Theater – Perkele

Perkele has been around since 1993 and Theater is the band’s elevenths or something album. I can’t say I’ve been an avid listener to Perkele over the years. I’ve enjoyed a song here and there but never really dug into their discography in a serious way.

In my head, I’ve pictured Perkele as the Gothenburg version of Cock Sparrer. On Theater however, they show they are so much more than that. The first thing that hits me is that the songs and production have almost an arena-rock quality to them. This is an album that is meant to be played loud. The second thing that comes to mind is how incredibly well the band moves between styles and influences on Theater. Metal, rock, punk and folk, it’s all in there and done well.

From the folksy Railroad and the almost Real McKenzie-esque Sail Away, to the more rock-influenced I Can Feel It, through the metal-inspired Burn and Still Here to the punkrock-tune Attitude. Perkele plays the whole scale, which together with the variations in tempo gives the listener a nice variation in the listening experience.

Lyrically it’s a solid effort throughout, with themes spanning through passion, rebellion, hope and resistance. It’s lyrics by grownups, but not exclusively for grownups, not feeling alienating towards younger generations.

The artwork and title might look and feel a bit pretentious at first, but there’s nothing of the sorts present on the album. Perkele has on Theater delivered a great album that surely sticks out in their discography and manages to feel both timeless and fresh at the same time.