FuturePast Reviews http://hassefroberg.com/reviews.cfm Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:26:59 GMT http://bandzoogle.com Reviews from DRPR http://hassefroberg.com/reviews.cfm?feature=1974112&postid=655822  Dave Baird's Review After years of being nagged by his fans, Hasse Fröberg has stepped out of the shadow of The Flower Kings to release his first solo album - you can read more in-depth Hasse's own thoughts in out two interviews we have with him here. Of course solo albums and side-projects by Flower Kings members are not at all uncommon, but this is a little unusual insomuch as it doesn't feature any fellow band members, instead Hasse has deliberately chosen to recruit a new band in an effort to establish his own sound. In this respect I have to say he's been largely successful, yes of course he is actually The Flower Kings singer so you'll get some familiarity there, and also working with Roine for 15 or so years has a heavy influence, so there are some TFK moments, but these are very much the exception. Hasse has managed to put together quite a diverse array of songs, from the up-tempo West-Coast feel of Song For July to the heavy riffing Above. Overall you would say it has a classic-rock feel meets mellow-prog and some funk/jazz moments thrown in for good measure. Hasse's voice is of course the main attraction and he doesn't disappoint with a tremendous range of vocal styles on display - belting prog-metal on Fallen Empire, the countertenor intro to Only My Blood and his best Jon Anderson impression on Piece Of The Sky. He's incredibly versatile and the passion he's put into it is very evident. It's these three songs which are the proggier on the CD, all displaying multiple changes of pace, direction and texture. Fallen Empire starts-off with a very immediate 90's-prog-metal section that really took me by surprise on the first listen, I didn't expect that at all. It shifts gear with a huge, bombastic string-synth break, then mellotron flutes, acoustic guitars with a more folk feel, a few solo and a reprise back to the main song. It's a fantastic opening. Piece Of The Sky doesn't just sound like Jon Anderson singing at times, it has a huge Yes vibe going on all over. Some really excellent guitar work here and more nice keyboard work - has to be said that the keyboards are superb throughout, not only great playing at the right level for each track, but very tasteful choices of instruments and patches with the focus on classic sounds - organ, piano, Moog, warm strings, a little mellotron. I can't say the same for the rhythm section though, well the bass playing is pretty much fine and 90% of the time the drumming's good too, but occasionally when the pieces get a bit more up-tempo the drumming isn't changing gear to suit. Sure the rhythm is correct, but there are times when they need to be a bit busier and add some excitement, it just isn't always working for me. The album closer Only My Blood is a prog-delight too - moody synths, bombastic and great singing. Sounds like there could be some Rush influence along the way, but there's also a tremendous guitar solo that could easily be Roine Stolt himself - think of the solo on Transatlantic's All Of The Above and you get the idea - it's also played early in the song and reprised at the end. There's a funky feel going on towards the end and some mellow jazz moments too, it has it all. The Ultimate Thrill is notable that it is surely inspired by Spock's Beard from the classic period around Beware Of Darkness, quite uncanny but it's all part of Hasse's wide palette of influence. The main feature here is the organ - can we be sure that's not Ryo Okomoto? Some great heavy guitar work as well which is in stark contrast to the mellow bottle-neck on Above - Anton Lindsjö seems to be a very versatile and talented player, a great find for Hasse. Everyday is one of the more Flower Kings influenced pieces - well one that may have been written by Hasse and played by TFK, could easily been a B-Side from Space Revolver or The Rainmaker. I already mentioned that Song For July has a West-Coast feel, really this song wouldn't be out of place on a Don Henley album, I really feel it would make an excellent radio-friendly hit, a real foot-tapper. To be fair the drumming and bass are really superb on this piece, plus Hasse is displaying his voice at its very best too - very typical singing for him and crystal clear. This just leaves I Wouldn't Change A Thing to mention and, well this is perhaps my least favourite piece on the album - it's rather too generic for my liking and then it has this weird instrumental section that just sounds too contrived and awkward for my taste. To conclude, this is a really solid first effort from HFMC, aside my occasional reservations on the drumming the musicianship is excellent, the songwriting good, the arrangements interesting and varied, the range of styles is quite wide and of course it's a great vehicle for Hasse to show his vocal talents more than we've seen in The Flower Kings. The production quality is very acceptable indeed, perhaps I would have mixed Hasse a little higher, especially in Fallen Empire. Huge credit must be given that HFMC have a sound all their own - yes there are influences galore, but this is normal, Hasse has managed to break away from the typical Flower Kings sound and that can't be easy to achieve at all given their long history. This CD is an absolute must-have for any Flower Kings fans and it's also very appealing to general lovers of classic prog/rock. Jon Bradshaw's Review Like the rest of his fellow bandmates, Hasse Fröberg has taken the occasion of a hiatus in the Flower Kings’ output to write and record his own music which has materialised on Reingold Records as FuturePast. There the links to TFK end as, unlike his bandmates’ solo projects, there is no collaboration with any of them on this album. This is a new band with Hasse at the helm handling the compositional duties, singing (of course), and playing guitar as well lending his formidable studio experience to produce and mix the material with Petrus Konigsson. He has surrounded himself with a talented bunch of players to form a five piece unit (and they are a unit) that features Thomsson on bass, Kjell Haraldsson on keys, Anton Lindsjo on lead guitar and Ola Strandberg on drums. Mercifully for us, they are vastly better musicians than they are models. The band photography that decorates the booklet is risible. I’m not sure what sort of image they wanted to present but it appears to be an attempt at ‘fun and sexy’ as they pose in one laughable picture after another, including Hasse holding what appears to be a jelly and a couple of Reubens-esque portraits of Thomsson and Anton in semi-recumbent positions. What were they thinking?! I mention this only in the hope that they never allow it to happen again for verily, it offendeth mine eye. However, this small sin has absolutely no bearing on the music. Hasse’s voice is unmistakeable. Consequently, and unavoidably, one immediately places his inimitable vocal style into the context of a Flower Kings’ song. The remarkable thing is that FuturePast is unlike a Flower Kings’ album and I passionately and enthusiastically applaud Hasse (and the band) for creating something new. Naturally, there’s the occasional nod in a Flower Kings direction, but these moments are subliminal. The overriding sensation is of a new band with a fresh but reassuringly familiar sound fronted by a familiar voice. And what a voice it is! Hasse’s work with TFK has always sent shivers of delight through me and he never fails to raise the hairs on my neck at least once on every TFK album. With his own project, he not only accomplishes this effect in spades, he also seizes the opportunity to swagger his way through a wide range of vocal idioms: from all-out, full-throated rock to sensitive soul; from operatic vocal callisthenics in the same vein as Freddie Mercury, to spitting fire and brimstone. Whichever way you spin it, Fröberg is a versatile, dynamic and massively gifted vocalist – we get to revel in his talents on FuturePast. Similarly, the song styles here demonstrate a masterful grasp of everything from classic rock to commercial, jaunty, pop-oriented gaiety. Within that broad framework, every track is dappled with a host of progressive shades and colours. The whole thing sounds so effortless and natural that it is almost instantly affecting, with one hook-laden chorus after another giving way to emotional peaks and troughs in a 70 minute carnival of sound that I have hardly had out of the CD tray since the day it landed. Leaving aside the opening track, which is a minute or so of Sounds From The Empire, the album kicks off with Fallen Empire. Lyrically, this catalogues the short-sighted greed and ruinous brutality of humankind and musically it creates great hefts of sound in a punchy and dramatic 12/8 tempo. Seamlessly, it shifts mood from dark and furious to positive and hopeful then back again by employing richly textured and melodically varied sections with great solo features. You couldn’t ask for more from an album opener. The quality is sustained in Song For July, which follows and is brimming with the joys of summer. Utterly infectious, the melody attaches itself to the aural centres of your brain like a limpet and ‘rings in your ears’ as the lyric suggests long after the album is over. Piece Of The Sky is an elaborate and expansive piece, driven once again by Hasse’s vocal delivery with a heavy, powerful chorus, an up-tempo section that recalls 10cc’s Dreadlock Holiday and a movement of lovely funky organ and skanking guitars accompanying a glorious MiniMoog solo. But all of this pales into insignificance against the closing passage which is achingly beautiful with stunning choral arrangements. This is early Queen, Yes and Led Zeppelin incarnated by six minutes of passion-filled, soaring music. The chord progression may be lifted from Zeppelin’s Rain Song, but I don’t care. For my ears, it’s worth buying the album for these six minutes alone. I Wouldn’t Change A Thing is catchy as hell with glimmers of Blinded By The Light (Manfred Mann’s Earth Band) and Supertramp in its composition, combined with Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing and some Hall And Oates White-Man’s Soul in the verses. Above begins as a straight-ahead rocker that is echoed in its powerful chorus but the verse consists of a laid-back country-blues vibe to provide a startling contrast. The instrumental interlude is different again with an excellent jazz piano solo and an intricate guitar solo that crescendos in its intensity before ushering in another fine MiniMoog solo spot, after which, the bombast of the chorus is reprised... Another wonderfully catchy chorus stands out in Everyday alongside a clamorous and energetic synth solo from Kjell Haraldsson, whose work throughout the album is majestic. Like above, The Ultimate Thrill takes a heavy rock groove as its substance with fluid and muscular guitar riffs supported (as in so many of these songs) by swirling Hammond organ and more stellar vocal arrangements. Only My Blood closes the album in that slightly funky style that has cropped up here and there throughout the album and is memorable for yet more excellent guitar and keyboard solos, as well as its anthemic closing passage that rounds out the music before birdsong and running water provide a Zen moment to finally punctuate the album with a blissful ellipsis. Hasse’s solo debut references some of the greatest rock artists of the ‘70s in its sonic palette. From The Who to Argent, From Bob Seger to Little Feat and from The Band to Todd Rundgren, as well as those I’ve already mentioned. I’ve found it thoroughly entertaining and addictive from start to finish. The band play together like seasoned vets, but the tenor of the whole has a zest and freshness that’s impossible to deny or ignore. Admittedly, now I’ve spent some time with it, I would say there are 5 truly wonderful songs married with four good songs that have wonderful moments or sections, but taken as an entity, FuturePast is peppered with breathtaking musicianship and song writing that blends the best of the old with the best of the new to stand as a paean of what’s possible in modern rock. What’s more, the production is devastatingly good and creates a unique and original sound for the band to cohere around. I find it difficult to find fault with this wonderful piece of work that stands out as one of my albums of the year.  Dave Baird's Review
After years of being nagged by his fans, Hasse Fröberg has stepped out of the shadow of The Flower Kings to release his first solo album - you can read more in-depth Hasse's own thoughts in out two interviews we have with him here. Of course solo albums and side-projects by Flower Kings members are not at all uncommon, but this is a little unusual insomuch as it doesn't feature any fellow band members, instead Hasse has deliberately chosen to recruit a new band in an effort to establish his own sound. In this respect I have to say he's been largely successful, yes of course he is actually The Flower Kings singer so you'll get some familiarity there, and also working with Roine for 15 or so years has a heavy influence, so there are some TFK moments, but these are very much the exception.

Hasse has managed to put together quite a diverse array of songs, from the up-tempo West-Coast feel of Song For July to the heavy riffing Above. Overall you would say it has a classic-rock feel meets mellow-prog and some funk/jazz moments thrown in for good measure. Hasse's voice is of course the main attraction and he doesn't disappoint with a tremendous range of vocal styles on display - belting prog-metal on Fallen Empire, the countertenor intro to Only My Blood and his best Jon Anderson impression on Piece Of The Sky. He's incredibly versatile and the passion he's put into it is very evident. It's these three songs which are the proggier on the CD, all displaying multiple changes of pace, direction and texture. Fallen Empire starts-off with a very immediate 90's-prog-metal section that really took me by surprise on the first listen, I didn't expect that at all. It shifts gear with a huge, bombastic string-synth break, then mellotron flutes, acoustic guitars with a more folk feel, a few solo and a reprise back to the main song. It's a fantastic opening.

Piece Of The Sky doesn't just sound like Jon Anderson singing at times, it has a huge Yes vibe going on all over. Some really excellent guitar work here and more nice keyboard work - has to be said that the keyboards are superb throughout, not only great playing at the right level for each track, but very tasteful choices of instruments and patches with the focus on classic sounds - organ, piano, Moog, warm strings, a little mellotron. I can't say the same for the rhythm section though, well the bass playing is pretty much fine and 90% of the time the drumming's good too, but occasionally when the pieces get a bit more up-tempo the drumming isn't changing gear to suit. Sure the rhythm is correct, but there are times when they need to be a bit busier and add some excitement, it just isn't always working for me. The album closer Only My Blood is a prog-delight too - moody synths, bombastic and great singing. Sounds like there could be some Rush influence along the way, but there's also a tremendous guitar solo that could easily be Roine Stolt himself - think of the solo on Transatlantic's All Of The Above and you get the idea - it's also played early in the song and reprised at the end. There's a funky feel going on towards the end and some mellow jazz moments too, it has it all.

The Ultimate Thrill is notable that it is surely inspired by Spock's Beard from the classic period around Beware Of Darkness, quite uncanny but it's all part of Hasse's wide palette of influence. The main feature here is the organ - can we be sure that's not Ryo Okomoto? Some great heavy guitar work as well which is in stark contrast to the mellow bottle-neck on Above - Anton Lindsjö seems to be a very versatile and talented player, a great find for Hasse. Everyday is one of the more Flower Kings influenced pieces - well one that may have been written by Hasse and played by TFK, could easily been a B-Side from Space Revolver or The Rainmaker. I already mentioned that Song For July has a West-Coast feel, really this song wouldn't be out of place on a Don Henley album, I really feel it would make an excellent radio-friendly hit, a real foot-tapper. To be fair the drumming and bass are really superb on this piece, plus Hasse is displaying his voice at its very best too - very typical singing for him and crystal clear. This just leaves I Wouldn't Change A Thing to mention and, well this is perhaps my least favourite piece on the album - it's rather too generic for my liking and then it has this weird instrumental section that just sounds too contrived and awkward for my taste.

To conclude, this is a really solid first effort from HFMC, aside my occasional reservations on the drumming the musicianship is excellent, the songwriting good, the arrangements interesting and varied, the range of styles is quite wide and of course it's a great vehicle for Hasse to show his vocal talents more than we've seen in The Flower Kings. The production quality is very acceptable indeed, perhaps I would have mixed Hasse a little higher, especially in Fallen Empire. Huge credit must be given that HFMC have a sound all their own - yes there are influences galore, but this is normal, Hasse has managed to break away from the typical Flower Kings sound and that can't be easy to achieve at all given their long history. This CD is an absolute must-have for any Flower Kings fans and it's also very appealing to general lovers of classic prog/rock.
Jon Bradshaw's Review

Like the rest of his fellow bandmates, Hasse Fröberg has taken the occasion of a hiatus in the Flower Kings’ output to write and record his own music which has materialised on Reingold Records as FuturePast. There the links to TFK end as, unlike his bandmates’ solo projects, there is no collaboration with any of them on this album. This is a new band with Hasse at the helm handling the compositional duties, singing (of course), and playing guitar as well lending his formidable studio experience to produce and mix the material with Petrus Konigsson. He has surrounded himself with a talented bunch of players to form a five piece unit (and they are a unit) that features Thomsson on bass, Kjell Haraldsson on keys, Anton Lindsjo on lead guitar and Ola Strandberg on drums. Mercifully for us, they are vastly better musicians than they are models. The band photography that decorates the booklet is risible. I’m not sure what sort of image they wanted to present but it appears to be an attempt at ‘fun and sexy’ as they pose in one laughable picture after another, including Hasse holding what appears to be a jelly and a couple of Reubens-esque portraits of Thomsson and Anton in semi-recumbent positions. What were they thinking?! I mention this only in the hope that they never allow it to happen again for verily, it offendeth mine eye. However, this small sin has absolutely no bearing on the music.

Hasse’s voice is unmistakeable. Consequently, and unavoidably, one immediately places his inimitable vocal style into the context of a Flower Kings’ song. The remarkable thing is that FuturePast is unlike a Flower Kings’ album and I passionately and enthusiastically applaud Hasse (and the band) for creating something new. Naturally, there’s the occasional nod in a Flower Kings direction, but these moments are subliminal. The overriding sensation is of a new band with a fresh but reassuringly familiar sound fronted by a familiar voice. And what a voice it is! Hasse’s work with TFK has always sent shivers of delight through me and he never fails to raise the hairs on my neck at least once on every TFK album. With his own project, he not only accomplishes this effect in spades, he also seizes the opportunity to swagger his way through a wide range of vocal idioms: from all-out, full-throated rock to sensitive soul; from operatic vocal callisthenics in the same vein as Freddie Mercury, to spitting fire and brimstone. Whichever way you spin it, Fröberg is a versatile, dynamic and massively gifted vocalist – we get to revel in his talents on FuturePast.

Similarly, the song styles here demonstrate a masterful grasp of everything from classic rock to commercial, jaunty, pop-oriented gaiety. Within that broad framework, every track is dappled with a host of progressive shades and colours. The whole thing sounds so effortless and natural that it is almost instantly affecting, with one hook-laden chorus after another giving way to emotional peaks and troughs in a 70 minute carnival of sound that I have hardly had out of the CD tray since the day it landed.

Leaving aside the opening track, which is a minute or so of Sounds From The Empire, the album kicks off with Fallen Empire. Lyrically, this catalogues the short-sighted greed and ruinous brutality of humankind and musically it creates great hefts of sound in a punchy and dramatic 12/8 tempo. Seamlessly, it shifts mood from dark and furious to positive and hopeful then back again by employing richly textured and melodically varied sections with great solo features. You couldn’t ask for more from an album opener. The quality is sustained in Song For July, which follows and is brimming with the joys of summer. Utterly infectious, the melody attaches itself to the aural centres of your brain like a limpet and ‘rings in your ears’ as the lyric suggests long after the album is over. Piece Of The Sky is an elaborate and expansive piece, driven once again by Hasse’s vocal delivery with a heavy, powerful chorus, an up-tempo section that recalls 10cc’s Dreadlock Holiday and a movement of lovely funky organ and skanking guitars accompanying a glorious MiniMoog solo. But all of this pales into insignificance against the closing passage which is achingly beautiful with stunning choral arrangements. This is early Queen, Yes and Led Zeppelin incarnated by six minutes of passion-filled, soaring music. The chord progression may be lifted from Zeppelin’s Rain Song, but I don’t care. For my ears, it’s worth buying the album for these six minutes alone.

I Wouldn’t Change A Thing is catchy as hell with glimmers of Blinded By The Light (Manfred Mann’s Earth Band) and Supertramp in its composition, combined with Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing and some Hall And Oates White-Man’s Soul in the verses. Above begins as a straight-ahead rocker that is echoed in its powerful chorus but the verse consists of a laid-back country-blues vibe to provide a startling contrast. The instrumental interlude is different again with an excellent jazz piano solo and an intricate guitar solo that crescendos in its intensity before ushering in another fine MiniMoog solo spot, after which, the bombast of the chorus is reprised... Another wonderfully catchy chorus stands out in Everyday alongside a clamorous and energetic synth solo from Kjell Haraldsson, whose work throughout the album is majestic.

Like above, The Ultimate Thrill takes a heavy rock groove as its substance with fluid and muscular guitar riffs supported (as in so many of these songs) by swirling Hammond organ and more stellar vocal arrangements. Only My Blood closes the album in that slightly funky style that has cropped up here and there throughout the album and is memorable for yet more excellent guitar and keyboard solos, as well as its anthemic closing passage that rounds out the music before birdsong and running water provide a Zen moment to finally punctuate the album with a blissful ellipsis.

Hasse’s solo debut references some of the greatest rock artists of the ‘70s in its sonic palette. From The Who to Argent, From Bob Seger to Little Feat and from The Band to Todd Rundgren, as well as those I’ve already mentioned. I’ve found it thoroughly entertaining and addictive from start to finish. The band play together like seasoned vets, but the tenor of the whole has a zest and freshness that’s impossible to deny or ignore. Admittedly, now I’ve spent some time with it, I would say there are 5 truly wonderful songs married with four good songs that have wonderful moments or sections, but taken as an entity, FuturePast is peppered with breathtaking musicianship and song writing that blends the best of the old with the best of the new to stand as a paean of what’s possible in modern rock. What’s more, the production is devastatingly good and creates a unique and original sound for the band to cohere around. I find it difficult to find fault with this wonderful piece of work that stands out as one of my albums of the year.]]> Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:26:59 GMT 1AF547BFE6BF66C8A0ADFE2B5264694F Review of FuturePast by EpicProg (October 8, 2010) http://hassefroberg.com/reviews.cfm?feature=1974112&postid=655813 &nbsp;Future Past is the first effort by Hasse Fr&ouml;berg and the Musical Companion and the first &ldquo;solo&rdquo; album from Fr&ouml;berg since the guitarist/vocalist joined the Swedish progressive rock giants, The Flower Kings. Known for his theatrical rock star poses and hair flips in concert &ndash; as well as his wonderful voice &ndash; Fr&ouml;berg delivers a tour de force opening salvo on this release, singing and playing guitar, while backed by his band, &ldquo;The Musical Companion,&rdquo; comprised of Kjell Haraldsson (keyboards), Anton Lindsj&ouml; (lead guitar), Ola Strandberg (drums) and the singularly-named Thomsson (bass). The band announces itself with nine tracks clocking in at around 73 minutes, including four epic length songs. &ldquo;Sounds from the Empire&rdquo; is sort of a disposable introductory track, featuring ambient sounds of children&rsquo;s voices, a train or subway, and footsteps, followed by a single organ note. The note, which seems the only essential part of the track, launches the album into &ldquo;Fallen Empire,&rdquo; a 10+ minute epic that kicks off with a rollicking and wonderfully melodic instrumental section. The song slows with an acoustic guitar flourish, then Fr&ouml;berg&rsquo;s distinctive voice kicks in. This song features incredibly catchy chorus vocals and guitar riffs, putting the &lsquo;rock&rsquo; in progressive rock. There are some interesting twists and turns along the way in &ldquo;Fallen Empire,&rdquo; including a Genesis-sounding interlude, with delicate guitar work. There are huge, sprawling keyboard washes and organ solos galore. Fans of The Flower Kings should enjoy the ride. &ldquo;Song for July&rdquo; is a short number featuring jaunty acoustic guitar and mandolin from Lindsj&ouml; and Haraldsson&rsquo;s keys, while Thomsson&rsquo;s bass and Strandberg&rsquo;s drumming provide a solid playground for the melodic instruments. It sounds like there&rsquo;s a lot going on in this song, but it is put together in such a way as to come off as a very simple, melodic tune. The second of the epic tracks comes next. &ldquo;Piece of the Sky&rdquo; has a chorus that sounds like a cross between Deep Purple and The Flower Kings. Lindsj&ouml;&rsquo;s guitar work and Thomsson&rsquo;s bass are very strong on this track, as well as the vocals. During its 13+ minutes there is ample evidence of Lindsj&ouml;&rsquo;s talent, but others are given a chance to shine as well in a lengthy instrumental middle section, notably Haraldsson, who utilizes both analog and digital sounds, and also takes a turn on piano. Despite the length, the song doesn&rsquo;t overstay its welcome. It seems Mr. Fr&ouml;berg has learned quite a bit about epic writing from Flower Kings bandmates Roine Stolt and Tomas Bodin. A groovy bass riff from Thomsson opens &ldquo;I Wouldn&rsquo;t Change a Thing.&rdquo; Fr&ouml;berg gives a soulful vocal performance, a bit reminiscent of The Flower Kings&rsquo; track &ldquo;Touch My Heaven&rdquo; from Paradox Hotel, but this song is way more up-tempo, so the similarities melt away as the song moves forward into the very catchy chorus. Headphone listening reveals a lot of little instrumental flourishes, yet at no point does the song seem cluttered. There&rsquo;s a quirky sparse instrumental break two thirds through the song that segues into a great guitar riff before returning to the chorus. The third epic, &ldquo;Above,&rdquo; starts with a rocking intro and transitions into a terrific atmospheric section highlighted by delicate guitar work by Lindsj&ouml;. Fr&ouml;berg croons through the slower sections and belts out the vocals in the more rocking parts. The ten and a half minutes seems to fly by. This song rocks so hard in sections that it strays into prog metal territory, including a keyboard solo that smacks of former Dream Theater keys man, Derek Sherinian. One drawback for me is that it has sort of a weird fadeout during Hasse&rsquo;s vocals, segueing into an acoustic guitar outro. Nothing wrong with the acoustic guitar, but Hasse was really wailing (in a good way) and I wanted to hear it. &ldquo;Everyday&rdquo; is one of the shorter songs, and the chorus sounds so much like it belongs on Paradox Hotel that I can&rsquo;t help but wonder if this song was offered up for that particular album. A ferocious instrumental break highlights this song, with another shredding keyboard solo and rock solid rhythm. Lindsj&ouml; manages a fatter guitar sound here and shines with another delicate and intricate solo. The last of the &ldquo;shorter&rdquo; songs &ndash; clocking in at six and a half minutes &ndash; &ldquo;The Ultimate Thrill&rdquo; opens with a quirky Flower Kings vibe, which alternates throughout with a heavier, rocking theme, which again summons the ghosts of Deep Purple. In fact, Fr&ouml;berg&rsquo;s vocals in this song alternate between sounding a bit like David Coverdale and Ian Gillan. Another melodic instrumental section, which sounds nothing like the quirky Flower Kings-type theme or the heavy Deep Purple-sounding theme, melts seamlessly into the song and then is followed by a shredding keyboard solo and a metallic guitar solo. The album closer is the 13-minute epic, &ldquo;Only My Blood,&rdquo; which opens with a dreamlike sparse keyboard backdrop behind a dark vocal line, dipped in echo. The guitar peeks in as Hasse sings higher and is followed by the bass and delicate drums. Then the song explodes for the heavy, guitar-driven chorus before returning to the ethereal, presenting a fantastic contrast and keeping the listener involved. The Musical Companion shows off its chops throughout this final number, getting funky and a bit jazzy at times through the middle sections, with Haraldsson and Lindsj&ouml; shining throughout. Lindsj&ouml; even manages to sound a bit like Stolt during the song&rsquo;s climax. Quite frankly, this album is astonishing in its ability to easily eclipse the last Flower Kings effort, The Sum of No Evil (2007) &ndash; and possibly the two prior TFK albums as well &ndash; and illustrates that perhaps Fr&ouml;berg should be given more room in the writing department. His songs are catchy and melodic, they rock, and yet they still scratch that modern progressive itch. The pacing works well, with the epics spaced out evenly with shorter songs in between, and everything sounds fresh yet familiar and Fr&ouml;berg&rsquo;s voice has never sounded better. The mix is good, with all instruments separated so you can hear everything that&rsquo;s going on. This album appears to be headed solidly into my top ten releases of 2010. I look forward to hearing more from this group of musicians and would love to see this material performed live. <a target="_new" href="http://www.epicprog.net/cdreviewshassefuturepast.htm">EpicProg
“Sounds from the Empire” is sort of a disposable introductory track, featuring ambient sounds of children’s voices, a train or subway, and footsteps, followed by a single organ note. The note, which seems the only essential part of the track, launches the album into “Fallen Empire,” a 10+ minute epic that kicks off with a rollicking and wonderfully melodic instrumental section. The song slows with an acoustic guitar flourish, then Fröberg’s distinctive voice kicks in. This song features incredibly catchy chorus vocals and guitar riffs, putting the ‘rock’ in progressive rock.

There are some interesting twists and turns along the way in “Fallen Empire,” including a Genesis-sounding interlude, with delicate guitar work. There are huge, sprawling keyboard washes and organ solos galore. Fans of The Flower Kings should enjoy the ride.

“Song for July” is a short number featuring jaunty acoustic guitar and mandolin from Lindsjö and Haraldsson’s keys, while Thomsson’s bass and Strandberg’s drumming provide a solid playground for the melodic instruments. It sounds like there’s a lot going on in this song, but it is put together in such a way as to come off as a very simple, melodic tune.

The second of the epic tracks comes next. “Piece of the Sky” has a chorus that sounds like a cross between Deep Purple and The Flower Kings. Lindsjö’s guitar work and Thomsson’s bass are very strong on this track, as well as the vocals. During its 13+ minutes there is ample evidence of Lindsjö’s talent, but others are given a chance to shine as well in a lengthy instrumental middle section, notably Haraldsson, who utilizes both analog and digital sounds, and also takes a turn on piano. Despite the length, the song doesn’t overstay its welcome. It seems Mr. Fröberg has learned quite a bit about epic writing from Flower Kings bandmates Roine Stolt and Tomas Bodin.

A groovy bass riff from Thomsson opens “I Wouldn’t Change a Thing.” Fröberg gives a soulful vocal performance, a bit reminiscent of The Flower Kings’ track “Touch My Heaven” from Paradox Hotel, but this song is way more up-tempo, so the similarities melt away as the song moves forward into the very catchy chorus. Headphone listening reveals a lot of little instrumental flourishes, yet at no point does the song seem cluttered. There’s a quirky sparse instrumental break two thirds through the song that segues into a great guitar riff before returning to the chorus.

The third epic, “Above,” starts with a rocking intro and transitions into a terrific atmospheric section highlighted by delicate guitar work by Lindsjö. Fröberg croons through the slower sections and belts out the vocals in the more rocking parts. The ten and a half minutes seems to fly by. This song rocks so hard in sections that it strays into prog metal territory, including a keyboard solo that smacks of former Dream Theater keys man, Derek Sherinian. One drawback for me is that it has sort of a weird fadeout during Hasse’s vocals, segueing into an acoustic guitar outro. Nothing wrong with the acoustic guitar, but Hasse was really wailing (in a good way) and I wanted to hear it.

“Everyday” is one of the shorter songs, and the chorus sounds so much like it belongs on Paradox Hotel that I can’t help but wonder if this song was offered up for that particular album. A ferocious instrumental break highlights this song, with another shredding keyboard solo and rock solid rhythm. Lindsjö manages a fatter guitar sound here and shines with another delicate and intricate solo.

The last of the “shorter” songs – clocking in at six and a half minutes – “The Ultimate Thrill” opens with a quirky Flower Kings vibe, which alternates throughout with a heavier, rocking theme, which again summons the ghosts of Deep Purple. In fact, Fröberg’s vocals in this song alternate between sounding a bit like David Coverdale and Ian Gillan. Another melodic instrumental section, which sounds nothing like the quirky Flower Kings-type theme or the heavy Deep Purple-sounding theme, melts seamlessly into the song and then is followed by a shredding keyboard solo and a metallic guitar solo.

The album closer is the 13-minute epic, “Only My Blood,” which opens with a dreamlike sparse keyboard backdrop behind a dark vocal line, dipped in echo. The guitar peeks in as Hasse sings higher and is followed by the bass and delicate drums. Then the song explodes for the heavy, guitar-driven chorus before returning to the ethereal, presenting a fantastic contrast and keeping the listener involved. The Musical Companion shows off its chops throughout this final number, getting funky and a bit jazzy at times through the middle sections, with Haraldsson and Lindsjö shining throughout. Lindsjö even manages to sound a bit like Stolt during the song’s climax.

Quite frankly, this album is astonishing in its ability to easily eclipse the last Flower Kings effort, The Sum of No Evil (2007) – and possibly the two prior TFK albums as well – and illustrates that perhaps Fröberg should be given more room in the writing department. His songs are catchy and melodic, they rock, and yet they still scratch that modern progressive itch. The pacing works well, with the epics spaced out evenly with shorter songs in between, and everything sounds fresh yet familiar and Fröberg’s voice has never sounded better. The mix is good, with all instruments separated so you can hear everything that’s going on. This album appears to be headed solidly into my top ten releases of 2010. I look forward to hearing more from this group of musicians and would love to see this material performed live.

EpicProg
]]> Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:25:38 GMT F5E49FC1A69E372DBC41821D7F15CC8C Review by Ron Fuchs (Prognaut) (October 17, 2010) http://hassefroberg.com/reviews.cfm?feature=1974112&postid=655811 &nbsp;When The Flower Kings are on their extended hiatus, all the members are focusing on side bands. Now singer Hasse Froberg has joined them with the creation of a new band which is called Hasse Froberg &amp; Musical Companion. The debut, Future Past, was released in 2010 on Reingold Records. Here Hasse takes on lead vocals, guitars and composing the music. He does this with no help from his TFK bandmates. Of course there&rsquo;s some nods to The Flower Kings sound but in comparison to the other side bands, the similarities are kept at a bare minimum. Joining Hasse are Thomas Thomsson (bass), Kjell Haraldsson (keyboards), Anton Lindsjo (lead guitar), and Ola Strandberg (drums). Opening the album is &ldquo;Sounds From The Empire&rdquo; (1:27) which serves as an intro to &ldquo;Fallen Empire&rdquo; (10:20). The foundation of &ldquo;Fallen Empire&rdquo; is in a symphonic hard rock vein. It reminds me a lot of, theme wise to &ldquo;Last Minute On Earth&rdquo; from The Flower Kings. Hasse&rsquo;s vocals are in top form here as with the rest of the band. Around the 4 minute mark has a very cinematic sounding passage which leads into an acoustic guitar and with Hasse doing some soft emotion vocals. The full electric band sound returns around the 7 minute mark. &ldquo;Song For July&rdquo; (4:59) which is the song for Summertime and the most accessible song of the album. This is a fun infectious optimistic song in a more acoustic based format. &ldquo;Piece Of The Sky&rdquo; (14:18) is the epic of the album and has a more original sound in comparison to the previous songs. I heard a mixture of influences including early Queen, Genesis, Led Zeppelin and Yes (especially around the 5 minute mark). It&rsquo;s also, in my opinion, one of the best epics of the year. <a target="_new" href="http://prognaut.com/reviews/hfmc.html">Prognaut &ldquo;I Wouldn&rsquo;t Change A Thing&rdquo; (6:49) is a catchy hard rockin&rsquo; song that could easily be the lead single. This is one of those songs that sticks in your mind long after it&rsquo;s over. It&rsquo;s also one of my favorites of the album. &ldquo;Above&rdquo; (10:27) starts off in a straight forward hard rocking of a song then morphs into a symphonic sound with gorgeous slide guitar playing. It returns to that hard rocking groove. &ldquo;Everyday&rdquo; (4:56) is another accessible track that could be the second single off the album and very catchy from start to end. There&rsquo;s a vocal part that reminds me of &ldquo;Keep Me Hanging&rsquo; On&rdquo; (originally done by The Supremes and famously covered by Vanilla Fudge). The vibe continues with &ldquo;The Ultimate Thrill&rdquo; (6:34) and the heaviest song on the album. This song has the least amount of progressive rock but that&rsquo;s okay because it doesn&rsquo;t need to be for a good song. Closing off the album is &ldquo;Only My Blood&rdquo; (13:00) the second longest epic on the album. The quieter parts are counterbalanced by a hard rock element. It contains some excellent guitar and keyboard solos. It ends with some birdsong and running water. A perfect way to end an album. If you&rsquo;ve enjoyed Hasse&rsquo;s vocals in The Flower Kings and always wanted to hear an album full of them, then go no further. You&rsquo;ll get your wish fulfilled and then some. The musicians backing Hasse here sounds like a professional seasoned band. Future Past is one of the better debuts of 2010 and gets my highest recommendation. Opening the album is “Sounds From The Empire” (1:27) which serves as an intro to “Fallen Empire” (10:20). The foundation of “Fallen Empire” is in a symphonic hard rock vein. It reminds me a lot of, theme wise to “Last Minute On Earth” from The Flower Kings. Hasse’s vocals are in top form here as with the rest of the band. Around the 4 minute mark has a very cinematic sounding passage which leads into an acoustic guitar and with Hasse doing some soft emotion vocals. The full electric band sound returns around the 7 minute mark.

“Song For July” (4:59) which is the song for Summertime and the most accessible song of the album. This is a fun infectious optimistic song in a more acoustic based format. “Piece Of The Sky” (14:18) is the epic of the album and has a more original sound in comparison to the previous songs. I heard a mixture of influences including early Queen, Genesis, Led Zeppelin and Yes (especially around the 5 minute mark). It’s also, in my opinion, one of the best epics of the year.

Prognaut

“I Wouldn’t Change A Thing” (6:49) is a catchy hard rockin’ song that could easily be the lead single. This is one of those songs that sticks in your mind long after it’s over. It’s also one of my favorites of the album.

“Above” (10:27) starts off in a straight forward hard rocking of a song then morphs into a symphonic sound with gorgeous slide guitar playing. It returns to that hard rocking groove.

“Everyday” (4:56) is another accessible track that could be the second single off the album and very catchy from start to end. There’s a vocal part that reminds me of “Keep Me Hanging’ On” (originally done by The Supremes and famously covered by Vanilla Fudge).

The vibe continues with “The Ultimate Thrill” (6:34) and the heaviest song on the album. This song has the least amount of progressive rock but that’s okay because it doesn’t need to be for a good song.

Closing off the album is “Only My Blood” (13:00) the second longest epic on the album. The quieter parts are counterbalanced by a hard rock element. It contains some excellent guitar and keyboard solos. It ends with some birdsong and running water. A perfect way to end an album.

If you’ve enjoyed Hasse’s vocals in The Flower Kings and always wanted to hear an album full of them, then go no further. You’ll get your wish fulfilled and then some. The musicians backing Hasse here sounds like a professional seasoned band. Future Past is one of the better debuts of 2010 and gets my highest recommendation.]]> Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:23:42 GMT 4CE904A042CF209D1F00C7A7B2C0CB35 Stark Music Review of FuturePast (December 2010) http://hassefroberg.com/reviews.cfm?feature=1974112&postid=655810 &nbsp;Former Spellbound, current Flower Kings singer Hasse Fr&ouml;berg has now compiled all his musical ideas into a masterful musical melting pot. He actually has invited some former Spellbound colleagues to accompany him, such as bass player Thomsson and drummer Ola Strandberg. Besides these fellas there are ace guitarist Anton Lindsj&ouml; and keyboard player Kjell Haraldsson. If you&rsquo;re expecting the good old melodic 80s metal of Spellbound, forget it. If you&rsquo;re however a latter day fan of Hasse&rsquo;s where his vocal performance in The Flower Kings is of your liking, you should definitely check this out. HFMC is a highly progressive/symphonic band in the vein of The Flower Kings, but actually with a more melodic edge, still very heavy at times though. There are actually even hints of Saga in places. In the later part of &ldquo;Fallen Empire&rdquo; for example, where the chorus has more of an AOR/pomp-touch. I also hear influences of Yes and Genesis in the subsequent &ldquo;Song For July&rdquo;. Hasse feels a bit more relaxed and free vocally compared to The Flower Kings, more akin to what he did in Spellbound, but with a more mature touch. The songs are very well constructed and the arrangements are killer. A song like 14 minute &ldquo;Piece Of The Sky&rdquo; NEVER gets boring, on the contrary, it keeps surprising you all the time. With Queen-like precision the song slithers seamlessly from poppy sing-along parts, though heavy guitar riffs to proggy parts. These are some great musicians, too, I must say! Lindsj&ouml; is one hell of a guitar player that at times shows quite a jazzy side to his playing, which gives the songs yet another dimension. &ldquo;Above&rdquo; is yet another killer track which also moves through several musical dimensions, starting out with a dead heavy riff that changes into a subtle Pink Floydish landscape with Lindsj&ouml; sounding like he was breast fed with Gilmour&rsquo;s smooth guitar melodies. This is nothing short of awesome! No offence to The Flower Kings, but I personally like this way more! For some reason I kept thinking about the golden oldie &ldquo;You Keep Me Hangin&rsquo; On&rdquo; when I listen to &ldquo;Everyday&rdquo;. Never mind, it&rsquo;s probably just my ears. &ldquo;The Ultimate Thrill&rdquo; has to be my absolute favourite track, though. This is HEAVY rock!! Old school classic heavy rock with concrete heavy guitars &aacute; la carte! Awesome, indeed! <a href="http://starkmusicreviews.blogspot.com/">Stark Music Reviews
Stark Music Reviews
]]> Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:21:21 GMT E7EC47CCC8802E7DDA5D93A8C7F8B344 Review of FuturePast (For our Greek Friends) (October 12, 2010) http://hassefroberg.com/reviews.cfm?feature=1974112&postid=655804 &nbsp;&Eta; &sigma;&upsilon;&gamma;&kappa;&epsilon;&kappa;&rho;&iota;&mu;?&nu;&eta; &kappa;&rho;&iota;&tau;&iota;&kappa;? &theta;&alpha; &mu;&pi;&omicron;&rho;&omicron;?&sigma;&epsilon; &nu;&alpha; &pi;&epsilon;&rho;&iota;&sigma;&tau;&rho;?&phi;&epsilon;&tau;&alpha;&iota; &gamma;?&rho;&omega; &alpha;&pi;? &tau;&eta;&nu; &alpha;&pi;&omicron;&theta;?&omega;&sigma;&eta; &tau;&omega;&nu; Flower Kings &kappa;&alpha;&iota; &tau;&omega;&nu; &delta;&iota;&alpha;&phi;?&rho;&omega;&nu; projects &mu;&epsilon; &tau;&alpha; &omicron;&pi;&omicron;?&alpha; &alpha;&sigma;&chi;&omicron;&lambda;&omicron;?&nu;&tau;&alpha;&iota; &kappa;&alpha;&tau;? &kappa;&alpha;&iota;&rho;&omicron;?&sigmaf; &tau;&alpha; &mu;?&lambda;&eta; &tau;&eta;&sigmaf; &mu;&pi;?&nu;&tau;&alpha;&sigmaf;, &alpha;&lambda;&lambda;? &alpha;&sigmaf; &pi;&rho;&omicron;&sigma;&pi;&alpha;&theta;?&sigma;&omicron;&upsilon;&mu;&epsilon; &nu;&alpha; '&mu;&alpha;&sigma;&tau;&epsilon; &pi;&iota;&omicron; &pi;&epsilon;&rho;&iota;&gamma;&rho;&alpha;&phi;&iota;&kappa;&omicron;? &kappa;&alpha;&iota; &lambda;&iota;&gamma;?&tau;&epsilon;&rho;&omicron; &upsilon;&pi;&epsilon;&rho;&beta;&omicron;&lambda;&iota;&kappa;&omicron;? &gamma;?&rho;&omega; &alpha;&pi;? &tau;&eta; &sigma;&upsilon;&gamma;&kappa;&epsilon;&kappa;&rho;&iota;&mu;?&nu;&eta; &kappa;&upsilon;&kappa;&lambda;&omicron;&phi;&omicron;&rho;?&alpha;. &Omicron; Hasse Fr&ouml;berg, &lambda;&omicron;&iota;&pi;?&nu;, &tau;&rho;&alpha;&gamma;&omicron;&upsilon;&delta;&iota;&sigma;&tau;?&sigmaf; &kappa;&alpha;&iota; &rho;&upsilon;&theta;&mu;&iota;&kappa;?&sigmaf; &kappa;&iota;&theta;&alpha;&rho;?&sigma;&tau;&alpha;&sigmaf; &sigma;&tau;&omicron;&upsilon;&sigmaf; Flower Kings, &sigma;&upsilon;&nu;?&theta;&omega;&sigmaf; &sigma;&tau;&eta; &sigma;&upsilon;&nu;&theta;&epsilon;&tau;&iota;&kappa;? &sigma;&kappa;&iota;? &tau;&omicron;&upsilon; &mu;&epsilon;&gamma;?&lambda;&omicron;&upsilon; Roine Stolt, &delta;&epsilon;&nu; &epsilon;?&chi;&epsilon; &mu;?&chi;&rho;&iota; &sigma;&tau;&iota;&gamma;&mu;?&sigmaf; &tau;&eta;&nu; &epsilon;&upsilon;&kappa;&alpha;&iota;&rho;?&alpha; &nu;&alpha; &epsilon;&pi;&iota;&delta;&epsilon;?&xi;&epsilon;&iota; &tau;&iota;&sigmaf; &iota;&kappa;&alpha;&nu;?&tau;&eta;&tau;?&sigmaf; &tau;&omicron;&upsilon; &sigma;&epsilon; &kappa;?&pi;&omicron;&iota;&omicron; &sigma;&upsilon;&gamma;&kappa;&epsilon;&kappa;&rho;&iota;&mu;?&nu;&omicron; project, &epsilon;&nu;&tau;?&sigmaf; &tau;&eta;&sigmaf; Flower Kings &theta;&eta;&tau;&epsilon;?&alpha;&sigmaf; &tau;&omicron;&upsilon;. ?&tau;&sigma;&iota; &lambda;&omicron;&iota;&pi;?&nu;, &mu;&iota;&alpha;&sigmaf; &kappa;&alpha;&iota; &mu;&epsilon;&sigma;&omicron;&lambda;?&beta;&eta;&sigma;&alpha;&nu; &kappa;&alpha;&iota; &sigma;&chi;&epsilon;&delta;?&nu; &tau;&rho;?&alpha; &chi;&rho;?&nu;&iota;&alpha; &alpha;&pi;? &tau;&omicron; &quot;The Sum Of All Evil&quot;, &alpha;&pi;&omicron;&phi;?&sigma;&iota;&sigma;&epsilon; &kappa;&alpha;&iota; &alpha;&upsilon;&tau;?&sigmaf; &nu;&alpha; &mu;&alpha;&sigmaf; &delta;?&sigma;&epsilon;&iota; &delta;&epsilon;?&gamma;&mu;&alpha;&tau;&alpha; &tau;&eta;&sigmaf; &sigma;&upsilon;&nu;&theta;&epsilon;&tau;&iota;&kappa;?&sigmaf; &tau;&omicron;&upsilon; &alpha;&xi;?&alpha;&sigmaf;, &mu;&iota;&alpha;&sigmaf; &kappa;&alpha;&iota; ?&sigma;&omicron;&nu; &alpha;&phi;&omicron;&rho;? &tau;&omicron; &phi;&omega;&nu;&eta;&tau;&iota;&kappa;? &mu;?&rho;&omicron;&sigmaf; &eta; &delta;&omicron;&upsilon;&lambda;&epsilon;&iota;? &tau;&omicron;&upsilon; &omega;&sigmaf; &gamma;&nu;&omega;&sigma;&tau;?&nu; ?&tau;&alpha;&nu; &epsilon;&xi;&alpha;&iota;&rho;&epsilon;&tau;&iota;&kappa;?. &Omicron;&iota; Musical Companion, ?&pi;&omega;&sigmaf; &lambda;?&gamma;&epsilon;&tau;&alpha;&iota; &eta; &pi;&alpha;&rho;&epsilon;&omicron;?&lambda;&alpha; &mu;&omicron;&upsilon;&sigma;&iota;&kappa;?&nu; &pi;&omicron;&upsilon; &epsilon;&pi;?&lambda;&epsilon;&xi;&epsilon; &omicron; Hasse &nu;&alpha; &tau;&omicron;&nu; &sigma;&upsilon;&nu;&tau;&rho;&omicron;&phi;?&psi;&epsilon;&iota; &sigma;&tau;&omicron; &nu;&tau;&epsilon;&mu;&pi;&omicron;?&tau;&omicron; ?&lambda;&mu;&pi;&omicron;&upsilon;&mu; &tau;&omicron;&upsilon;, &quot;Future Past&quot;, &epsilon;&nu; &omicron;&lambda;?&gamma;&omicron;&iota;&sigmaf; &alpha;&pi;&omicron;&tau;&epsilon;&lambda;&omicron;?&nu; &tau;&eta;&nu; &iota;&delta;&alpha;&nu;&iota;&kappa;? &epsilon;&kappa;&tau;&epsilon;&lambda;&epsilon;&sigma;&tau;&iota;&kappa;? &sigma;&upsilon;&nu;&omicron;&delta;&epsilon;?&alpha; &gamma;&iota;&alpha; &tau;&omicron; ?&rho;&alpha;&mu;? &tau;&omicron;&upsilon;. &Kappa;&alpha;&iota; &epsilon;&kappa;&epsilon;? &pi;&omicron;&upsilon; &alpha;&nu;&alpha;&rho;&omega;&tau;&iota;?&sigma;&alpha;&iota; &kappa;&alpha;&tau;? &pi;?&sigma;&omicron; &mu;&pi;&omicron;&rho;&epsilon;? &pi;&lambda;?&omicron;&nu; ?&nu;&alpha; &tau;?&tau;&omicron;&iota;&omicron; project &nu;&alpha; &pi;&rho;&omicron;&sigma;&phi;?&rho;&epsilon;&iota; &kappa;?&tau;&iota; &pi;&rho;&omega;&tau;&omicron;&pi;&omicron;&rho;&iota;&alpha;&kappa;? &kappa;&alpha;&iota; &phi;&rho;?&sigma;&kappa;&omicron; &gamma;?&rho;&omega; &alpha;&pi;? &tau;&omicron;&nu; (&kappa;&lambda;&alpha;&sigma;&iota;&kappa;? &pi;&iota;&alpha;) &sigma;&omicron;&upsilon;&eta;&delta;&iota;&kappa;? ?&chi;&omicron;, &omicron; &omicron;&pi;&omicron;?&omicron;&sigmaf; &pi;&epsilon;&rho;&iota;&sigma;&tau;&rho;?&phi;&epsilon;&tau;&alpha;&iota; &gamma;?&rho;&omega; &alpha;&pi;? &tau;&omicron; progressive rock &phi;&upsilon;&sigma;&iota;&kappa;?, ?&rho;&chi;&epsilon;&tau;&alpha;&iota; ?&nu;&alpha; &quot;Future Past&quot; &nu;&alpha; &delta;&iota;?&xi;&epsilon;&iota; &kappa;?&theta;&epsilon; &alpha;&mu;&phi;&iota;&beta;&omicron;&lambda;?&alpha;. &Sigma;&chi;&epsilon;&delta;?&nu; &tau;&alpha;&upsilon;&tau;?&chi;&rho;&omicron;&nu;&alpha; &mu;&epsilon; &tau;&omicron; &delta;&epsilon;?&tau;&epsilon;&rho;&omicron; ?&lambda;&mu;&pi;&omicron;&upsilon;&mu; &tau;&omega;&nu; Agents Of Mercy (&quot;Dramarama&quot;), &tau;&eta;&nu; ?&lambda;&lambda;&eta; &mu;&pi;?&nu;&tau;&alpha; &tau;&omicron;&upsilon; Roine Stolt, &kappa;&epsilon;&rho;&delta;?&zeta;&epsilon;&iota; &sigma;&tau;&alpha; &sigma;&eta;&mu;&epsilon;?&alpha; &kappa;&alpha;&iota; &alpha;&pi;&omicron;&tau;&epsilon;&lambda;&epsilon;? &mu;&iota;&alpha; &iota;&sigma;&chi;&upsilon;&rho;? &delta;?&lambda;&omega;&sigma;&eta; &tau;&omicron;&upsilon; Hasse Fr&ouml;berg &kappa;&alpha;&iota; &chi;&omega;&rho;?&sigmaf; &tau;&alpha; &phi;&iota;&lambda;&alpha;&rho;?&kappa;&iota;&alpha; &tau;&omicron;&upsilon; &alpha;&pi;? &tau;&omicron;&upsilon;&sigmaf; Flower Kings. &Tau;&omicron; &quot;Future Past&quot;, &lambda;&omicron;&iota;&pi;?&nu;, &phi;?&rho;&nu;&epsilon;&iota; &epsilon;&gamma;&gamma;?&tau;&epsilon;&rho;&alpha; &tau;&omicron;&nu; &kappa;&lambda;&alpha;&sigma;&iota;&kappa;? ?&chi;&omicron; &tau;&omega;&nu; '70s, &mu;&epsilon; &mu;&iota;&alpha; &pi;&iota;&omicron; &phi;&rho;?&sigma;&kappa;&iota;&alpha; &alpha;&nu;&tau;?&lambda;&eta;&psi;&eta;, &kappa;&alpha;&iota; &sigma;&upsilon;&nu;&delta;&upsilon;?&zeta;&epsilon;&iota; &tau;&iota;&sigmaf; progressive rock &kappa;&alpha;&tau;&alpha;&beta;&omicron;&lambda;?&sigmaf; &tau;&omicron;&upsilon; Hasse Fr&ouml;berg &kappa;&alpha;&iota; &tau;&omega;&nu; Flower Kings &mu;&epsilon; &pi;&iota;&omicron; &laquo;&pi;&iota;&alpha;&sigma;?&rho;&iota;&kappa;&alpha;&raquo; &pi;&epsilon;&rho;?&sigma;&mu;&alpha;&tau;&alpha;, &sigma;&epsilon; &kappa;&omicron;&mu;&mu;?&tau;&iota;&alpha; ?&pi;&omega;&sigmaf; &tau;&omicron; &quot;Piece Of The Sky&quot;. &Kappa;&alpha;&iota; &eta; &zeta;&epsilon;&sigma;&tau;&alpha;&sigma;&iota;? &tau;&eta;&sigmaf; &phi;&omega;&nu;?&sigmaf; &tau;&omicron;&upsilon; Fr&ouml;berg, &sigma;&epsilon; &sigma;&upsilon;&nu;&delta;&upsilon;&alpha;&sigma;&mu;? &mu;&epsilon; &tau;&iota;&sigmaf; &gamma;&lambda;&upsilon;&kappa;?&tau;&alpha;&tau;&epsilon;&sigmaf; &mu;&epsilon;&lambda;&omega;&delta;?&epsilon;&sigmaf;, &omicron;&iota; &omicron;&pi;&omicron;?&epsilon;&sigmaf; &beta;&rho;?&sigma;&kappa;&omicron;&nu;&tau;&alpha;&iota; &delta;&iota;?&sigma;&pi;&alpha;&rho;&tau;&epsilon;&sigmaf; &sigma;&tau;&omicron; &delta;?&sigma;&kappa;&omicron;, &pi;&rho;&omicron;&kappa;&alpha;&lambda;&epsilon;? &gamma;&iota;&alpha; &sigma;&upsilon;&nu;&epsilon;&chi;&epsilon;?&sigmaf; &alpha;&kappa;&rho;&omicron;?&sigma;&epsilon;&iota;&sigmaf;. &Sigma;&upsilon;&nu;&omicron;&lambda;&iota;&kappa;? &omicron; &delta;?&sigma;&kappa;&omicron;&sigmaf; &alpha;&phi;?&nu;&epsilon;&iota; &mu;&iota;&alpha; ?&mu;&omicron;&rho;&phi;&eta; &rho;&epsilon;&tau;&rho;? &epsilon;&iota;&kappa;?&nu;&alpha;, &pi;&iota;&omicron; &laquo;classic rock&raquo; &sigma;&epsilon; &sigma;&chi;?&sigma;&eta; &mu;&epsilon; &tau;&omicron; &alpha;&nu;&alpha;&mu;&epsilon;&nu;?&mu;&epsilon;&nu;&omicron;, &alpha;&lambda;&lambda;? &kappa;&alpha;&iota; ?&sigma;&omicron; progressive &kappa;&alpha;&iota; &delta;?&sigma;&tau;&rho;&omicron;&pi;&eta; &chi;&rho;&epsilon;&iota;?&zeta;&epsilon;&tau;&alpha;&iota; &gamma;&iota;&alpha; &nu;&alpha; &chi;&alpha;&rho;&alpha;&kappa;&tau;&eta;&rho;?&sigma;&epsilon;&iota; &kappa;&alpha;&iota; &tau;&iota;&sigmaf; &beta;&lambda;?&psi;&epsilon;&iota;&sigmaf; (&kappa;&alpha;&iota; &tau;&alpha; &pi;&epsilon;&pi;&rho;&alpha;&gamma;&mu;?&nu;&alpha;) &tau;&omicron;&upsilon; &delta;&eta;&mu;&iota;&omicron;&upsilon;&rho;&gamma;&omicron;? &tau;&omicron;&upsilon;. &Delta;&epsilon;&nu; &xi;?&rho;&omega; &kappa;&alpha;&tau;? &pi;?&sigma;&omicron; &theta;&alpha; &mu;&pi;&omicron;&rho;?&sigma;&epsilon;&iota; &nu;&alpha; &alpha;&phi;?&sigma;&epsilon;&iota; &tau;&omicron; &sigma;&tau;?&gamma;&mu;&alpha; &tau;&omicron;&upsilon; &sigma;&tau;&omicron;&nu; &kappa;&lambda;&epsilon;&iota;&sigma;&tau;? progressive rock &kappa;?&kappa;&lambda;&omicron; &tau;&eta;&sigmaf; &chi;&rho;&omicron;&nu;&iota;?&sigmaf;, &alpha;&lambda;&lambda;? ?&sigma;&omicron;&nu; &alpha;&phi;&omicron;&rho;? &tau;&eta; &theta;?&sigma;&eta; &tau;&omicron;&upsilon; &sigma;&tau;&alpha; &kappa;&alpha;&lambda;?&tau;&epsilon;&rho;&alpha; &tau;&eta;&nu; &kappa;&epsilon;&rho;&delta;?&zeta;&epsilon;&iota; &epsilon;&pi;?&xi;&iota;&alpha;, &mu;&iota;&alpha;&sigmaf; &kappa;&alpha;&iota; &epsilon;&nu; &alpha;&pi;&omicron;&upsilon;&sigma;?&alpha; &tau;&omega;&nu; &mu;&epsilon;&gamma;?&lambda;&omega;&nu; (&kappa;&alpha;&iota; &upsilon;&pi;&omicron;&tau;&iota;&mu;&eta;&mu;?&nu;&omega;&nu;) Flower Kings &epsilon;?&nu;&alpha;&iota; ?&nu;&alpha; ?&lambda;&mu;&pi;&omicron;&upsilon;&mu; &pi;&omicron;&upsilon; &alpha;&pi;&omicron;&delta;&epsilon;&iota;&kappa;&nu;?&epsilon;&iota; ?&tau;&iota; &omicron;&iota; &mu;&omicron;&nu;?&delta;&epsilon;&sigmaf; &pi;&omicron;&upsilon; &tau;&omicron;&upsilon;&sigmaf; &alpha;&pi;&omicron;&tau;&epsilon;&lambda;&omicron;?&nu; &epsilon;?&nu;&alpha;&iota; &iota;&kappa;&alpha;&nu;?&sigmaf; &gamma;&iota;&alpha; &epsilon;&nu;&delta;&iota;&alpha;&phi;?&rho;&omicron;&nu;&tau;&alpha; &pi;&rho;?&gamma;&mu;&alpha;&tau;&alpha; &kappa;&alpha;&iota; &alpha;&nu;&alpha;&nu;&epsilon;&omega;&tau;&iota;&kappa;?. &Omicron; Hasse &tau;&alpha; &kappa;&alpha;&tau;?&phi;&epsilon;&rho;&epsilon;, ?&pi;&omega;&sigmaf; &kappa;&alpha;&iota; &omicron;&iota; Karmakanic &pi;&rho;&iota;&nu; &lambda;?&gamma;&omicron; &kappa;&alpha;&iota;&rho;?, ? &omicron;&iota; Tangent &mu;&epsilon; &tau;&alpha; &pi;&rho;?&tau;&alpha; &tau;&omicron;&upsilon;&sigmaf; ?&lambda;&mu;&pi;&omicron;&upsilon;&mu;. &Eta; &sigma;&omicron;&upsilon;&eta;&delta;&iota;&kappa;? &laquo;&pi;&alpha;&rho;&omicron;&iota;&kappa;?&alpha;&raquo; &gamma;?&rho;&omega; &alpha;&pi;? &tau;&omicron;&upsilon;&sigmaf; Flower Kings ?&chi;&epsilon;&iota; &alpha;&nu;&theta;?&sigma;&epsilon;&iota; &kappa;&alpha;&iota; &tau;&omicron; ?&rho;&omega;&mu;&alpha; &pi;&omicron;&upsilon; &alpha;&phi;?&nu;&epsilon;&iota; &epsilon;&upsilon;&omega;&delta;&iota;?&zeta;&epsilon;&iota; &omicron;&lambda;&omicron;?&nu;&alpha; &kappa;&alpha;&iota; &pi;&iota;&omicron; ?&nu;&tau;&omicron;&nu;&alpha;. &Pi;?&nu;&omicron;&sigmaf; &Pi;&alpha;&pi;?&zeta;&omicron;&gamma;&lambda;&omicron;
Οι Musical Companion, ?πως λ?γεται η παρεο?λα μουσικ?ν που επ?λεξε ο Hasse να τον συντροφ?ψει στο ντεμπο?το ?λμπουμ του, "Future Past", εν ολ?γοις αποτελο?ν την ιδανικ? εκτελεστικ? συνοδε?α για το ?ραμ? του. Και εκε? που αναρωτι?σαι κατ? π?σο μπορε? πλ?ον ?να τ?τοιο project να προσφ?ρει κ?τι πρωτοποριακ? και φρ?σκο γ?ρω απ? τον (κλασικ? πια) σουηδικ? ?χο, ο οπο?ος περιστρ?φεται γ?ρω απ? το progressive rock φυσικ?, ?ρχεται ?να "Future Past" να δι?ξει κ?θε αμφιβολ?α. Σχεδ?ν ταυτ?χρονα με το δε?τερο ?λμπουμ των Agents Of Mercy ("Dramarama"), την ?λλη μπ?ντα του Roine Stolt, κερδ?ζει στα σημε?α και αποτελε? μια ισχυρ? δ?λωση του Hasse Fröberg και χωρ?ς τα φιλαρ?κια του απ? τους Flower Kings.

Το "Future Past", λοιπ?ν, φ?ρνει εγγ?τερα τον κλασικ? ?χο των '70s, με μια πιο φρ?σκια αντ?ληψη, και συνδυ?ζει τις progressive rock καταβολ?ς του Hasse Fröberg και των Flower Kings με πιο «πιασ?ρικα» περ?σματα, σε κομμ?τια ?πως το "Piece Of The Sky". Και η ζεστασι? της φων?ς του Fröberg, σε συνδυασμ? με τις γλυκ?τατες μελωδ?ες, οι οπο?ες βρ?σκονται δι?σπαρτες στο δ?σκο, προκαλε? για συνεχε?ς ακρο?σεις. Συνολικ? ο δ?σκος αφ?νει μια ?μορφη ρετρ? εικ?να, πιο «classic rock» σε σχ?ση με το αναμεν?μενο, αλλ? και ?σο progressive και δ?στροπη χρει?ζεται για να χαρακτηρ?σει και τις βλ?ψεις (και τα πεπραγμ?να) του δημιουργο? του.

Δεν ξ?ρω κατ? π?σο θα μπορ?σει να αφ?σει το στ?γμα του στον κλειστ? progressive rock κ?κλο της χρονι?ς, αλλ? ?σον αφορ? τη θ?ση του στα καλ?τερα την κερδ?ζει επ?ξια, μιας και εν απουσ?α των μεγ?λων (και υποτιμημ?νων) Flower Kings ε?ναι ?να ?λμπουμ που αποδεικν?ει ?τι οι μον?δες που τους αποτελο?ν ε?ναι ικαν?ς για ενδιαφ?ροντα πρ?γματα και ανανεωτικ?. Ο Hasse τα κατ?φερε, ?πως και οι Karmakanic πριν λ?γο καιρ?, ? οι Tangent με τα πρ?τα τους ?λμπουμ. Η σουηδικ? «παροικ?α» γ?ρω απ? τους Flower Kings ?χει ανθ?σει και το ?ρωμα που αφ?νει ευωδι?ζει ολο?να και πιο ?ντονα.

Π?νος Παπ?ζογλο]]> Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:19:38 GMT 196099A2AA01BD3AEAA27DEF942D915B Review of HFMC by Gert for Harmonic Lizard (August 20, 2010) http://hassefroberg.com/reviews.cfm?feature=1974112&postid=655803 &nbsp;Hasse Fr&ouml;berg &amp; Musical Companion &ndash; Future past Who doesn&rsquo;t know the name Hasse Fr&ouml;berg? Afterall he is the vocalist and guitarist of one of the best progressive rock acts on our planet: The Flower Kings (TFK). Before that he played in bands as Spellbound (fun add: check the site of Hasse and you will see a hair metal band picture!!) and Solid Blue before joining The Flower Kings after being asked by Roine Stolt. Since TFK had a break in 2009, besides a few live gigs, Hasse started with another band . Let me state one thing first. When you are on of those people who wants to consume music without even really wanting to listen to the album you might miss out on stuff that is neatly hidden away in layers of music. For instance when you listen to the track &ldquo;Song for July&rdquo; you might think it&rsquo;s a simple straight forward progressive rock song and push the next button. But when doing that you will miss the jazzy keyboards woven into the music which all of a sudden makes the track far less easy and straight forward. Some influences you hear would be TFK (of course) Pink Floyd and at times Spock&rsquo;s Beard. The album itself, which lasts for 71ish minutes, opens up with &ldquo;Sounds from the empire&rdquo; which sounds a bit Floydian and get&rsquo;s continued with the track &ldquo;Fallen empire&rdquo; which has a bit of an orchestral feeling over it, of course without even needing an orchestra to make that happen. &ldquo;Piece of the sky&rdquo; could be a TFK track but around the 5th minute mark it becomes all of a sudden a bit catchy. See if would have pressed play next again you would have missed another thing! &ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t change a thing&rdquo; would be a great track for an single or EP. Catchy track which still lasts for 6:49 minutes. &ldquo;Above&rdquo; is walking between progressive rock and progressive metal and if you make the same mistake as me and put up the volume you might get someone knocking on your door too telling you the music sounds good but a bit to loud in the metal passages. The last three tracks of the album are &ldquo;Every day&rdquo; which is a bit to poppy to me even with the good sounding keyboard solo, &ldquo;The ultimate thrill&rdquo; which blasts out of the speakers and as the grand final &ldquo;Only my blood&rdquo; which starts off as a ballad but quickly explodes between the progressive rock and metal mix as mentioned before. Conclusion? About a week ago i said that with the &ldquo;Godsticks - Spiral Vendetta&rdquo; album i had found a top then for the year 2010 album. &ldquo;Future past&rdquo; belongs in there too and i dare to say it&rsquo;s even closer to the top 3 as the Godsticks album will be. Top quality album being played by top quality musicians. Progressive rock/metal with a little bit of jazz hidden away is what you will get. A must in everybody&rsquo;s cd-wall at home which means a buy for me to since i work with a review copy. 95/100 Reviewed By Gert For Harmonic Lizard <a target="_new" href="http://www.harmoniclizard.com/?q=node/179">Harmonic Lizard
Who doesn’t know the name Hasse Fröberg? Afterall he is the vocalist and guitarist of one of the best progressive rock acts on our planet: The Flower Kings (TFK). Before that he played in bands as Spellbound (fun add: check the site of Hasse and you will see a hair metal band picture!!) and Solid Blue before joining The Flower Kings after being asked by Roine Stolt. Since TFK had a break in 2009, besides a few live gigs, Hasse started with another band .

Let me state one thing first. When you are on of those people who wants to consume music without even really wanting to listen to the album you might miss out on stuff that is neatly hidden away in layers of music. For instance when you listen to the track “Song for July” you might think it’s a simple straight forward progressive rock song and push the next button. But when doing that you will miss the jazzy keyboards woven into the music which all of a sudden makes the track far less easy and straight forward.

Some influences you hear would be TFK (of course) Pink Floyd and at times Spock’s Beard. The album itself, which lasts for 71ish minutes, opens up with “Sounds from the empire” which sounds a bit Floydian and get’s continued with the track “Fallen empire” which has a bit of an orchestral feeling over it, of course without even needing an orchestra to make that happen. “Piece of the sky” could be a TFK track but around the 5th minute mark it becomes all of a sudden a bit catchy. See if would have pressed play next again you would have missed another thing!

“I wouldn’t change a thing” would be a great track for an single or EP. Catchy track which still lasts for 6:49 minutes. “Above” is walking between progressive rock and progressive metal and if you make the same mistake as me and put up the volume you might get someone knocking on your door too telling you the music sounds good but a bit to loud in the metal passages.

The last three tracks of the album are “Every day” which is a bit to poppy to me even with the good sounding keyboard solo, “The ultimate thrill” which blasts out of the speakers and as the grand final “Only my blood” which starts off as a ballad but quickly explodes between the progressive rock and metal mix as mentioned before.

Conclusion? About a week ago i said that with the “Godsticks - Spiral Vendetta” album i had found a top then for the year 2010 album. “Future past” belongs in there too and i dare to say it’s even closer to the top 3 as the Godsticks album will be. Top quality album being played by top quality musicians. Progressive rock/metal with a little bit of jazz hidden away is what you will get. A must in everybody’s cd-wall at home which means a buy for me to since i work with a review copy.

95/100 Reviewed By Gert For Harmonic Lizard
Harmonic Lizard
]]> Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:17:27 GMT CE18248660D7B2F867E4F713D65043B9