Hedvig Mollestad Trio – Bees in the Bonnet (2025)

Review: ees in the Bonnet kicks off with powerful riffing reminiscent of ’70s/’80s hard rock and metal. Veteran guitarist Hedvig Mollestad has always had one foot in the world of these no-nonsense grooves as well as European free improv and progressive rock. This, her latest album, leans equally toward the former and the latter, with catchy tunes, creative yet tasteful soloing, and a few surprises. Joined by Ellen Brekken on bass and Ivar Loe Bjornstad on drums, Mollestad plows through 37 minutes of mostly-accessible themes centering around the expected power chords. But, at least to these ears, the album shines brightest when the trio heads outside. This can be heard in the staccato rhythms and unusual chording of itta. On bob’s your giddy aunt, Mollestad and crew take it further, with unstructured exploration accompanying more conventional rhythms that periodically take up sophisticated timings. Those who’ve followed Mollestad since All of Them Witches or Ekhidna will hear the seamless marriage of disciplined riffcraft and adventurous improv here, and first‑timers will be hooked by the album’s infectious momentum. This provides Mollestad with an avenue to crystallize her standing as a guitarist who balances raw power with plenty of room to exhale – and for fun. — avantmusicnews.com

Track List: 01 - See See Bop 02 - Golden Griffin 03 - Itta 04 - Bob’s Your Giddy Aunt 05 - Lamament 06 - Apocalypse Slow

Media Report: Genre: jazz, prog-rock Origin: Norway
Format: FLAC Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec Bit rate mode: Variable Channel(s): 2 channels Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz Bit depth: 16 bits Compression mode: Lossless Writing library: libFLAC 1.2.1 (UTC 2007-09-17)

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