Kanaan self-titled album

Their music is a fantastic mix of heavy psych, stoner rock, space rock and jazz fusion.  They draw inspiration from bands like Neu!, with their minimalism, from the driving Motorik beat, and from the energy of Amon Düül II (whose most famous track is actually called “Kanaan”, and I doubt that’s a coincidence).  Their main strength is jamming, with an improvisation-based approach.  Their long instrumental tracks create hypnotic atmospheres starting from simple riffs or patterns, alternating moments of cosmic calm with bursts of chaotic energy. 

This trio is made up of talented musicians with impressive technical skills. Ask Vatn Strøm, on guitar, is a true master at creating distorted, acid textures that grab your attention. Ingvald André Vassbø, on drums, brings overwhelming energy to the music, earning respect in the prog scene and even playing live with Motorpsycho. Eskild Myrvoll, on bass and synths, adds depth to their songs with his harmonic-rich bass tone and a “drone” touch that recalls ’60s psychedelia.  The use of spacey noises thanks to synthesizer and harmonium makes their music even more fascinating.

Kanaan are an avant-garde band you absolutely can’t miss. Known for their super-creative writing and live and studio performances that are simply insane, their albums are an explosive mix of different genres that create a unique, engaging sound. Here are a few.

Their debut, “Windborne” (2018), is a highly technical instrumental record, with jazz-fusion influences that recall the Mahavishnu Orchestra.  A bang of a start. Then there’s “Double Sun” (2020), which I reviewed recently and consider one of their best albums.  Here they find the perfect balance between the jazz-fusion soul and the rock one, telling a real story using only the music. 

“Downpour” (2023) is another killer album, with massive use of fuzz and powerful bass that makes your bones vibrate.  They manage to strike a perfect balance between free jams and solid compositional structures, showing all their versatility and creativity.  And let’s not forget “Langt, langt vekk” (2024), made together with Ævestaden.  A gorgeous album that keeps the band’s level sky-high, blending their trademark jazz-psych with “folktronica” music and traditional instruments.  A rich, layered sound that completely envelops you.

This new album features the original Kanaan lineup in full, and what can I say: once again it’s a real bomb. Each track was written, arranged and played exclusively by the trio, and the four long instrumental suites pack in all the experience gained over ten years of jams and touring.  On this record Kanaan don’t overturn their sound, but push it to the extremes, and the result is a “sonic earthquake”, as the band themselves describe it (and I fully agree).

If the early albums, like Windborne or Double Sun, were more acid jazz-fusion and Krautrock, here the trio dives headfirst into stoner metal. The riffs are powerful and granite-solid, the heaviest they’ve ever done, even surpassing the impact of Earthbound (2021) and Downpour (2023).

Unlike the experimental Diversions series (2023-2026), which leaned on minimalism, drones and super-relaxing ambient improvisations, the psychedelic parts of this album are more chaotic and distorted. The tracks make you float and then catapult you into decidedly energetic soundscapes. The album has a strong retro imprint compared to the cleaner productions from before. Recorded analog, the sound is deliberately rougher, vintage, and not overly polished. The heavy use of Mellotron and period analog synths adds an old-school warmth that contrasts with the power of the stoner riffs.

This album consists of just four tracks that unfold over 44 minutes. The grooves develop calmly, and the riffs evolve within epic suites like the closing “The Wonderer (Part I-V)”, which alone takes up half the record.

While previous albums explored the trio’s different sides—jazz, folk, drones—the 2026 one fuses them into a single cohesive sound. The melodies are catchier, and the heavier moments are clearly more intense and impactful.

There’s also an interesting evolution in the instrumentation, while keeping the classic power-trio setup of guitar, bass and drums.  The main innovation lies in expanding and experimenting with effects and secondary instruments, which have produced a fuller, dirtier, more retro sound than in the past.

One of the most interesting new elements is the introduction of the no-input mixer by bassist Eskild Mørtl Myrvoll.  This experimental electronic-music technique involves patching a mixer’s cables back into its own inputs, creating a closed feedback loop. Instead of using traditional synthesizers to create spacey sound beds, the band generates abstract noises, unpredictable drones, squeals and pure electronic distortions. This makes the psychedelic sections much wilder, more chaotic and out of control than on previous records.

Myrvoll also steps in as a multi-instrumentalist, bringing in the Mellotron heavily and a wide range of vintage analog synthesizers. The Mellotron balances the power of stoner rock with a nostalgic, orchestral and dark atmosphere typical of classic progressive rock.

Ask Vatn Strøm, the guitarist, really went to town with effect pedals, especially fuzz and wah-wah.  If on the early records the guitar sound was cleaner, clearer and more jazz-rock, on this album the electric guitars are pushed to maximum saturation.  To get that heavy, almost metal sound on tracks like P1800, the band kept using down-tuned tunings.

Even though they’re a trio, the album credits show that Eskild Myrvoll recorded several extra guitar tracks in the studio.  This made it possible to create truly massive walls of sound (for example in the suite The Wonderer), where you can hear two electric guitars weaving together or challenging each other—an effect that would be impossible to achieve live as a three-piece without using loops or overdubs.

Ingvald Vassbø’s drumming keeps its acoustic, jazzy, super-hypnotic sound, while Ask and Eskild have set aside the fusion cleanliness to pick up a bunch of saturated amps, pure electronic feedback and vintage ’70s keyboards.

The album is a psychedelic journey in four stages, each with a very specific role and a distinctive sound.

The album overall is one of their best works and the one that represents them best.  They manage to perfectly bring together the two sides that have always set them apart: the more intellectual, technical, jazz-fusion side of the early days, with the more visceral, heavy, stoner-doom side of recent years. 

They decided to focus on just four tracks, with the long suite as the queen.  A bold choice, showing great confidence in their abilities.  And the band delivers: they handle pacing and dynamics masterfully, keeping us glued to the speakers for all 44 minutes of the record.

The analog recording, together with the new experiments, gives the album a unique sound: dirty, powerful, vintage and incredibly captivating, all at once. 

Kanaan keep pushing the boundaries of music, confirming themselves as one of the most solid, creative and important bands in today’s European heavy-psych scene and offering a gripping, innovative sonic experience.  If you don’t know them yet, go listen to them now. 

Absolute Masterpiece. Essential Record.

You can find it on BandCamp

My Version

Label: Jansen Records – JANSEN187LPLTD, Jansen Records – JANSEN187LP
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, "Algae"
Country: Norway
Released: 16 Oct 2026

Tracklist

A1        P1800    2:43
A2        Silver Cloud Blues    6:52
A3        Ouroboros    13:41
B        The Wonderer (Part I-V)    21:06

Lineup

Bass, Synthesizer [Synthesizers], Mellotron, Guitar [Additional Guitars], Other [No-input Mixer] – Eskild Mørtl Myrvoll
Composed By [All Music] – Kanaan
Cover, Design – Bianca Brandner
Drums, Percussion – Ingvald Vassbø
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Ask Vatn Strøm
Mastered By – George Tanderø
Overdubbed By – Kanaan
Recorded By, Mixed By – Dag Erik Johansen