New album Foregone out February 2023

[DE4life]

It's not that I can't appreciate the little things, but - and take it as an exaggeration if you'd like - he seems like a husk of his former self. Not being able to tour without alcohol is indeed terrible, but having the limitations he has for many years now is just sad. Maybe you're a bottle half full kind of guy and appreciate the mere fact that he's at least still with us, and I do as well, but I always just had this idea in my head that in some years time he'll recover.

And lately, I actually have an acquintance of mine who is going through something similar. He could've died, which is terrible, but seeing him being only a fraction of what he used to be is kinda tragic.

I know that guys like Jesper don't recover, they just manage their illness as best they can. You can physically see the toll it's taken on him. I genuinely am just glad he's still with us and still putting music out there. A few years ago I genuinely didn't think he'd be around much longer.

No? I've found him amusing like you'd found an unavoidable catastrophe amusing, but I was never a fan. I don't even get non-US folks who are a fan of him, as we don't have AMERICA FUCK YEAH blood in our veins.

On the other hand, have I been every single Qanon rally where we, I mean they expected JFK to come back from the dead? Maybe.

Pretty sure I can remember you and Krofius celebrating when he was elected, but obviously possible you were just being an edgelord for bants.

 

[Jester Slave]

I mean, it was hilarious that he won, and since I don't have a skin in the game, I wouldn't've wished otherwise. It was pure chaos and seemed like politics have to change. But it had nothing to do with ideology.

It was also okay to laugh at him, unlike with the demented man they have now.

 

[galvanized]

If he's gotten to a point where he can be comfortable with his balance of live performances and isn't having to hit the bottle to drown out his anxiety then surely that's a form of recovery?

Do we know that? Or is he in such bad shape and binging afterwards that he couldn’t play more than one?

 

[anzi]

It would make sense. Slave certainly has gifts for political talk if nothing else. Making assumptions, ignoring facts, answering question not asked, putting words in your mouth and claiming you said something you didn’t. Right wing is calling for you.

 

[DE4life]

Do we know that? Or is he in such bad shape and binging afterwards that he couldn’t play more than one?

Based on various recent FB posts of Niclas and Jesper working together on material I find this highly unlikely.

 

[MySweetShadow01]

I mean, it was hilarious that he won, and since I don't have a skin in the game, I wouldn't've wished otherwise. It was pure chaos and seemed like politics have to change. But it had nothing to do with ideology.

It was also okay to laugh at him, unlike with the demented man they have now.

Nah it's totally okay to make fun of Biden. The dude can barely articulate full sentences and yet he's our president.

 

[Jester Slave]

Making assumptions, ignoring facts, answering question not asked, putting words in your mouth and claiming you said something you didn’t. Right wing is calling for you.

Oh, please, don't kid yourself! Both sides utilize the same shitty tactics, but thanks to the many, many tribal followers of political parties or ideologies, they manage to create a bubble full of cognitive dissonance, where these people legit believe that only the left or the right wing uses it. It's the name of the game.

Nah it's totally okay to make fun of Biden. The dude can barely articulate full sentences and yet he's our president.

Yeah, but I wouldn't want to laugh at even a demented Hitler or Stalin either. Yeah, the first few clips of Biden having zero fucking idea where or who he is, is funny, but it quickly becomes sad, because you realize that no matter what you think if that person or what he has done, he is but a demented old man now. I could watch The Office, but watching Biden clips is just too much.

 

[galvanized]

So, here’s the real question:

Who is better? Jesper? Or Bjorn?

 

[MySweetShadow01]

So, here’s the real question:

Who is better? Jesper? Or Bjorn?

In terms of songwriting? Back in the day, easily Jesper. Nowadays it's more tough.

 

[DE4life]

I don't know who is better, but as a songwriting duo they compliment each other really well. Individually... Well, Bjorn created SOAPF which was fantastic. Not sure if Jesper has wrote an entire album like that by himself? Makes it difficult to judge as Jesper hasn't had much individual output since leaving IF. He's obviously got an incredible ear for structure and melody, but crafting entire songs and albums? I'm not sure.

 

[eochaid]

Bjorn has yet run out of ideas. Jesper... Well, it's difficult to judge since he has his psychological issues. He seems to be more eclectic. And everyone praises what they call his magic. So, it seems as if he has something for melody.

Technically, I don't think that any of them is really better than the other. More like Bjorn can do solos and Jesper has never been interested in learning how to do them.

But, in this matter, I think that's just objective. What do you prefer? Jesper style? Bjorn style? The both of them together? None of them?

 

[A88]

If we are looking at their whole careers, Jesper without question. He has something so rare for a guitar player - his own distinct sound.

Recently however, not much output. He was involved in 4 albums since leaving IF and those are a mixed bag to put it lightly.

It is funny really, in regards to Anders' recent comments about new members and their abillity. Broderick is a fantastic, technical player. Very knowlegable and very disciplined...but in his whole career didn't write a single great or influential song.

Jesper can't go out on the stage on most days, but when he takes a guitar - magic happens.

 

[eochaid]

Six albums, if we count the second from Cyhra and since he co-wrotww six songs there.

That is:

Ice Dragon BSO
The resistance: two albums + two EPs.
Cyhra: two albums.
The Halo Effect: one album.

And he seems to easily adapt to different styles.

 

[J_msh84]

TJR and Whoracle give songwriting credits for each song, and referring to them, the songs written with Bjorn are in major keys and a bit flowery melodies, while those written by Jesper alone are darker and more melancholic. (When Glenn was added there, it became Thrashy.)

Based on the characteristics of the melody, I guess a gradual increased in the percentage of Bjorn's input since Colony, and conversely a decreased Jesper's.
This is only a feature in IF and might not match the current sound written by Jesper.

 

[Xpyro125]

TJR and Whoracle give songwriting credits for each song, and referring to them, the songs written with Bjorn are in major keys and a bit flowery melodies, while those written by Jesper alone are darker and more melancholic. (When Glenn was added there, it became Thrashy.)

Based on the characteristics of the melody, I guess a gradual increased in the percentage of Bjorn's input since Colony, and conversely a decreased Jesper's.
This is only a feature in IF and might not match the current sound written by Jesper.

That's what I've been feeling recently. A lot Clayman feels surprisingly like Bjorn to me now, while I only knew for sure that Pinball Map was his before.

 

[MySweetShadow01]

That's what I've been feeling recently. A lot Clayman feels surprisingly like Bjorn to me now, while I only knew for sure that Pinball Map was his before.

I'd assume Clayman was more of a collaborative effort between the two. You'll probably hear elements of both Jesper's and Bjorn's respective songwriting on each song.

 

[J_msh84]

Personally, I liked the tunes co-written by Glenn and Jesper, especially evident in Graveland, Dead Eternity, Inborn Lifeless etc...which were a good blend of thrashy, aggressive riffs and harmonic guitar melodies.
Some of them were inherited by DZ, but they were more pure-thrashy sound.
When The Resistance started, I had high hopes, but no magic happened there again.

 

[eochaid]

Looking back at Jesper's career, it looks as if he can adapt to a lot of different styles. Or maybe that's just him growing old. I'm still surprised at Last of Our Kind. Not because it's good or bad. But I would never have said that ihe was the main songwriter for that song.

Then, the main theme for isdraken has a lot of vibes from his collaborations with Bjorn but it's him working with different artists, and the rest of his part in the soundtrack is more aggressive than what he usually does.

And it is also Cyhra. In the first album, I only recognize his trademark in a couple of songs. Then, there are buts here and there. But, apart from the sense of melody, that album is not very Jesperlike.

 

[DE4life]

Most classic Jesper track I've heard since he left IF is Ready To Rumble. No surprise as the acronym is a callback to Reroute To Remain. I can just hear Jesper singing as he writes the ultra basic chorus riffs "are yuh ready tuh rumbuhhlllll" !

 

[A88]

Well, music is pretty much the same as TJR.