A discovery that is sending shockwaves through the Scandinavian Prog Rock and Phish communities, the long-lost, never-before-heard follow-up to Kasvot Växt’s debut album í rokk surfaced in Portland, OR, over Halloween weekend. On Saturday, Nov. 1, at Hōkū Space, 149 lucky music fans were treated to a surprise appearance from the reclusive group.

Trading in their signature all-white suits for pumpkin spice-flavored all-orange, and immersed in a landscape of shimmering silver cubes, Kasvot Växt tore through í roll, an adventurous set of brand-new originals. The details are sketchy but, according to inside sources, í roll was recorded in 1983, with a giant World Tour planned for 1984. However, someone in Kasvot Växt did something to offend someone in Van Halen, and the band found their tour stolen out from under them and their new album buried and forgotten. Where Kasvot Växt has been since 1984 is anyone’s guess.

Primed for a Phishy musical costume, most of the costumed crowd at Hōkū warmed up to the new songs quickly. “The 2018 Phish Halloween show was my all-time favorite - soooo much better than Wingsuit. I never thought I’d get another chance to see Kasvot Växt in person!” said giddy local music fan Bryan Lurie.

A few in the audience were less sure: “Wait a minute! .So, this is a fictional album, based on a fictional album, by a fictional band, covered by a tribute band… Dude, that’s really nerdy!” exclaimed Kelley Hubert, with a dramatic eye roll (or, í roll).

Critics in attendance were less kind. Jason G (last name redacted for his protection) from Pitchfork said, “I found í roll to be derivative on so many levels. They rehashed their own debut album, they plagiarized Talking Head and Rush all over the place, [and] somehow they even plagiarized Phish, who didn’t even exist yet. I gotta go home and listen to Radiohead just to get those horrible earworms out of my head.”

Kasvot Växt’s í roll set was followed by a blistering 2nd set from local Phish Covers Cover Band, The Walkaways. Rewarding the crowd for their patience through an entire album of all-original music, The Walkaways treated the crowd to a tour of Phish Halloweens past, from The Beatles’ "Helter Skelter" to Sci-Fi Soldier’s "The Howling". The evening ended with a wink from the Walkaways, as they debuted The Clash’s "Rock the Casbah" (renamed "Rokk the Käsvot" for the evening) into Kasvot Växt’s signature mega-hit "Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S."

Follow the link for photos from Kasvot Växt’s amazing resurrection at The Walkaways' Halloween Spectacular 2.

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