Nalle Pahlsson’s Royal Mess | Royal Mess

by Alexandra Mrozowska
– Senior Columnist —

A musician who’s been recognizable and sought-after for years, touring and recording a lot, but still not able to show all his talents – until now. That’s Nalle Påhlsson’s story in a nutshell, as the Swedish bass player has been playing in multitude of bands from Easy Action and Treat to Therion and Vindictiv. Now the time has come for Påhlsson to speak with his own voice – literally and figuratively – as his first solo offering sees the light of day. Recorded under the moniker of Nalle Påhlsson’s Royal Mess, it’s released via MelodicRock Records. What does it stand for? For certain, it’s one of the most impressive and lengthy guest musicians lists ever, from Kee Marcello (ex-Europe) and his former bandmate Ian Haugland to half of the Therion line-up. It’s Chris Laney’s finishing touches in the mixing stage. It’s Nalle Påhlsson as a lead singer, songwriter, producer, rhythm guitar player, keyboardist and bassist – for the very first time. But most importantly, it’s what Melodic Hard Rock should have always been all about.

Don’t be fooled by the grandiose intro to the opening track “Aces High”. It’s nothing but the ‘80s on your time machine, a journey back in time that is keyboard-laden, melodic and shamelessly infectious. A raw, riff-driven piece number two, aptly titled “Hell City”, and its groovy follow-up “Mr. Freedom” have Nalle Påhlsson abandoning Melodic Hard Rock aesthetics for more Sleaze Metal-oriented sound. It’s musical territory occupied by bands such as L.A. Guns he’s gravitating towards. But even with somewhat rough vibe to some of the tracks, the hooks are still unmistakably catchy, a blatant but fine throwback to an era when rock songs equaled earworms and choruses were supposed to be massive. Next is “Gold Digger” with perfectly Leppard-esque backing vocals, a melodic interlude of sorts between the two heavier tracks, “Mr. Freedom” and “Breakout.” The latter assaults one’s ears with a straight-in-your-face chorus, pumping bass and piercing guitar sound, all much in vein of bands like Shotgun Messiah or the aforesaid Guns.

“Higher Than The Seventh Heaven” is the sixth track on the album, a dynamic guitar-laden gallop embroidered with a well-crafted chorus. Things slow down a bit with “The Pieces Of My Heart.” Strangely enough, however, what could have been a soaring power ballad or an AOR serenade turns out to be a bit of an oddity. It’s a slow-ish track with clearly contemporary vibe to it, sounding as a forgotten outtake from Kane Roberts-fronted Phoenix Down album Under A Wild Sky. And although such a piece might have done quite well on its own, it doesn’t really match the rest of the material on this particular album. A big relief is that the next songs “To Hell And Back” and “Trip” abandon mismatched experiments in favor of what’s worked so well earlier on the album. It’s galloping guitar, Leppard-ish choruses and keyboard-laden background, all embedded in an early ‘90s Melodic Rock aesthetics musically. This tendency continues throughout the remaining parts of the record, starting from the feisty uptempo “From Rise To Fall”. Next is the powerful musical cannonry of synth-tinted “Loaded Gun” which morphs into the ethereal outro (laden mostly with soothing sounds of nature, only occasionally interrupted with the noise of busy street outside). It’s a prelude of sorts to the very final song on the album, a moving ballad “See You In My Dreams” dedicated to the memory of a lost brother.

Even though there comes a moment when the journey back in time is over, the lasting impression is that Nalle Påhlsson under the Royal Mess moniker has done his job of a guide particularly well. A seasoned musician that he is, he didn’t have much to prove in terms of musicianship. From Treat to Therion, one knows well he’s the one to be reckoned with. But the dreaded pattern for such a renowned rock musician would have been to step out solo to be seen only as a pale shadow of one’s former self. Påhlsson’s avoided it altogether with a solid Melodic Hard Rock album divided into polished Leppard-esque moments and Sleaze Metal-tinted intensity. If you’re into such music, Royal Mess may introduce some serious changes into your yearly Top 10 album list. Highly recommended.

Genre: Melodic Hard Rock

Band:
Nalle Påhlsson – vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, bass guitar

Guest musicians:
Kee Marcello
Ian Haugland
Mats Olausson
Jamie Borger
Danne McKentzie
Mats Levén
Snowy Shaw
Linnéa Vikström
Johan Koleberg
Pontus Norgren
Patrick Appelgren
Kristian Niemann
Zinny Zan
Stefan Bergström
Christian Vidal
Micke Hujanen
Igna Jover
Nicci Notini
Love Magnusson
Stefan Lindholm
Max Lorentz
Henrik Bergqvist
Mikael Erlandsson
Lasse Andersson
Pontus Larsson

Track List:
1. Aces High
2. Hell City
3. Mr Freedom
4. Gold Digger
5. Breakout
6. Higher Than Seventh Heaven
7. The Pieces Of My Heart
8. To Hell And Back
9. Trip
10. From Rise To Fall
11. Loaded Gun

Label: MelodicRock Records

Website: http://www.royalmess.se – https://www.facebook.com/pages/ROYAL-MESS

Hardrock Haven rating: 9/10