UMUR
"Rockefeller" is a live album release by Norwegian dark/melancholic rock act Seigmen. The album was released through 1:70 (a subsidiary label to Sony Music Entertainment) in June 2006. The album was recorded at Rockefeller Music Hall, Oslo, Norway, from February 16th to 18th, 2006. Seigmen disbanded in 1999 but temporarily reunited in 2005 and played several reunion concerts in Norway.
The 13 tracks on the 74:59 minutes long album are predominantly taken from the band´s arguably most popular albums "Total (1994)" and "Metropolis (1995)" with a few nods toward "Ameneon (1993)" and the "Pluto (1992)" EP. In addition to that there are are couple of single tracks on the album too. As "Radiowaves (1997)" was generally not that well received by fans of the band, it´s no surprise that Seigmen haven´t included a single track from that album. They´ve simply picked their most revered tracks for this live album and the tracklist works wonders because of it. There are so many highlights to pick from but "classics" like "Ohm", "Slaver av Solen", the ultra heavy "Colosseum", "Döderlein", and the somewhat progressive, dark and heavy "Mesusah" are some of my favorite picks from "Rockefeller".
The album features a great flow and energy with a lot of audience participation/reactions like singing, clapping, and shouting. Even though "Rockefeller" features a very powerful and professional sound quality, it´s still obvious that this is a "real" live album, recorded in front of a live audience. It´s interesting how music as dark and melancholic as this can be this raw, powerful, and groovy in a live setting. The band are exceptionally well playing (the energetic drumming and the melancholic guitar leads are among the greatest assets) and lead vocalist Alex Møklebust is positively on fire throughout the album. In addition to delivering flawless vocals he has a great way of communicating with the audience, that makes "Rockefeller" a very authentic sounding live album. It´s not often I come across live albums, that are greater than an artist´s studio output, but to my ears "Rockefeller" might very well be Seigmen´s crowning achievement. A 5 star (100%) rating is fully deserved. If you´ve never heard of Seigmen before, I recommend starting here.