This year (2025) sees Sweden's GAUPA returning with not only a brand new release, "Fyr" (Nuclear Blast Records), but also a slimmed down line up. 2024 saw co-guitarist Daniel Nygren handing in his notice so as to concentrate more on his family which left remaining members, Jimmy Hurtig (drums); Erik Sävström (bass); Emma Näslund (vocals) and David Rosberg (guitars), with the options of either finding a new guitarist to fill Nygren's boots or carrying on as a four piece, it was decided that of the two options it was the latter that served GAUPA's purposes best.
We at Desert Psychlist are of the opinion that it is this more compact line up, where each musician has to work just that little bit harder to achieve that signature GAUPA sound, which has resulted in "Fyr" being the bands darkest, tightest and heaviest release to date, see what you think...
© 2025 Frazer Jones
Opening number "Lion's Thorn", begins haunting and mystical with what sounds very much like a set of solitary bagpipes (but could just as easily be a saxophone) parping majestic tones over a backdrop of droning textures, this then slowly fades away to be replaced by a throbbing low key but highly effective groove over which Näslund pours a fragile vocal containing all the usual distinctive vocal mannerisms fans of GAUPA have come to expect from her. Now you may be asking when does all this darkness and heaviness, talked about in the opening part of this review, kick in, well it is first hinted at around the songs 4:40 mark but really takes hold when the song clocks in at just over the five minute mark when guitarist Rosberg decides he's had enough of laying down quaint textures and instead goes full on crunchy, the guitarist dragging Sävström and Hurtig along with him on a powerfully executed groove that teeters on the edges of doomic and sees Näslund's vocals taking on a more forceful dynamic. Second song "Heavy Lord" mixes chugging stoner(ish) grittiness with prog and post-punk texturing beneath a delightfully delivered Näslund vocal that shows along with having ethereal and powerful in her locker she also has husky and smoky. "Ten Of Twelve" follows and sees GAUPA musically swaying between complex passages of strident progressive metal and bouncy psychedelic rock over which Näslund delivers another superb vocal, the real clincher here though is Rosberg's ear-worming guitar motif's which are reminiscent of something you might find gracing a YES album or something by Chicago's Huntsmen. "Elastic Sleep" is an epic shape-shifting opus, a truly captivating blend of blustering progressive metal heaviness and heavy psych otherworldliness fronted by a truly incredible vocal performance. this song that really needs to be listened to without distraction to fully appreciate the true majesty and magnificence of its individual performances.
#Those opting for a physical release of "Fyr" also get the bonus of hearing GAUPA perform "Sömnen & Febersvan" live at Monkey Moon Studios, both songs featuring the now departed Daniel Nygren.
There were probably many that were hoping GAUPA's next release would be an all bells and whistles full length album but "Fyr", which the band describe as a "mini" album, is more a statement of intent, an announcement to the world that despite losing a core member they are still a musical force to be reckoned with, Of course losing a member is going to alter any bands dynamic to some extent and in GAUPA's case that has resulted in a slightly darker and heavier sound but its more a subtle shift than a drastic one and all those elements that we have come to love about this unique Swedish outfit are all still very much in place, the genre blending grooves, the surrealistic lyricism, the distinctive vocalisations all remain but this time sprinkled with just a pinch more grittiness.
Check it out ....
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