by Justin Gaines
– Senior Columnist —
In 2013 guitarist/songwriter Magnus Karlsson (Primal Fear, Kiske-Somerville, Starbreaker, Allen-Lande) released his debut solo album, titled Free Fall, which featured guest vocals from several A-list singers who had collaborated with him in the past. Fortunately for Melodic Metal fans, that was not just a one-off project. Karlsson is back (rebranded as Magnus Karlsson’s Free Fall) with a new offering, titled Kingdom of Rock.
Like the Free Fall album, Kingdom of Rock features a who’s who of guest vocalists, including Jorn Lande (Allen-Lande, Jorn), Jakob Samuel (The Poodles), Joe Lynn Turner (Sunstorm, ex-Rainbow, ex-Deep Purple), Tony Martin (ex-Black Sabbath), David Readman (Pink Cream 69), Rick Altzi (Masterplan), Tony Harnell (Starbreaker, ex-TNT, Skid Row), Harry Hess (Harem Scarem) and Rebecca De La Motte. Karlsson himself sings on two tracks, in addition to handling all of the songwriting, guitars and keyboards. Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Pretty Maids) is on hand to produce the album.
Karlsson is arguably the best songwriter in Melodic Hard Rock/Melodic Metal, and he delivers another fantastic album in Kingdom of Rock. The songs range from Melodic Rock to Power Metal, but never get too heavy or too soft. And Karlsson definitely writes to each singer’s strengths. Joe Lynn Turner and Harry Hess get the more relaxed rock songs, while Rick Altzi and David Readman get the more thundering power metal songs. The title track, which features Jorn Lande, is a lot of fun, and brings back the Allen-Lande magic. “Out of the Dark,” with The Poodles’ Jakob Samuel, is another highlight, and hopefully won’t be the last time these two work together. Kingdom of Rock’s finest moment (and arguably one of the best metal songs released this year) is “When the Sky Falls” with Tony Martin. This song is so gloriously epic and vintage Black Sabbath sounding that it will give you chills.
Kingdom of Rock is another first class melodic metal album from Magnus Karlsson. It’s actually probably a stronger album overall than Free Fall in terms of songwriting and production, and obviously the vocals are dynamite. If you’re a fan of any of Karlsson’s previous work – especially Last Tribe and Allen-Lande – Kingdom of Rock is a must-have album. And if you’re a fan of bands like Pretty Maids, Pink Cream 69, TNT and Masterplan, this may just be your new favorite album. It’s definitely a contender for the Best of 2015 list.
Genre: Melodic Metal, Melodic Rock
Band:
Magnus Karlsson (g) (v) (b) (k)
Jaime Salazar (d)
Track Listing:
1. Kingdom of Rock
2. Out of the Dark
3. No Control
4. When the Sky Falls
5. Angel of the Night
6. I Am Coming For You
7. Another Life
8. Never Look Away
9. A Heart So Cold
10. The Right Moment
11. Walk This World Alone
Label: Frontiers Records
Website: www.facebook.com/magnuskarlssonsfreefall
Hardrock Haven rating: 9/10
