ELECTRIC RELIGIONS – The Awakening (MCD digi 5tr)

Steven Anderson is a Swedish guitar extraordinaire, who released an excellent solo album entitled Gypsy Power in the nineties. He has since recorded with bands such as Iubar, which not really belong to the heavier genres. Now he suddenly returns with the band Electric Religions. After a short intro, the song 1000 Battles (Know Thy Self) kicks off, giving Black Label Society a run for their money! Heavy, powerful and a real crusher, lightened up by the melodic, yet powerful, vocal delivery of female singer Neili Bjerring. Lee Chao-Long takes the journey on a different route, here with a cool, but heavy, oriental sounding touch. Good Fortune starts off almost a bit Hendrixy, to kick off in full-on doom mode, also here with a strong oriental touch. The EP rounds off with yet another cool, but heavy crusher. Son Of Confusious also has a slightly psychedelic feel to it, blending heavy doomy riffs, an oriental vibe and long swirling sections with effect-style guitars. The song is mostly instrumental with some really great melodic playing from Steven. All in all this was a really great surprise, and a really great release! Much heavier than I anticipated! Now I’m looking forward to a full-length album. Yes, sir!

Janne Stark

Year: 2014

Label: Psychic Eye

Country: Sweden

Link: www.electricreligions.se

PONTUS SNIBB – Wreck Of Blues (CD digi)

Pontus Snibb is probably most publically known for his work as singer/guitarist with diesel rockers Bonafide or as drummer in Jason & The Scorchers, but he actually started out playing straight ahead blues and has released some great stuff in that genre as well, such as Admiral Street Recordings I and II. He recently also released a riff rocker under the moniker Pontus Snibb 3, or PS3. Wreck Of Blues is however released under his own name and here he goes back to the down and dirty blues roots. It’s not your average white-guy-trying-to-mimik-Robert-Johnson style blues, but heavy and dirty blues rock with a twist. The sound is organic and earthy, but still mud-filled and shit-stained in the finest of ways. The album kicks off with the chugging, upper mid-tempo More Blues And Blue Songs, with a touch of Eric Clapton in the chorus. Same Same draws more from old classic blues foxes such as BB King and John Lee Hooker mixed with early ZZ Top. The same goes for No Peace Of Mind which also makes me think of the first ZZ Top album, actually with a touch of Louder Than This by Aussie rockers Tracer. You should of course also check this album out of you’re into current blues rockers such as Philip Sayce, Gugun Power Trio, Craig Erickson or Vdelli. A high-quality blues rock effort from beginning to end, featuring Pontus’ raw-edged killer voice and first class guitar playing. Drums are handled by his dad, Håkan Nyberg (Nationalteatern) and the bass work by former Bonafider Micke Nilsson. Highly recommended!

Janne Stark

Label: Off Yer Rocka

Country: Sweden

Year: 2014

Link: www.offyerrocka.com

RIOT HORSE – This Is Who We Are (CD digi)

It’s funny. Sometimes the grass is actually greener on your side of the fence. I had never heard of local band Riot Horse, until they just appeared out of nowhere and released the debut This Is Who We Are. Well, guys, now I do know who you are, and I must say I really like what you do! Sweden has been blessed with a shitload of great bands in various genres. It’s however not all death/black metal, stoner or 80s melodic rock. There seems to be a new wave of retro hard rock going on here with a load of great bands paying homage to the golden era of the seventies. Riot Horse has definitely struck on that retro nerve. However, the opening track feels more akin to the southern oriented hard rock of colleagues Rebel Road with its bluesy, southern-ish vibe. Bring ‘Em On, however, definitely throws you back to the good old Zeppelin style riff rock. It’s no wonder Riot Horse is on the same label as colleagues The Quill. They could form a killer live bill and attract the same audience. Former Bai Bang members, bass player Joacim Sandin and drummer Jonas Langebro are definitely more on their home turf here, at least their performance feels that way. Singer Andreas Sydow is perfect for the band’s sound and style, which also applies to guitarist Nille Schüttman, who actually reminds me a bit of The Lizards’ string bender Patrick Klein, which ain’t bad in my book. Good stuff indeed!

Janne Stark

Year: 2014

Country: Sweden

Label: Metalville

TOM KOPYTO – Resurrection (CD)

Shredguy Records gives us yet another modern day shredder. Fortunately Tom is using real musicians, no programmed drums and no half-assed mix, which has sometime been an issue I’ve had with several of today’s instrumental guitar albums. Besides delivering a sonically very pleasing album, Tom is an outstanding guitarist. He’s quite technical, yet he has some really cool ideas and twists, which shows in songs like the dissonant Into Another and Naked In Death. Resurrection will definitely file under metal, yet it’s quite diverse. There’s some stuff that gave me an Ohm (Chris Poland) vibe, while some stuff had some touches of classic metal. The excellent Let Them Fall has a bit of both worlds with Tom laying down some fierce melodic playing on top. He’s a got an awesome, clear tone that can cut through glass, yet it’s full of feel and sounds very pleasing. There’s a bit of Blues Saraceno mixed with Satriani, at the same time as I can hear a touch of the aforementioned Chris Poland. It all melts together very nicely giving Tom a sound of his own. In my opinion, one of the best Shredguy releases to date! Highly recommended! 

Janne Stark

Year: 2013

Label: Shredguy Records

Country: USA

KAROSS - Two (CD digi)

It’s been a long while since the release of Swedish stoner rockers Kaross’ outstanding debut album Molossus, actually six years! The band, now reinforced with former Slug guitarist Kalle Sjöstrand, has finally made their second ten-track effort available to the public. If you haven’t heard the band before, try to imagine a doom-oriented stoner version of The Cult. A heavy, riff-oriented, repetitive, grinding powerful concrete floor of music topped with Magnus Knutas vocals sounding like a mix of Ian Astbury and Ralf of Mustasch. It’s a mix that works for me. We’re not talking hits here, kids, this is really album music. It’s an album you can put on and groove to, beginning to end. Good stuff indeed!

Janne Stark

Year: 2013

Label: Skull And Flames

Country: Sweden

REBEL ROAD – Lock & Load (CD)

When it comes to bands, even though we are a small country, Sweden offers a multitude of metal genres and subgenres. One genre that however is sadly under-represented is in your face down and dirty southern rock! There are only a few out there, one being the outstanding Killbilly 5ers, but apart from them, it’s very quiet. Well, hello Rebel Road! I actually knew of guitarist Ulrich Seppenen since his days in the highly underrated band Straightjackets. Here he also handles the vocals, proving he’s an excellent rough edged down and dirty southern style singer. His voice fits perfectly to the equally down and dirty, heavy and powerful southern rock riffing. Rebel Road fit in somewhere in-between today’s Texas Hippie Coalition and classic Blackfoot/Hatchet. It’s not too modern, yet doesn’t sound dated and they’ve still got the classic groove. A killer album, highly recommended!

Janne Stark

Year: 2014

Label: Rambo Music

Country: Sweden

POINT BLANK – Volume 9 (CD)

When the going gets tough, the tough keep on rockin’. Point Blank is one of the core units of high-class classic southern rock. They released the self-titled debut in 1976 and were handled by ZZ Top’s manager, Bill Ham. Especially their first two albums are still among my all-time favorite albums. The later releases were also good, but the southern rock had now become a bit more AOR-oriented. After the album American Excess in 1981, the band disappeared. Then, lo and behold, the southern rose rose again! I had the great pleasure of seeing the band’s return to the live stage in 2007 and it was my favorite shows of the year. The return album Reloaded came out the same year, and proved they could still deliver! The band has unfortunately lost some of its original members (R.I.P), but still they have now returned with another slab of southern steel! Singer John O’Daniel and guitarist Rusty Burns are still standing and they still deliver! Volume 9 features some serious rock hard rockers such as the instrumental opener Blast, Howling Wolf, Automobile, Johnny Dallas, Start The Car and To Be A Man, which show the band is still a force to be reckoned with. Point Blank have always included a few ballads that were on the verge of being a bit too pop or country for me, but they still work. This album is no exception, apart from Heart Of A Fool which is a bit over the edge for me, but it's most likely because of the sax (for some reason I just hate sax). Fans of southern rock – there’s no hesitating – get it and get it now!

Janne Stark

Label: Fairway Records

Country: USA

Year: 2014