Stockholm heavy rockers never cease to fascinate us with their albums, and ‘Tales from the Great Beyond’ could not be an exception to this rule. An awesome record for one of Stockholm’s finest bands, ‘Tales..’ has masterfully blended all the genuine elements of this band, producing a very fresh and solid sound. Groovy, catchy, heavy and doomy, melodic, refined, dazzling and delightful, this album deep dives into the past tense but with a modern vibe, a fresh air of confidence. Johan Fahlberg has fitted so well since he joined the band, and on this album he absolutely shines with his charming and charismatic vocals, especially on tracks such as “Another World” (a bit of Ozzy-like laughs!). Mr. Jansson’s drumming is so groovy and pleasing, changing the rhythms with such harmony and balance, providing and adding to the heaviness but also fuzziness of all tunes, he is a genuine power behind his drums! Micke and Matti have really excelled on ‘Tales..’, on their guitar role for solos, leads, and the acoustic guitar on “Svarv” is so warm, mellow and beautiful, even though the track is short, it ends so brilliantly. Both of them are great guitar players, they do not exaggerate but always provide what is needed to highlight and reveal the dynamics of each song. Great job indeed! Lennart, the bass layer, always the backbone and rock of the band’s character and soul adds perfectly with his bass lines to the rhythm section so characteristically and the result is so amazing. There are a lot of instances within the songs, where the sound has a progressive rock flair and also sounds like we are at the end of 1970s/beginning of 80s, depending on the guitar sound, the extra keyboards and the magic done by Jansson behind his drumming and percussion tools. ‘Tales..’ is very diverse and even though its flow is clear and friendly, the songs themselves evolve and diversify even within themselves, adding more interest and relevance for the listener (e.g.: “Black Sails” – my personal favorite of the album). Lugnet’s new album does not make promises. It actually surpasses your expectations and even better, has excelled the sound of the band, has evolved their profile and has proved what the band is really capable of. An authentic heavy rock band, true to their 70s-80s roots but with the will and motivation to look further beyond, evolve and challenge their creativity. Simply brilliant!
♦ 8/10
Antonis Mantzavinos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoVkETU1PrQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls2MS3ZXqyk
