(Review from progarchives.com)

Some three years after their debut, Samla Mammas Manna (SMM) lost percussionist Oberg, but gained guitarist Coaste Apetrea, but this didn’t alter much their direction, even if there were obvious sonic changes. Unlike its predecessor’s and its chicken shack, Maltid was recorded in a real studio during the fall 1973 and received a strange third-age picnic artwork.

Starting out on some very obtuse bowels sounds, the quartet attacks their second opus on the almost 11-mins “Dundrets Frojder”, a constantly evolving track with some crazy percussions, weird vocals astounding overall musicianship and a Zappa-esque mastery and humour, but SMM has their own distinct sound. There is no way you could mistake it for Zappa, but it is damn well inspired, but never copied, as SMM is really giving priority to the instruments, as opposed to Zappa’s often too wordy musical scheme. SMM’s vocals are often weird but actually closer to Focus.

Further down the album we have some really superb tracks like “Oforutsed Folossning”, some more experimental or dissonant “Aterupplivate Laten”, the burlesque and wordy “Svackorpoangen” and the slightly ethnic sounding Minaretten (with some incredible drumming) etc.. The mood always remain positive, humorous, joyous, even festive, that Maltid is actually fairly accessible despite its complexity.

This album comes with three bonus tracks, two of them from this same 1973 session, and “Circus Apparatha” from the chicken shack sessions and the debut album. One of the tracks “Minaretten II” is absolutely vocally bonkers and it may introduce a certain reject reaction, but manages to blend in enough with the album’s overall mass of work. Blending much better in (although you can hear the major production difference between the shack and the studio) is “Circus Apparatha”, while the final “Probably” should’ve made the original cut.

Line-up:
- Coste Apetrea / guitars, vocals (1-10, 12)
- Hasse Bruniusson / drums, percussion, backing vocals, glass
- Lasse Hollmer / acoustic & electric pianos, vocals
- Lasse Krants / bass, vocals
- Henrik Oberg / congas (11)

Track List:
01. Dundrets Frojder – 10:46
02. Oforutsedd Forlossning – 3:13
03. Den aterupplivade Laten – 5:59
04. Folkvisa I Morse – 2:09
05. Syster System – 2:29
06. Tarningen – 3:37
07. Svackorpoangen – 3:14
08. Minareten – 8:21
09. Vaerelseds Tilbud – 2:28
10. Minareten II (Bonus) – 4:41
11. Circus Apparatha (Bonus) – 6:05
12. Probably The Probably (Bonus) – 3:55

Link in comments.