Reviews: Sabaton, Joe Bonamassa, Archon Angel, Magnus Karlsson's Free Fall (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

Sabaton – Stories From The Western Front (Nuclear Blast)

The final part of Sabaton’s Echoes Of The Great War Trilogy of EP’s is Stories From The Western Front, for any historians you’ll know this is where the fiercest, bloodiest fighting in all of The Great War took place with Verdun, Passchendaele, Somme the most infamous with the highest bodycounts. Compiling together the most harrowing, songs from their discography, reaching back to The Art Of War for Price Of A Mile, while Great War, Fields Of Verdun and Devil Dogs come from The Great War; Hellfighters and Race To The Sea come from its follow up The War To End All Wars. 

With tales of fierce fighting, heavy shelling, insanity and futility these are the most epic, darkest songs included on all of the EP’s the stories of muddy, bloody trench warfare are all as you remember they are from their individual albums but the linking concept and extra bonus track has always been what makes these EP’s so interesting. On this one they’ve gone with the most emotional Motörhead song ever recorded the title track of their album 1916. Controversial at the time for using keys but it suits the Sabaton sound brilliantly, Joakim’s voice gaining more gravel to sound like Lemmy. 

They have filmed a video for this song at Black Country Living Museum, filled with Easter Eggs to Sabaton’s history as well as Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell. It’s a triumphal sound but with Lemmy’s brilliant lyrics carrying the same weight. This final EP is about the ultimate sacrifice millions of young men and boys paid on the Western Front, something we still remember every year in November. But like with all of Sabaton’s music if the songs inspire you to both throw your fist in the air and learn more about the subject then that’s a win in my eyes. 8/10

Joe Bonamassa – Tales Of Time (J&R Adventures/Provogue Records)

Recorded and filmed at the historic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, Tales Of Time is a visual and audio delight for any fans who love the master of blues rock. Playing the entirety of Time Clocks, his fifteenth record in full along with favourites, I can tell you from first-hand experience (from seeing the UK portion of this tour) the show was excellent and when you watch the DV portion you get the full scope of the impressive visuals and of course the virtuoso musicianship. I’m only dealing with the CD-only portion of this multi format release, which is just the Time Clocks album in full (but in a different order) along with Evil Mama from Redemption. 

As this is a Joe Bonamassa record produced by Kevin Shirley the audio is perfect, if it wasn’t for the crowd noise and the small improvisations and shouts you’d swear it was the studio album, all the players are on top form, driving through some of Bonamassa’s best cuts, the incredible Notches and Mind’s Eye highlights for me. On the LP you get more tracks from the back catalogue and DVD/Blu Ray is the full concert, so the CD does feel a little short as it is just the album and one extra song, but I guess the point is to experience the visual part of this release which is cinematic and excellent. That scores very highly for scope, performance and vision, whereas the CD-only is just a companion piece. 7/10

Archon Angel – II (Frontiers Music Srl)

For me Zak Stevens, is one of the best singers in the metal game, having been handpicked to take over from Jon Olivia in Savatage, he then went on to form Circle II Circle which moved away from the theatricality into power metal, but still having huge vocals and the progressive metal influence of Savatage. In 2020, Stevens was paired up with Secret Sphere producer/guitarist Aldo Lonobile for the debut Archon Angel album Fallen. It had all the threads of both men’s musical tapestry and it seems that the follow up, imaginatively titled II, looks to do the same. 

Kicking off with the epic, ballad-like Wake Of Emptiness, is a risk but any fan of Savatage will know these slower songs is where they made their name. The speed and orchestral movements (from Antonio Agate) increase for Avenging The Dragon, where Lonobile gets to unleash some Criss Oliva/Chris Caffery styled guitar solos as Fortress is just pure stomping power metal, as Afterburn has a marching heavy rock riff for some variation. The union has paid dividends again, on II, Stevens’ powerful vocals are adaptable to a point but he’s extremely comfortable here where the theatrical side has been dialled up. 

Lonobile’s guitars are impressive too but the power comes from Nik Mazzucconi’s bass, Marco Lazzarini’s drums and the synths/orchestrations as Alessandro Del Vecchio adds keys and pianos (he just can’t keep away from Frontiers stuff). Yet again a match made in melodic metalhead heaven, II is the follow up you’d be expecting if you liked Fallen. 8/10

Magnus Karlsson’s Free Fall – Hunt The Flame (Frontiers Music Srl)

Swedish music magician Magnus Karlsson, returns with the fourth record from his Free Fall project. The guitarist/producer/songwriter always manages to assemble some of the best, but not always the most obvious melodic metal/rock singer around, usually from bands signed to Frontiers, to showcase them outside of their normal bands. 

This is probably because Magnus has been a writer/producer/player for the label for a long time having created the songs behind Allen/Lande, Allen/Olzon, Starbreaker, Kiske/Somerville and of course being a shredder in Primal Fear for 15 years. Outside of all the other projects Free Fall is the one that is his alone, writing all the songs and performing every part with the exception of the drums (from Anders Köllerfors) and of course the vocals. 

This time he has James Durbin (Durbin) on the classic metal of Thunder Calls as Kristian Fhyr of Seventh Crystal soars on Break Of Dawn, then we have James Robledo (Sinner’s Blood) crooning on Far From Home, the gothic Holy Ground displaying how good Girish Pradhan (Girish & The Chronicles) is. Each of the songs are written to suit the vocal style, The Lucid Dreamer in the neo-classical side for Pyramaze’s Terje Haroy, as Hunt The Flame is perfect for the AOR style of Alexander Strandell (Art Nation/Crowne) despite being melodic metal. 

Taking these vocalists out of their signature style, while keeping them in the melodic sphere has always been Free Fall’s great trick, ultimately it’s the best way to sum up Magnus Karlsson’s songwriting prowess in just under 60 minutes. 7/10