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TALISMAN 7

From page 62 of Classic Rock Magazine November 2006

Cover of November 2006 issue.

Frontiers

Spellbinding melodic rock from veteran Swedes.

With two key members of their original line-up now in high-profile employment – Jeff Scott Soto is ‘deputising’ (although for how long remains to be seen) for Journey singer Steve Augeri after those controversial lipsynching allegations; Fredrik Åkesson is Arch Enemy’s latest second guitar player – one might have thought Talisman had a reasonable excuse if they decided to wind down their sporadic 16-year career.

Instead the Swedish band have dug deep to create a rhythm-conscious yet refreshingly vibrant and radiofriendly album that compares favourably with anything else in their catalogue. Jamie Borger (also drummer with Treat) sits firmly in the driving seat, and ex-Yngwie Malmsteen/Soul SirkUS singer Soto has a stellar voice, but songs like Falling, Nowhere Fast and Rhyme Or Reason are the real stars.

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Dave Ling

GWAR Beyond Hell

DRT

Beyond help.

Full on shockrock, served up in gladiatorial portions, overtly satanic, sexually perverse, a PC anathema; where can GWAR go that they haven’t been before? And there’s the rub: how many times can one be used, abused and sonically sacrificed at the altar of thrash metal before the shock factor is lost?

In fact the shocks come in the form of some searingly clean guitar solos, notably in One Who Will Not Be Named , and dramatically melodious vocals segued into the usual barrage of grind and growl.

So de-sensitised are you by the time the cover of School’s Out hits your aural cavities, it sounds like a nursery rhyme.Bizarrely, on the second listening the lyrics become amusing, leading one to think that maybe even The Ultimate Bohab will need rehab after this.

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Louise Perkins