Lugnet: Tales From the Great Beyond

Tales From the Great Beyond is the third studio album by Swedish 70’s inspired hard rock and heavy metal band Lugnet, whose fabulous lineup consists of Johan Fahlberg on lead vocals (Jaded Heart, Insania), Lennart “Z� Zethzon on bass guitars (Clifftones), Matti Norlin on guitars (Badge, Urban Clash), Fredrik Jansson-Punkka on drums (Angel Witch, Wooden Fields), and Micke Linder also on guitars.

The charismatic and energetic heavy rockers are back after a very positively acclaimed sophomore album Nightwalker (2019) and this time the riffs, the bass lines, the vocals, and the drumming are even better, bigger, and catchier. The influences are very notable, lot of early Purple and Sabbath, a little of Judas Priest here, some early Van Halen over there, a pinch of Witchcraft, and some DIO era Rainbow too, nothing can go wrong when you blend all these together… the result is quite a tasty shake!

“Still a Sinner� opens the album and the love at first listen is immediate, those first chords already provide a glimpse of all the goodness that will come after. The guitar work is fantastic, heavy, and epic, vocals sound like a mix of Gillan, Lee Roth, Coverdale, and Ronnie, with a very efficient range and impressive high pitch screaming that will appeal to every classic hard rock and heavy metal fan. “In Harvest Time� kicks off with a doomy vibe and a guitar soloing that rapidly evolves into a fast & furious Uriah Heep-style heavy rocker, cool song. With “Another World� the band delivers the first mini epic song of the album, at first an atmosphere that’s more on the sludgy side of metal, with a couple of minutes in the middle that somehow reminds me of Kill The King (Rainbow) both in its speed and rhythmic performance… and then, towards the end, some Sabbath flares from the "Disturbing the Priest" era, a song that I see becoming a classic in the band’s catalog for years to come. “Out of My System� could easily be a song taken from VHII or Fair Warning, a good old school rocker with great hooks and melodies, plus the phenomenal guitar work once again. “Svarv� is a beautiful instrumental track where neoclassical guitars get smartly entangled (and some other cool instruments too!) to deliver a moment of pause, peace, and medieval happiness to the experience. Modern 70’s inspired hard rock return with “Eaten Alive�, that same vintage mood that younger Finnish rockers Vintage Caravan accomplish so well, a pristine blend of influences that takes us back to classic heavy rock territory, crafted and executed in the 2020’s with that pungent guitar tonality that becomes hypnotic with time, short but to the point! “Pale Design� is another great rocker with pounding bass lines and fast drumming, a combination tighter as they can get, heavy guitar soloing and vocals that scrape grandiosity, with some similarities to those storm-chasing screams from the "Pictures of Home" era of DP, cool and catchy stuff. The heaviest and grooviest moment of the album comes with “I Can’t Wait� in the form of a straight proto metal output, very Sabbath sounding thanks to the exquisite guitar riffing and licking with simple lyrics that are efficiently used and managed to accompany the music, nothing else, just enough to make it work. “Black Sails� is the second mini epic song clocking slightly over 8 minutes, dark soundscape effects lead the way for more stoner-doom sounding atmosphere that resembles Legend by Witchcraft, heavy, immense, and raw. Can’t say enough about the great guitar work by both Norlin and Linder, is a highlight in almost every song of the album. “Tåsjö Kyrkmarsch� closes the album in an oddly but gratifying way… three plus minutes of melodic organs intricately playing together to announce the end… unique!

Track Listing:

1. Still a Sinner (4:08)
2. In Harvest Time (4:25)
3. Another World (7:15)
4. Out of My System (4:02)
5. Svarv (1:29)
6. Eaten Alive (2:43)
7. Pale Design (4:23)
8. I Can’t Wait (4:33)
9. Black Sails (8:21)
10. Tåsjö Kyrkmarsch (3:16)

Added: July 26th 2022
Reviewer: Jose Antonio Marmol
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 636
Language: english

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