Gjenferd – Black Smoke Rising

by Mark 'Yeti' Richard · March 25, 2026

Gjenferd is a heavy rock band from Bergen, Norway. The quartet has a strong classic seventies hard rock sound with psychedelic, stoner, and proto-metal elements mixed in. The driving guitars and heavy keys command their sound with excellent clean vocals leading the charge. The band consists of Jakob Særvoll on keyboard and vocals, Vegard Bachmann Strand on guitar and vocals, Samuel Robson Gardner on bass, and Sivert Kleiven Larsen on drums and vocals. Their debut Self Titled album was released in 2024. Gjenferd just released their latest sophomore album called Black Smoke Rising on March 6th 2026, on Apollon Records. It contains ten tracks at forty two minutes long.

Black Smoke Rising begins with a quick bass line kicking right into “Crimson Rain”. The powerful vintage seventies sound is immediately expressed as the music starts with guitars, keyboard, and vocals, flooding my ear holes with pure delight. The drums and bass are the foundation for which everything flourishes around them. Strong vocal melodies are obvious right from the beginning as “Crimson Rain” pushes these retro-tones out with razor sharp tightness. After the first chorus, Gjenferd rip into a nice keyboard solo. Scores of bluesy guitar leads are present as the music advances along. The second track “Bound To Fail”, begins with the bass as the drums join in right after. Swirls of guitars and keys texture in psychedelic nuances into a nice ensemble of jamming resonance. Gjenferd has such an amazing and inviting sound that is heightened with the exceptional vocal harmonies and super tight musicianship. The guitar and keyboards coalesce perfectly together, both as driving rhythms or lead instruments also.

The third song “Black Smoke” has a hard rocking punch to it and pauses halfway through, eliciting a beautiful piano break. The song slides into a heavy doom riff with a dark orchestration of vocals and eerie tones, amassing the composition. The band are masters of song crafting! The choruses are catchy and the music is dense with arousing textures of sounds. “Calling Your Name” begins with a nice rich bass tone that invites clean guitars and layered vocal melodies. The haunting keys lurk in the background as the more mellow song lingers on with a depth of melancholic tones and melodies. The song fades into “Attergangar”, a forty eight second organ interlude that settles in to gently coax you into the next chapter of Black Smoke Rising.

“The Thrill” begins the second half of the album with a solid rocker as the drums start things off. The song has a hazy stomping of rhythm as the tempo remains more docile and controlled. Next up, “Stillferd” is a minute plus long of acoustic guitars and organ enhancements. “The Silence” creeps in after with a softer tone and great singing. The song crescendos heavier between verses, igniting the guitars and keyboards to create a nice dynamic to play off of. The next song, “Ride On” begins with a cosmic swirl of psych that lingers into a laid-back groove of atmospheric rock. The song carries along with strong vocals and great guitar leads with the blanket of keys, ever so present.

The final number on Black Smoke Rising is called “Spread Like Wildfire”. It’s the longest track on the record, just over seven and a half minutes long. The melodic tones become vibrant as the song moves along as Gjenferd ignite some heady leads and mesmerizing jams. The song is colored with the enchanting keys, as the rhythm section holds down the groove throughout, sparking some Pink Floyd vibes to the music. The song encapsulates the recording into one cohesive work of art. I imagine that Black Smoke Rising is a concept album in such because of its lyrical content derived from the amazing music that sonically captures everything. Gjenferd has created a very compelling and powerful gift for fans of Deep Purple and heavy rock, in general. They pair well with fellow Norwegian’s Kryptograf, as the proprietors of vintage style hard rock that was born in the early seventies and reignited in the here and now. Black Smoke Rising is a magnificent collection of songs that get better with every listen.