil Møster

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Kjetil M?ster (

Gard Nilssen

drums
b.1983

" data-original-title="" title="">Gard Nilssen's Supersonic Orchestra, M?ster!, and Zanussi Five), plus guitarist

Anders Hana

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Anders Hana (Circulasione Totale Orchestra) and drummer

" data-original-title="" title="">B?rge Fjordheim. It follows two releases on the RareNoise Records label, Allt ?r Intet (2020) and Sv?rmod Och Vemod ?r V?rdesinnen (2018).

The sounds resemble the music genre favored by

Don Cherry

trumpet
1936 - 1995

" data-original-title="" title="">Don Cherry during his years in Sweden. It is world music, but one that claims no specific country of origin, nor for that matter, genre. The End fluctuates between folk, free jazz, hardcore, poetry and jazz rock. "Snow," the longest track on the album at 13+ minutes opens the disc with sung/spoken poetry interwoven by saxophone freak-outs and thunderous bass guitar and drums. The song gives way to squawks and screams until the storm subsides and a return to gentle passages of prose. "Doomfunk MCs" skates on edges, on M?ster's saxophone, Hana's guitar, and Jernberg's voice as the band marches triumphantly through the track. "Wasted Blame" and "Whose Face" by Gustafsson are influenced by the poetry of Robert Creeley. Here the band also pulls from the heavy sounds of Black Sabbath, tempered by the very lovely voice of Jernberg. "Winter Doesn't End" by Rigmor Gustafsson is presented as a simple acoustic folk tune where Jernberg is accompanied by guitar, flute, clarinet and drum. In the same vein "Smokey Black" with its gentle recitation of various versions of the color black. The summation of the entire affair is the otherworldly and eerie "Black Vivaldi Sonata" with Jernberg singing "I don't care if we start a war in heaven, who really needs to be rescued?" Hopefully, this is a rhetorical question.

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Track Listing

Snow; Doomfunk MCs; Wasted Blame; Winter Doesn't End; Whose Face; Smokey Black; Black Vivaldi Sonata.

Personnel

Sofia Jernberg

vocals

Mats Gustafsson

woodwinds

Anders Hana

guitar

Kjetil M?ster

saxophone, tenor

Additional Instrumentation

Mats Gustafsson: flutes, baritone saxophone, live electronics; Kjetil M?ster: clarinet, electronics; Anders Hana: baritone guitar, bass guitars, langeleik; B?rge Fjordheim: drums.

Album information

Title: Why Do You Mourn | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Trost Records

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