Magnus Karlsson's Free Fall 2013

Magnus Karlsson is guitarist for heavy metal band Primal Fear. He also can be found in several projects, notably in Allen/Lande and Kiske/Sommerville projects. This album is his debut as lead project with a new band simply called Magnus Karlsson's Free Fall. Taking that so many singers in debt for his help, he seems easy to get his payback. By inviting an eye rising number of good singer, this album surely need to check out.

All materials in this album are equal in term of quality and style. Free Fall as the introduction track make sure the listener that they are listening to a guitarist's solo album. Brief instrumental intro in thick orchestration started this song. The style is power metal and Russell Allen come alive again with this catchy tunes. Not less catchy is Higher, using the over familiar minor power metal riff, this song to feature Ralf Scheepers. Up to this point let's stop reviewing per track as I will use the same wording for every songs that comes in same formula. The other way Magnus ideas are in keyboard orientated melodic metal songs. The group of song fall into this approach are Heading Out and Ready Or Not. These two sung by Magnus himself, along with ballad-metal On Fire, which is actually surprisingly see Magnus' strong vocal as well. We also got super epic symphonic metal tracks, the most powerful is in Fighting. Our Time Has Come, Last Tribe, Dreamers & Hunters also can be described as the same symphonic metal. What else, Stronger is piano ballad, something sounds fit to Avantasia. Not My Saviour and Us Against the World are yet another power metal beat that use melodic keyboard intro instead of guitar.

You not going to disappoint with this project if your name is power metal. With bunch of world class singers, Magnus did not let them wasted. Instead the songs are well deserved to be sung by them. Compare to two multi singer projects we received in this year, Avantasia's Mystery of Time and Timo Tolkki's Land of New Hope, Magnus Karlsson's can go head to head with this different line up. Free Fall is one singer per song as opposed to those two which is gone as opera with multi singer per song. The instrument execution is out of discussion, they are just first class track, both Magnus and his drummer Daniel Flores. The cover artwork is best welcoming visual art to his album. Surprise yourself with this release.

Metal Harem class: ********* nine stars out of ten

Magnus Karlsson's Free Fall 2013
Buy it Here - Amazon

1. Free Fall - feat Russell Allen (Symphony X, Adrenaline Mob)
2. Higher - feat Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear)
3. Heading Out
4. Stronger - feat Tony Harnell (Starbreaker, TNT, Westworld)
5. Not My Saviour - feat Rick Altzi (Masterplan, At Vance, Thunderstone, Herman Franck)
6. Us Against The World - feat David Readman (Pink Cream 69, Missa Mercuria, Voodoo Circle)
7. Our Time Has Come - feat Mark Boals (Iron Mask, Yngwie Malmsteen)
8. Ready Or Not
9. Last Tribe - feat Rickard Bengtsson (Last Tribe, Armageddon)
10. Fighting - feat Herman Saming (Last Tribe, Locomotive Breath)
11. Dreamers & Hunters - feat Michael Andersson (Cloudscape , Fullforce)
12. On Fire
13. Stronger (Acoustic) (Japan Bonus)

Magnus Karlsson Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Vocals on "Heading Out", "Ready or Not", "On Fire"
Daniel Flores (Mind's Eye, Full Force) Drums
Magnus Karlsson Producer
Daniel Flores Mixing, Mastering

Magnus Karlsson Free Fall album review