Keyboard, Oh Lord! Why Don't We? (2014 Remaster)

Were it not for Turbonegro's unexpected career rebirth, Thulsa Doom would have easily been responsible for the most outrageous and inspired heavy rock to emanate from Norway in the 2000s — such was the wildly entertaining allure of their first two albums, 2001's The Seats Are Soft But the Helmet Is Way Too Tight and 2003's ...And Then Take You to a Place Where Jars Are Kept. But with the unfortunate departure of lead singer and lyrical lunatic Papa Doom, the band not only lost the primary fount for their hysterically dark sense of humor, but an irrepressible vocal signature that guitarist Doom Perignon — no matter how capably he took over the job, technically speaking — simply couldn't replicate. And while change was in the air, the remaining bandmembers obviously decided to tweak the musical formula as well, primarily by scaling back the thundering stoner rock guitars of previous albums and opening the doors to numerous melodic persuasions that — though arguably more eclectic — are rarely as perversely satisfying. Examples of this creative shift range from the layered vocal harmonies of "Papa Was" (reminiscent of King's X or the Galactic Cowboys) to the string backdrops of "Need the Air" and the bluesy ballad "Mr. Slow," along with an overarching pop sensibility that makes tracks like "Stay OK" and "In the Deep of the City" recall the Beach Boys (whose "Tears in the Morning" is also covered, incidentally). Indeed, about the only tracks to delve into the band's stoner rock past and recognizable guitar tones are slow-groove operations like "Raisins and Grapes" and "The Ballad of Me and Fast Winston Doom" (which, coincidentally, also flirt with a little more humor); the wonderfully sinister, epic-sized title track; and an accurate cover of Pentagram's "Be Forewarned," which now sounds oddly out of context with its surroundings. All in all, and in direct opposition to its goofy title, Keyboard, Oh Lord! suggests that Thulsa Doom were starting to take themselves entirely seriously as of this release, and this state of affairs wouldn't have posed a problem if planting their tongues in cheek hadn't been such a defining quality of their original sound and mission. In all fairness, though, listeners who are both willing and able to give Keyboard, Oh Lord! a fair shot should have no qualms with what amounts to a rather fine melodic rock album.