Hasse Froberg & Musical Companion - Powerplay (Reingold Records)
Hasse Froberg, for the uninitiated, is vocalist for the Swedish progressive band the Flower Kings. On this project, Froberg sings lead and plays a bazillion guitars. Joining him are Anton Lindsjo on guitars; Thomsson on bass; Ola Strandberg on drums; Kjell Haraldsson on keyboards. They are a monster ensemble - heavy and tight.
While their sound is contemporary, I can definitely feel an early 70s Deep purple / Uriah Heep heavy rock vibe interlaced with the prog elements. It's a fantastic blend. A piece like The World Keeps Turning grabs your ear immediately and never lets go. Catchy chorus, strong vocals, great keyboard licks. While all the tunes, from Waves to Is It Ever Gonna Happen to The Chosen Ones are all strong and stand on their own, the cornerstone of the album has to be The Final Hour. Rock, prog, even a bit of fusion all combine into an absolute killer of a number. Unforgettable.
Powerplay is a deeply satisfying effort. Hasse Froberg and Musical Companion really have delivered one hell of an album. If you love the Flower Kings, you obviously need this. If you never heard a note of the Flower Kings, but love rock and prog that rocks hard without resorting to the easy out of going "metal" - you will eat this disc up! All meat, no filler. Powerplay is a stone cold winner!
Hasse Froberg, for the uninitiated, is vocalist for the Swedish progressive band the Flower Kings. On this project, Froberg sings lead and plays a bazillion guitars. Joining him are Anton Lindsjo on guitars; Thomsson on bass; Ola Strandberg on drums; Kjell Haraldsson on keyboards. They are a monster ensemble - heavy and tight.
While their sound is contemporary, I can definitely feel an early 70s Deep purple / Uriah Heep heavy rock vibe interlaced with the prog elements. It's a fantastic blend. A piece like The World Keeps Turning grabs your ear immediately and never lets go. Catchy chorus, strong vocals, great keyboard licks. While all the tunes, from Waves to Is It Ever Gonna Happen to The Chosen Ones are all strong and stand on their own, the cornerstone of the album has to be The Final Hour. Rock, prog, even a bit of fusion all combine into an absolute killer of a number. Unforgettable.
Powerplay is a deeply satisfying effort. Hasse Froberg and Musical Companion really have delivered one hell of an album. If you love the Flower Kings, you obviously need this. If you never heard a note of the Flower Kings, but love rock and prog that rocks hard without resorting to the easy out of going "metal" - you will eat this disc up! All meat, no filler. Powerplay is a stone cold winner!