OPETH - Heritage (CD+DVD)

I just love the way Opeth have developed. I didn’t care for their old death metal records, but did felt they had a lot of great potential musically. Then, when things started going towards the more progressive side I started listening. Deliverance, I think was the album that made me really listen. After this they have just started growing album by album. The last one, Watershed, as as close to perfect as they had ever come in my book. Now, Heritage is here, and they have dropped the growling altogether, the music is as intricate as ever and there are so many moods and feelings floating around on this album it would make even Ingemar Bergman jealous. The album starts off with a soft piano piece that could have been written by Jan Johansson back in the seventies. Soft, tender and lovely. The piano is played by guest musician Joakim Svalberg. They move into the multi-layered The Devil’s Orchard, which touches on fusion, jazz, but still rests on a heavy, slightly dissonant, proggy/symphonic foundation which brings it forward without stopping. I Feel The Dark starts off softly with just acoustic guitar and vocals, adding piano, mellotron and later on drums and electric guitar, but still not in an overpowering way, not until halfway through when the pandemonium enters. This is definitely an album you just don’t put on and wash the dishes to. It’s quite demanding and challenging, and I really like that! This is an album that gives me something new each time I listen to it. It’s all so well thought out, each part and instrument has a meaning. Nothing is random. What I also like is that the album goes though so many different moods and styles, from the aforementioned piano piece, to fast paced prog metal in Slither (recorded in memory of Ronnie James Dio), to the soft and gentle acoustics in Häxprocess and Famine, where Björn J:son Lindh adds his flute magic against a pretty heavy backing. The Lines In My Hand shows another different, very melodic side, still highly progressive and odd rhythmic, but with nice melodic harmony vocals. This is in my opinion the band’s strongest effort so far, the most challenging, but also the most rewarding. Finally, I must give credit to the cool 3D cover, which really adds an extra dimension, plus the bonus-DVD containing the 5.1 surround mix, bonus tracks and a documentary.

Janne Stark
Label: Roadrunner
Year: 2011
Country: Sweden

DESCEND - Through The Eyes Of The Burdened (CD)

Swedish newcomers Supernova Records are sweeping the Swedish market for new, interesting, upcoming bands in the heavier genres of metal. Descend is one of the new additions to the roster. The band’s debut album opens with nice acoustic plucking which moves into a progressive metal arena, showing great promise for this new five-piece. When the vocals enter, it’s growl. I was brought up on the seventies heavy rock and the 80s metal and used to be allergic to growl, but have actually grown to like some growlers. What I do like is when they have a good vocal tone. Unfortunately singer Nima is not in the category of growlers I enjoy listening to, sorry. However the band sounds quite outstanding musically, tight as a rat’s ass and each musician on top his game. Furthermore the songs are actually killer! I guess you would label this progressive or technical death metal. I really like the way they incorporate some classical guitars into the brutal technical metal of A Sudden Sense Of Clarity (a nod to In Flames, maybe?). However as soon as the vocals enter it sort of ruins it for me. The singer would be better off in a more old school oriented death metal band. I wish the boys would learn from Opeth, Katatonia and even In Flames and incorporate a bit more clean vocals. The songs are killer and I’d definitely wear out this CD, if only… damn, I can’t get over the vocals of this one. Sorry.

Year: 2011
Label: Supernova
Country: Sweden
Link: www.myspace.com/descendsweden

MOJOBONE - Crossroad Messages & Tales From The Bone (2CD)

If you were only allowed to buy one CD (and it could be a double pack) I would definitely recommend Mojobone Crossroad Message & Tales From The Bone! This is as phat as it gets! Here you will find the rare 2007 Japan-only release Crossroad Message and the 1999 vinyl only 10” rarity Tales From The Bone. Two records that are essential in the collection of every fan of heavy, low down and dirty riff based seventies influenced groovy hard rock. On top of this you’ll get another eleven tracks, one previously unreleased track and ten demo tracks, some of which were never released. I tell you, this is one hell of a double pack! Founder Per Wiberg was also, up until recently, found in Opeth which may not show here. He is however also part of Spiritual Beggars, which makes more musical sense. Besides Per, Mojobone consists of guitarist Per Mårtensson and drummer Eiron Johansson. On Tales the bass work was handled by Christer Malmesjö, while Crossroads featured Markus Aldén. Mojobone sometimes makes me think of Clutch, but with more variation. I do like Clutch, but Mojobone simply has better songs and a better variety in the song material. Besides being a great keyboard player Per is also a great singer. He has a pretty clean voice for the genre, but I really like that contrast, plus he does let out the occasional roar when it fits. I did have both releases before and I’m of course a big fan of their new album Cowboy Mode. However, as Tales was a vinyl only release, plus some of the tracks we’ve earlier missed out on, such as Burned Out, prove to be in the same high class as the rest of the material – order it immediately. This is one release you don’t want to miss out on!

Janne Stark
Label: Hippodrome Music
Year: 2010
Country: Sweden
Link: www.hippodromemusic.com <http://www.hippodromemusic.com/>

LAVA ENGINE - In Limbo (MCD)

Lava Engine is yet another nice surprise from Sweden. Even though I live in the middle of things new great bands seem to pop up from nowhere. Lava Engine is a prime example. The band may be new but the members are no newcomers. Drummer Mick Nordström has previously beaten the skins with Modest Attraction, XT and Ronnie Jaldemark recorded an album with System Breakdown. So, what does Lava Engine sound like? One band that immediately springs to mind is Pain Of Salvation, especially in the dramatic title track, but I also hear some Opeth and a bit of Porcupine Tree in the mix. Common Ground shows a slightly softer side at times, giving it a touch of Enchant in the verses. The track Ctrl Z is another track that reminds me a bit of Pain Of Salvation during their One Hour By The Concrete Lake era, but I won’t say Lava Engine are any copy cats, far from it. They however touch on the same musical and emotional strings. The music is very epic, very dramatic and the track feels like an entire black and white movie going through so many different parts, phases and motions you can almost envision the dramaturgic screen play happening. I haven’t had this type of feeling listening to an album since I heard Opeth’s Watershed, and even though they are similar in style there are no disturbing similarities. See Lava Engine as a long lost musical cousin of the aforementioned. My only complaint would be that five tracks end way too soon. I really love it when progressive music does so much more than just show off skilful musicians and that the composer knows how to combine lots of different rhythms. Lava Engine makes it all fit together seamlessly. It’s a musical journey, short, but still. Can’t wait for the long trip!
Janne Stark

Year: 2011

Country: Sweden

Label: private (Distr: Liljegren Records)

Link: http://www.lavaengine.net/

MOJOBONE - "Cowboy Mode" (CD)

Holy-one-hell-of-a-fucking-shit! After too long silence Mojobone is back with a vengeance! This brainchild of Opeth/Spiritual Beggars man Per Wiberg has given the world two previous releases, who were killer, but they’ve actually managed to blow these away! This is down and dirty, groovy, riff-heavy seventies influenced hard rock at its best! The title has to be one of the most misleading I’ve heard, though. It would be better off named after the track “Celebrate Armageddon”! I won’t go through every track, but opener “Over The Hills” (not the Gary Moore cover) sets the style and pace right away. Heavy, groovy and with ultra-phat riffing. Besides handling the keyboards, guitars and bass, the multitalented Wiberg also handles the vocals. And, he does it great! “Damaged Gods” continues with some gritty drums, courtesy of Marcus Källström (Stonecake, Sky High) and some wah-wah guitars by Spiritual Beggars colleague Mike Amott. “The Peacemakers” takes off in a cool mid-pace with some clean guitars and an almost poppy verse, with the chorus proving to be one of the coolest, grooviest and most hook-laden grooves in a long time, accompanied by some hand clapping. When was the last time you heard hand clapping on a modern hard rock album? It’s followed by one of the heaviest and doomiest riffs I’ve heard in a long time, “Cowboy Mode”. Simple, but oh so effective! Really cool stripped down verse with a brutally fat and distorted bass supporting the vocals. “The Ones That Got Away” starts with some acoustic guitar, but soon kicks off in a cool up-tempo backbeat tempo. This one has some cool Zeppelin overtones and shows the talent of young blues guitarist Christopher Shoori. “Shadow King” also shows the diversity of Mojobone with its soft, almost proggy, touch. “25 Years” also shows a new side of the band, starting off in an vein close to Black Crowes meets The Soundtrack Of Our Lives (but good…). My preference for album title, “Celebrate Armageddon” is an awesome, heavy and funky track, that builds up in a really cool way. It reminds me a bit of Danish rockers Blindstone, which is a great thing in my book. “End Of Music, End Of Story” starts off with a slow, heavy lonesome, fuzzy guitar riff that sets the pace for this slow, almost doomy rocker. The verse is cool and based on drums, vocals and piano, while the chorus brings in the heavy artillery. The album ends with a cool porch blues version of “Over The Hills” which ends the album in a cool way… and now I did go through all the tracks anyway… Well, go out and get it!
Year: 2010
Labe: Hippodome
Country: Sweden
Link: www.myspace.com/mojobone