COVERED CALL - Impact (2013)

*

Swedes COVERED CALL debut from 2009 featuring Thomas Vikström on vocals was an enjoyable disc receiving some really solid reviews and a promising future for the band.
Now, after four years the group assembled by Morgan Rosenquist and Ronny Svanströmer strikes back with another album called "Impact" featuring two permanent renowned new members: bassist Andy Loos (ex Lion’s Share, Glory) and no-other than the great Goran Edman at the mic.

From the first musical note on "Impact" you can hear that Coverd Call has improved on everything: whether if it comes to band sound, songwriting or production. All is deliciously clear, polished and really well mixed by Lars Chriss of Lion's Share, who also performs a guest guitar solo on the excellent Saxon cover "Hold On".
The game here is pure Scandi Melodic Rock / AOR, as you can imagine.
"Impact" starts with really strong song material: "Lorriane", "When The Lights Are Out" and the blissful "Think About Old Times" are amazing compositions, which should please every Melodic Rock fan with their catchiness, tight musicianship and beautiful harmonies. In these moments they don't need to hide from the 'top dogs' W.E.T, I assure you.
The following "Look Into Your Mind" and the rocking version of Saxon's "Hold On" are also well-crafted tracks with stunning choruses. It's just fun to listen to those great guitar lines and the beautiful keys in the background. The keyboardist (who also adds some nice Hammond at places) is not credited but deserves a pat on the back as his work add 'that' extra topping to the music.
What surprises me is you won't find a real ballad on this CD. Even the last song "Last Goodbye" is a rocker with Goran Edman’s vocals reminding me a little of Brian Howe and the song has that Howe-era Bad Company feel with very good harmony vocals.

In their second effort "Impact", Covered Call delivers a very good piece of Melodic Rock heaven with a clear production, solid instrumentation and some truly stunning songs.
There's a positive energy in the songlist, with sweet melodies and the voice of Edman shining bright throughout these 11 tracks. The hooks and the really melodious lines are on top as needed in this kind of music, surrounding your years with all instruments being perfectly heard thanks to the careful mix.
A mandatory listen for every Melodic Rock / AOR fan out there.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.


01. Lorraine
02. When The Lights Are Out
03. Think About All Times
04. Look Into Your Mind
05. Hold On
06. Make A Wish
07. Nothing Lasts Forever
08. Wake Up
09. When I’m Gone
10. Live It Up
11. Last Goodbye

Goran Edman - Lead Vocals
Joel Carlsson - Guitars
Morgan Rosenquist - Guitars
Andy Loos - Bass
Ronny Svanströmer - Drums
Lars Chriss - guest Guitar solo


Pre-Order:
www.amazon.co.uk/Impact-Covered-Call/dp/B00BB32ZT4

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MÅRRAN (Goran Edman) - Marran (2012)

*

MÅRRAN was founded in Älvdalen, Sweden, three years ago by bass layer Morgan Korsmoe and guitarist Ludwig Larsson (both born 1989).
These young musicians with love for the seminal Hard Rock sounds wanted to create a band in this style with experienced colleagues in this matter, so they called seasoned veterans to join in.
Drummer Björn 'Binge' Inge (born 1952) from the legendary Swedish band November (the Scandinavian Cream and the first band to sing hard rock in Swedish language around 1970) and ex- Chuck Berry Band (yeah, you read it right) accepted immediately.
Then Hammond organ player Max Lorentz was in, known for his work as producer and musician for very many artists in Sweden and Denmark, and the guys really get surprised when legendary rock vocalist Göran Edman said 'yes'.

The self-titled album from the band comprises all the elements that made the Classic Hard Rock genre so influential.
The sound is incredibly '70s with a very bluesy feel, but they have a very interesting synergy going on as the experienced members contribute with the 'classic vibe' while the two young musicians provide a modernist approach, and all comes smoothly together.
Perhaps the best way to describe Mårran is their debut single "Gärdesbrud" - which roughly translates as "Woodstock Girl" - telling the tale of a slight romance in the grass of the 1970 swedish Woodstock-style festival 'Gärdesfesten'. Musically is a classic hard rocker with a great melody.



On the CD we have tight riffs yet not too much heavy (more melodic oriented), moving rhythms, tons of Hammond organs and vocals to die for.
Talking about the vocals, Göran Edman simply shines. You can give him a melodic rock, AOR, heavy, prog or whatever song and he does it perfectly.
But let me tell you that Göran's presence in Mårran is not the hired-singer slot, his involvement in the band is as stable member, as in his own words, this is his favorite genre. So he sings his heart out on these tracks in a performance plenty of fire and soul.
Mårran has taken a risk as the songs are written and sung in Swedish, but honestly, I don't care, this material just oozes quality everywhere. In fact, Swedish tongue sounds really nice and gives to their music a distinctive touch.
A really, really good Classic (Hard) Rock album.


1. Än sen (So What)
2. Folkvisa från Helvetet (Folk Ballad From Hell)
3. Syster Blå (Sister Blue)
4. Gärdesbrud (Woodstock Girl)
5. Del av mitt liv (Part Of My Life)
6. Dina ögon är blå (Your Blue Eyes)
7. Tänk om (Think Again)
8. Sockerflicka (Sugar Lady)
9. Med Lena (With Lena)
10. Ensamma Stränder (Lonely Shores)
11. Gånglåt från Zinken (Marching Tune From Zinken)

Göran Edman - Vocals
Morgan Korsmoe - Bass
Ludde Larsson - Guitar
Max Lorentz - Keyboards
Björn 'Binge' Inge - Drums


BUY IT !
www.amazon.com/Mårran/dp/B007Y1DG3G

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KARMAKANIK - In A Perfect World (2011)

KARMAKANIK is the amazing progressive rock band hailing from Malmo, Sweden. With three prior albums under their belt, the band is about the release their fourth and best one yet.
"In A Perfect World" is their 2011 release and is a study in neo progg, melodic rock, rock&pop, fusion rock, and has a feeling of the '70s / '80s riding rampant throughout.

While listening to the album, we will find evident Flower Kings (the project of gifted bass player Jonas Reingold) reminiscences, but also many classic bands, as the '80s YES influence, noticeable in several parts, mostly for the vocals and bass sound.
So with that combination, as you can imagine here you will have a feast of symphonic prog rock but accessible and almost commercial.
Be prepared to this seven-track album and enjoy almost one hour of this first-class Swedish music.

It starts with "1969", which is an ambitious introduction, a long epic that reaches the fourteen minutes and serves as the explanation of the album line. Keyboards play a main role here, as background or with solos, they give a special flavor to the sound. The rhythm is always constant, producing exquisite sounds and creating wonderful passages. Fat and noticeable bass sound and great vocals in the vein of '80s Yes abound.
"Turn it up" has a softer sound, nice melodic rhythms and a catchy chorus. The music here is not that complex as the previous one, the sound tends to be friendlier and easier to dig.
"The World is Caving in" starts with 45 seconds of a capella, then piano joins and create a soft melody for two minutes. Then there is a change when drums and keyboards enter, so the music changes direction and becomes heavier for moments, though it always slows down and keep that gentle sound. After four minutes there is a very nice keyboard solo.
"Can't Take It With You" is a very curious track, is a wild ride through the bowels of Hell. Dante would be proud. More guitars and vibrant keyboarding make the intense lyrics light up. The introductory piano and percussion sound creates a kind of latin-american or bossa-nova sound, but it is a tricky one because later it becomes chaotic and with the rock element on it, more interesting.

"There's Nothing Wrong With the World" is one of the finest tracks of the album. The bass sound is lovely, always present as a main character, creating good lines and helping building up the structure. The keyboard work is also excellent, adding different atmospheres that at the same time create images and mind passages.
"Bite The Grit" has a dreamy atmosphere and a peculiar sound at first, but later it changes to a tense and maybe dramatic style that lasts only for some seconds. Then the song returns to its original proposal, and keep making some changes every once in a while. The guitar work is great here.
Finally "When Fear Came To Town" completes the album. In this ten minutes you will have a different Karmakanic sound, not that symphonic one we are used to. It is complemented by some other unusual rhythms. Like in the beginning, we listen to a soft acoustic guitar accompanied by delicate vocals by master Edman, giving the impression of being a ballad. The last two minutes have nice guitar and drums, and open the exit gates, I mean, you know the album is finishing.


Karmakanic has done an amazing job on this album.
"In A Perfect World" is a soul searing, blazing trail of keyboard, guitar and multi-instrumental mastery. Both vocalists are terrific, specially the great Göran Edman which sings better and better every day.
From rock&pop to prog to fusion, this album draws from the classic sounds of YES and Genesis, but also Styx, Deep Purple, Aryeon, Fates Warning and much more.
If this mixture of styles looks a bit eclectic or unorganized, then listen repeatedly to Karmakanic's In A Perfect World. The whole album proved to be a wonderful listening experience.
Mostly, progressive rock should be innovative, but also catch the listener by surprise, and in that surprise also delight the listener.
I believe "In A Perfect World" does this very thing.
Highly Recommended album.


01 - 1969
02 - Turn It Up
03 - The World Is Caving In
04 - Can't Take It With You
05 - There's Nothing Wrong With The World
06 - Bite The Grit
07 - When Fear Came To Town


Göran Edman – Vocals
Jonas Reingold – Fretted and Fretless Fass, Backing Vocals
Lalle Larsson – Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Nils Erikson – Vocals, Keyboards
Krister Jonsson – Guitars
Marcus Liliequist – Drums




BUY IT!
www.insideoutmusic.com/release.aspx?IdRelease=1241

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STRATOSPHERE (Goran Edman) - Fire Flight (2010)

There is definitely something in the water over in Gothenburg, Sweden, that encourages the creation of good music.
Masterminded by well-respected keyboardist Jeppe Lund, STRATOSPHERE blends elements of neoclassical style together with a huge dose of classy melodic hard rock to come up with a tight and polished sound that is sure to impress anyone who likes this genre.
Fronted by the familiar and distinctive voice of Goran Edman (Malmsteen, Street Talk, John Norum), Stratosphere makes classically influenced metal that is not overly pretentious or highbrow and is easily accessible to the casual listener.
The music from start to finish is dominated by vocals, guitar and keyboards, and each song is well crafted and performed.
The engineering is crisp and clear giving the entire album a pristine and unified sound no matter the intensity or musical arrangement.

Goran Edman’s vocals are solid as usual whether singing softly or pushing the limits of his range. He gets to sing with varying levels of intensity across a broad range of rock styles and handles everything well.
Guitarist Jonas Larsen is a fine guitar player, he can lay down wonderful Malmsteen-esque classical fills, and just as easily blast out some super heavy lines. He is a fine soloist and is not hung up on playing “fast” and adjusts his style to suit the music.
Jeppe Lund's keyboard work is awesome without doubt. His job is a solid counterpoint to Larsen's guitars and is as important to the overall feel and structure of the music as any other member of the band.

"Russian Summer" opens the disc and sets the tone for the balance of the album. The keys dominate the intro while the guitars lay down a simple but hooky rhythm line. Once Edman’s vocals kick in there is no doubt that this is scandinavian hard rock.
"The Battle Within" is a high-energy track with a very classical feel that provides an introspective look at a soldier’s post-duty life and the problems he may face.
The intro to "Enemy Of My Soul" is a quiet and haunting symphonic passage that breaks out into a huge vocal chorus.
The band switches to a melodic hard rock style when they visit the "Streets Of Moscow", a shining commercial tune where Edman’s vocals are particularly strong and expressive.
The instrumental "Rendezvous" gives Edman a breather and lets the other guys really show their chops. It is very classical and very intense, allowing everyone to blend together in layer upon layer of music.

"Shining Star" opens the second half of the disc. It is a very arena friendly melodic AOR love song, with Edman at his best throughout, and Larsen laying down some great guitar fills. One of the best tracks of the album.
"China Girl" has a 'catchy pop metal' feel to it, in the vein of Malmsteen's 'Eclipse' material. Good stuff.
"Princess Of The Night" is a very soft ballad built around the vocals but featuring amazing guitar and keyboard teamwork underneath it all.
"VIP" starts off light and melodic, but quickly becomes a very gritty song that paints a less that flattering look at the 'celebrity' lifestyle and gives Goran a chance to growl a little.
The sweeping instrumental "Fire Flight" wraps the album in fine style – big keyboards, soaring guitar riffs, great bass and drum rhythm lines, and is musically the strongest track on the release.

"Fire Flight" should be on the “must have” list of every commercial neoclassical fan.
The big hooks and catchy rhythms will easily appeal to any melodic hard rock fan as well, and will be instantly familiar to anyone who has ever listened to Yngwie 'Eclipse' / "Fire & Ice" albums.
The quality of performance, great teamwork, good production and overall enthusiasm make Stratosphere’s debut a solid and entertaining album.


1. Russian Summer
2. The Battle Within
3. Enemy Of My Soul
4. Streets Of Moscow
5. Rendezvous
6. Shining Star
7. China Girl
8. Princess Of The Night
9. VIP
10. Fire Flight


Goran Edman (vocals)
Jeppe Lund (keyboards)
Jonas Larsen (guitar)
Anders Borre Mathiesen (bass)
Jim McCarty (drums)

Mixed and Mastered by Martin Kronlund at JM Recording Studio's Gothenburg, Sweden.





IF YOU LIKE IT, BUY IT !

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