Scott's Song by Song #61: Bakelit - No Fear of Drowning
Welcome to issue #61 of Scott’s Song By Song (#scottssongbysong).For more information about this series, click here:
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Today, we’ll be taking a deep dive into the second album by Swedish proggers Bakelit. The band is led by veteran Carl Westholm, who plays keyboards and bass and provides vocals. Westholm has been part of various bands and projects over the years including Carptree (with whom I am somewhat familiar), Candlemass, Avatarium, Jupiter Society, Krux, Abstrakt Algebra, and Hollingshead. Their first album came in 2024, called “Asleep or Insane”, and it was well received. Today’s album was released in September of 2025, and is called “No Fear of Drowning”. (2025 was such a big year for prog releases I am still catching up a bit!)
The line up for the album is:
- Öivin Tronstad / Vocals
- Cia Backman / Vocals
- Carl Westholm / Vocals, Bass, Electric Piano, Organ, Synthesizers, Theremin
- Ulf Edelönn / Guitars
- Jonas Källsbäck / Drums
This represents one line-up change from the first album as Jonas Källsbäck has replaced Lars Sköld on drums. Jonas Källsbäck has previously played in The Night Flight Orchestra and Gathering of Kings while the others have worked with Carl in his previous projects, as I understand it. The promo sheet describes the music as: “...a dramatic album, with lyrics that explore the darker aspects of the human psyche, yet these are the very qualities that can make us stronger and more determined to do good.”
This album came to me by way of Anne-Claire of Bad Dog Promotions. As always, I receive no additional compensation, and am free to “call it as I hear it”. This is a cold listen.
Track 1 - From the Underground (7:49)
An electronic beat and various sound effects start this off. It fades into the first vocal section, with the vocals heavily colored with effects. Cia’s voice comes through cleanly, followed by Öivin or Carl. The sound opens up and gets huge at the 2 minute mark with well-executed harmonies. The verses are somewhere between a chant and a rap in the verses. The overall sound is dark and heavy, but not in a metal way. A guitar solo takes over at 3:30, then the music drops down with less backing behind the vocals. Cia’s voice adds a nice contrast to the sound. There are many layers as the music progresses. Particularly around 5:15. N The layers become very dense, yet engaging and listenable. The refrain of “Save Us All” is a recurring theme. I’d describe the sound as “post-rock with lots of vocal parts”. I liked the song more and more as it developed. Great track.
Track 2 - Moment of Peace (5:15)
This one has a bit of a tribal drumbeat, yet the overall tone is similar to the opener. I like the quiet synth sound behind the refrain of “This is just our moment of peace…” at around 1:30. The sound is somehow retro and modern simultaneously. There is a nice crescendo around the 4 minute point.
Track 3 - We Still Hate You (6:23)
A slower tempo awaits us here. Male vocals and synth backing come first, and the rest of the band joins just before one minute. I like the harmonies around 1:50, they are well-done, but sinister. Nice key change at around 2:20. They return to the original key with a brighter tone briefly at around 3:30, but soon the darker tones return. I wonder who they are singing about here, I have a theory, but can’t confirm; they really don’t like them though! A cool, dark track.
Track 4 - Weak, Immature, Aggressive (7:20)
A pulsing synth starts this one quietly. Cia’s voice emerges from the darkness. A beat kicks in for the verse, but drops out for the refrain. As I make my way through the album, I can’t help but wonder if all of the songs are targeted at a particular “world-leader”, or if I am just projecting that interpretation on it. Either way the songs are definitely thematic. I love the building of layers that creates a crescendo beginning at around 5 minutes. It reminds me a little of the ending section of the Beatles “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” in some ways. Strong track!
Track 5 - No Fear of Drowning (6:01)
A dark and icy tone pulses its way in to begin the title track. Guitar arpeggios join. The beat and vocals , with Cia’s voice most prominent begin at just before one minute. There is a little bit of a mood uplift around 2 minutes. I like the guitar line around 2:50. After a short pause, a dark foreboding riff takes over at around 4 minutes. At around 5:30, most of the instruments and one of the male vocalists closes out the song. An engaging track!
Track 6 - Bombs in My Head (6:24)
This one starts off as though it is describing a Dystopian scene. This may be the darkest sounding one of all. They are telling us to “Stand your ground”. As with the other tracks on the album, the soundscape is multi-dimensional and heavily layered. The vocals have strong effects on them. I like the nearly a cappella vocal part around 4:20. Things build in intensity to a climax near 5:30. The song ends somewhat abruptly after that. A lot happening, sonically in this closing track.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:
These are indeed dark times in many ways in which we are living. This music truly seems to reflect how many people might be feeling these days. Carl Westholm and his assembled cast of musically talented players and singers really seem to bring his musical vision to life very effectively. If you think that Porcupine Tree/Steven Wilson’s music is great but just too light and fluffy (lol) you might want to check this out! The music is well-realized, yet dark and dense. I like it and I believe they achieved what they set out to do very effectively, yet I think I need to follow it with a breath of fresh air and something bright and cheerful. I give it a 4.25 out of 5 stars (85%) rating. It’s really good and a lot of people will really get enjoyment out of it, but a bit too dark for my preferences to listen to regularly. Check out the “Links for Listening” below.
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Prog On!
Scott
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LINKS FOR LISTENING (and Buying):
The album is available to purchase and preview on their Bandcamp page, as is “Asleep or Insane”
https://bakelit.bandcamp.com/album/no-fear-of-drowning
It is also available on Apple Music/i-Tunes:
https://music.apple.com/us/album/no-fear-of-drowning/1830453423
(It is likely also available on other streaming platforms, as well)
Here is a playlist of the album on YouTube: (Linked on this page, along with “Asleep or Insane”).
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