Maestro

Hard to connect with without understanding the language, but I can’t hate getting the opportunity to hear a new kind of music and I love that this thing of ours has led to some (presumably) Norwegian person recommending me an album

What if The Fratellis were from Norway?

As always with music in a language I can't speak I feel limited in judging it. Are these lyrics rad or super dumb? Who knows? (Norwegians). I liked the sound anyway, interesting elements of rockabilly and even surf.

Yeah pretty cool, Norwegians tend to do rock music pretty well. I enjoyed this. 4/5

That surely was a blast of energy!

The kind of album that makes you go "hmm".

I don't understand Norwegian. But I liked the mood and sound of the music very much.

Consistently cool alt rock. I liked this quite a bit!

7/10. Better than I expected

Cool album. Thanks for suggesting.

This was pretty cool! Although the native vocals sounded a bit weird at first, I got really into this.

This was interesting. Also short and sweet so thumbs up

Solid

Un bizarre d’album je suis pas certain si j’ai aime cetait unpeu eclate pour moi. 3.25

It's all but impossible to have a blast with the Kaizers, and reading about Maestro's concept puts it in perspective. Treats the impulse to read scattered English words into syllables. I get the distinct sense that the band, not only the character, enjoys cheeky quotation. Is noisy extension a rejection of alt-rock tradition or embrace?

Is this in the Norwegian version of the book?

It sure is mid 2000s alt-rock.

I apologize to my Nordic ancestors but Nordic languages sound so ugly to me. Almost like Jack White choking on his own vomit. Perhaps even worse than that is when they sing in English with a Norwegian accent. That evoked early career Nick Cave pretending to be a woman in some sort of Monty Python skit. And it wouldn't be an album without some circus music. 3/10

Ehem... respect, but... what's this, exactly? A bit of Gogol Bordello vibes... I was never a fan of Gogol Bordello

This Norwegian rock definitely has a different vibe to it. I thought Christiania was the best song, very reminiscent of the Red Hot Chillis. I probably wouldn't seek it out but its was a novel listen.

Terrible

Norwegian band mixing garage pop tones à la The Hives with balkan rock, sprinkled with some Tom Waits-adjacent more atonal shenanigans once in a while (without his gruffy voice, unfortunately). It's an overall style that makes wonders for festival bills when you're an excellent musician, and Kaizers Orchestra sure are excellent musicians and performers, from what I can tell. Wikipedia tells me that *Maestro* is a concept album about a mental institution with a subplot dealing with the mafia (which seems to appear in most of their LPs). Don't need to speak Norwegian to understand that the narrative conceit takes over pure musicality in the album's second half, somewhat lacking in momentum at times. But the first side is a nicely executed string of lively tunes and quite memorable moments. Can't also help feeling that as good as this album is overall, it was also a little opportunistic if you replace it in the context of its release. Case in point, "Blitzregn Baby" rips off The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" during its final bridge (and it's not even officially credited!). Maybe this partially "derivative" nature also explains why the last half of the album, filled with more predictable compositions and arrangements, fails to truly impress. That being said, it would be unfair to deny the quality of this record, whose meticulous production values also help make it successful on an artistic viewpoint. If a list of 1001 pop-rock albums NOT sung in English existed, you could easily mention it there, I guess. 3/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 8/10 for more general purposes (5 + 3) Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 11 Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 16 Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 25 (including this one)

Everything is better with brass. What an amazing album.

like holy shit, that was so good it was all over the place, but consistently amazing - 10/10

Groovy-ass dark cabaret music in a foreign language? Sign me the fuck up!

Weird and fun one! Norwegian band, good alt-rock bones, but then they've mixed in the right amount of whackiness to be interesting instead of annoying. I like the cut of their jib. Soft 5.

I put off listening to this for two months convinced it would not suit my mood. What was wrong with me? I loved it!

I saw them at a festival once. They were arrogant and rude to the crew. The album is pretty good though. More creative than a lot of albums that actually made it into the book.

Reminiscent of Golgo Bordello. Not really sure what I listened to, but I had a good time listening to it.

Rock alternativo. Me ha gustado. Un 4.

Très cool! Je veux plus d’albums étrangers, je serais jamais tombé là-dessus de par moi-même

Didn't know what to expect, I actually enjoyed it. Didn't understand the Norwegian, but who cares, the music was great. Consistent throughout, well worth listening to.

Was a bit skeptical going into that album in the first couple songs being a little strange to start off, but this really grew on me as it went through. Had some really cool metalish type songs I believe Blitzregn Baby and Auksjon were my favorites. Also had some mega duds though scattered throughout. I'd say it was strong enough for a low 4 though.

It's weird, the vocals on this one are like those "what English sounds like to people who don't speak English" and I never expexted that from Norwegian. I'm not complaining, it's a pretty fun album. 7/10

Very fun, enjoyed it a lot. Thank you for sharing.

I just got over being sick and I have a migraine and I'm frankly pretty sleep deprived and feeling a bit too psychedelic to adequately criticize music at the moment, but this strike me just fine so I'm not going to over think it 4/5 Also, anything from 2005 that doesn't sound like complete garbage is one of those wins you just need to take

Kaizers Orchestra are one of the strange bands I love, and Maestro is a perfect reminder of why I’ve always had a soft spot for them. I loved the wild debut (Ompa til du Dør), didn’t really connect with the follow-up (Evig Pint), and had only heard this one once or twice back in the day. Coming back now, it’s clear I’d been missing out. Musically, Maestro is heavier and louder than the debut, but it hasn’t lost any of that bizarre cocktail that defines the band: Tom Waits grit, klezmer horns, Zappa eccentricity, a dash of folk-punk chaos, and even hints of Einstürzende Neubauten’s clang. There’s still plenty of oompah swagger and East-European cabaret lurking in the corners, but here it’s shot through with more distortion and aggression. Even without speaking a word of Norwegian, it’s impossible not to shout along by the third listen. Kaizers have always made language irrelevant, it's about energy, theater, and a slight willingness to embrace madness. I don't think this one's as good as their debut, but still immensely enjoyable.

A fun listen. Sure, I could make a lot of comparisons, but yes, it sounds like upbeat, indie rock from 2005. Lots of nice moves and switches going on and that interesting Scandinavian take on things.

Totally unexpected, hardly understandable, and fully enjoyed!

Mid-2000s radgy indie, post britpop and would be appealing to the same sorts of people who like the interchangeable acts of the time - the Coral, the Fratellis, the rapture, the whatever. This does have the benefit of not sounding like it has the sneering arrogance of the time. I could be wrong, I'm not great at Norwegian. The lack of, or my obliviousness to, that arrogance lifts the album slightly.

April 25, 2025 HL: title track, "Blitzregn baby", "Dieter Meyers Inst.", "Christiania", "Jævel av en tango" My worries that this would just be more post-punk revival were quickly dashed. Interesting use of cabaret and Eastern European folk alongside more mainstream rock. Of course, much of the themes are lost to this Anglophone, so all that really helps paint the picture of a mental hospital are the ever-changing genres & the occasional Bone Machine-esque clanging percussion. Thanks for sharing!

Weird and wonderful

I was mildly skeptical going into this, and wildly suprised at how good it ended up being! Theatrical, but nonetheless energetic and grounded. Noreg 🇳🇴

Surprisingly very good

This was a decent change up from the past week or two. Just some Swedish alt rock out of nowhere is fine by me especially when it’s fun like this one was.

I'll admit, for someone who typically isn't bothered by vocals, it took me a minute to get past the ones on this. It feels like a Norwegian version of Isaac Brock, or the singer from The Hives (whom aren't too far, geographically, I guess). I think what kept me around (and allowed me to get used to the vocals) was the excellent, excellent guitar work, at certain points flashing like Dead Kennedys, with heavy influence of surf rock, and psychobilly. I really got into it in the middle, but it somewhat loses steam at the end. It's still a solid 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Dieter Meyers Inst.", "Christiania", "Delikatessen"

Rock alternativo. Me ha gustado. Un 4.

This is actually pretty engaging despite being not able to understand any of it. The pace and style has enough variety and interest to work pretty effectively. Kind of a vibe on arctic monkeys. Rounding up a little bit, but the music was good.

I really enjoyed this! It sounds like nothing else I've heard doing this and felt really interesting. Loads of variety and while my Norwegian is non existent it sounded interesting, and a Wikipedia search shows it was!!!

Norwegian rock, good!

Interesting concept album about sanity with a great album cover and good songs.

Norwegian alt rock, high energy and surprisingly fun and consistent. Main list should have included more like this

Pretty cool

Great to hear a Norwegian album. This was a great 2000s alternative rock album inspired by the British alt rock scene. The Baltic and Gypsy Punk influences made for a truly unique and interesting album at a time where a lot of bands sounded the same. This was a great recommendation.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Christiania

Nice discovery.

I have literally no idea what to expect 4 oh its like half norwegian just like me!

Couldn't understand a word of it but a very good album

Norwegian Gypsy Punk? Glad it’s there. Now I shall get on with my life.

kaizer briefs

This was fun. Though the next morning and I'm having trouble remembering specific moments. But that may be me.

Rock: Alternative Rock. No me ha llamado nada la atención.

Listened to this one a few times trying to get a proper impression. Ultimately, I think this made for an entertaining enough listen with sounds that came through as a sort of more palatable (poppy?) fusion of styles that resemble Modest Mouse and Mars Volta. My impression is that this album was trying to do a lot of things and deliberately be quirky. And in some cases that worked well, but in others it missed for me. Rounding this one out to a high 3.

Another pretty solid album, but nothing remarkable. About halfway through I thought we were taking a turn down Kollaps Avenue. Glad we didn't.

Some of these songs are reminding me of The Hives. Delikatessen reminded me of the Arctic Monkeys. Def had it's own vibe most of the time though. Going high 3 on this one.

Kind of interesting to hear something different and musically this has some stuff going on.

I can't really identify the genre, but I found it to be a delight

For me not understanding any of the words, the music was universally.

This felt like a very interesting addition; it was pretty different from other stuff on this list. But I've heard much better music in this style elsewhere. Maybe this was an interesting album lyrically, but I don't speak Norwegian.

Scandi indie. OK.

Especie de pop-rock encubierto con instrumentación variada y estilo un poco indefinido. Aun así, agradable y original de escuchar. Quizás le ha faltado algo más de continuidad o de canciones más impactantes.

It's fine. Nice to hear non-English stuff. My personal rating: 3/5 My rating relative to the list: 3/5 Should this have been included on the original list? No.

This is really adequate music- well written and performed. They are a good band.

Definitely not what I was expecting. Much more eclectic and interesting than I assumed it would be.

For all the bounciness and kinetic energy, this is no great shakes in the end. Too similar to generic early-aughts alt to offer much of an upgrade to list proper. while the lyrics are a mystery, the vocal style is completely familiar and was already well and truly cliched and utterly tired in 2005.

Wish I knew the language. I feel I might have really enjoyed it. As is I still enjoyed.

This was a little all over the place, but on the whole I enjoyed it. Good vocals and good variety.

Not bad, but it’s all a bit “samey” despite the variety of arrangements.

Norwegian alt rock band with quirky tendencies. Personally, not a big fan of what this band is trying to accomplish but I can't deny they do it well. Band kids will get more out of this I imagine. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: While they certainly did well in their home country, Kaizers Orchestra barely made a splash outside of Europe. I wouldn't consider them for the list. If we're to consider a Norwegian album for the list, I think black metal would be a good place to look instead.

A pretty cool ‘00s alt-rock album that reminded me a bit of Franz Ferdinand, but with some Scandi folk melodies creeping through. I enjoyed this quite a bit and got more into it as it went on, but it didn’t quite do it for me

Enjoyed this good indie rock album Language barrier probably stop me coming back to it though.

Weird af

I didn’t know what to expect, but it was all rather enjoyable. Not sure I’d listen again though.

It was fine.

Mid mid-2000s music

This was my ok. Interesting though that I didn’t realize I had the infinite play turned on and I kept thinking the album was getting really good… but found out they were songs by other Norwegian groups Apple served me.

The tone of the album is really good. Nice energy and spirit. Interesting to listen to.

Fíla þetta ágætlega.

Hard to get into as a lyrics first listener who doesn’t speak the language, but, I am in full support of people submitting albums that bring more recognition to their home countries. Or countries they feel were generally underrepresented by the initial list maker. Norway, you got some heart!

Interesting

Oh, very nice. Great sound, great energy. Language barrier notwithstanding, this was a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing! Fave Songs: Blitzregn baby, Jævel av en tango, Delikatessen, Dieter Meyers Inst., Señor Flamingos Adieu, KGB

It was ok, not too heavyweight and not too light. Kind of oompah band stylings. Nothing wrong with concept albums for a focus.

Fascinating foreign LP – reminded me of a darker, more orchestral Tally Hall. These bands often have a tendency to slip into cheesy melodies or forgettable arrangements, but the Kaizers stuck the landing here with some great, creative songwriting. Picked up a few tracks here I'll be coming back to, only way I could've been more engaged with the album is if I spoke Norwegian.

Despite being unable to understand the lyrics, I quite enjoyed this. Kept my attention. 3 stars.

It feels slightly unfair that if this was in English I might have given it three stars, but the lack of understanding of what was being sung means two is the score.

This was an odd one. It felt like RHCP at times but then a completely different sound at other points. Some of it was ok I guess. Overall, it's not for me.

I struggled to get into this one. I don’t know if it was a general mixing or volume issue, but the vocals and instruments clashed a lot for me.

Eh. There were moments that feel like the pop-ier cuts from the Mars Volta, but I think something like this really gets lost in translation (literally) when you can't understand it almost at all. The instrumentation is pleasant but very stereotypical for the time, and while I can see why this would be important to someone who bonded with it, I can't see past it just being another rock album of the 2000s. Albeit, in (I assume) Norwegian.

Seems like a generic indie-pop stuff; but this time from Scandinavia.

Not my bag. Just didn't care