HOUSE OF SHAKIRA – Live At Firefest 2005 (DVD)	Sweden	August 2006	Wim van Grunsven www.mariosmetalmania.com
Style: Melodic Rock	Running time: Just over an hour. (Tracks: 10)
I always look forward to DVD's of bands that have made good CD's, but of whom you expect to have just that little when they play live. House Of Shakira is such a band, and they don't disappoint on this DVD. Their kind of Melodic Rock is very well equipped to keep your attention the whole time long. Even live they know how to sing together in tone! What is very surprising is that their former singer Mikael Eriksson is standing on the stage with them. That's something you don't see often. The songs span their whole career and give you a good picture of what House Of Shakira stands for: very well played and sung Melodic Rock. The music is catchy, most of the time they play fast and when needed they know how to slow down without getting boring. If you want to be able to swing, dance or headbang to music, here's your chance. Unfortunately the concert only lasts 10 songs, and that is way too short for me. At that point I put my attention to the extras. The four videos you get to see all stem from the time that the band was still called The Station, the time that the already mentioned Mikael was their singer. The other extra is a very short, very much summarized biography. For a band that has been together almost twenty years they could have gone into detail a lot more, as to give you an insight to all the things they have experienced over the years. They must have tons of footage to use for just such a cause. Alas, they don't, and now you have learnt some things about House Of Shakira, but not nearly enough. Thankfully they have a real English woman telling the story, so at least you don't have to annoy yourself over the awful dialects you sometimes hear. All put together I think this is a very good DVD, but they should have done a lot more to make it really worth your while. All together you just have over an hour of material, and for a first major DVD release that is way too short. That takes ten points off my grade. Only if they sell this for the same price as a CD "Live At Firefest 2005" will be worth your money. Any more and they will be overcharging.
Visit their website: http://www.house-of-shakira.nu/ Promotion The Netherlands: http://www.bertus.com/ Recordlabel: http://www.lionmusic.com/			73/100

 

HOUSE OF SHAKIRA ‘Live at Firefest 2005’ (DVD 2006) www.lionmusic.com

 

   A double first with this DVD as it marks the debut DVD release by Lion Music and the first DVD by the band. Recorded at last year’s UK Firefest it sees the band cover their whole career in an eleven song set chock full of delights! Although officially a five piece they have their ‘secret’ sixth band member in vocalist and lyricist Mikael Eriksson, who ably backs lead vocalist Andreas Eklund. Can the band recreate their trademark layered harmonies in a live setting? Indeed they can as can be heard on ‘Method of Madness’ and ‘Hey Lord’ – two bona fide melodic rock classics. Super, tightly played set with some cracking lead guitar solos in the mix.

   Bonus DVD features are a brief biography of the band and interviews with the band plus four videos from the band’s early incarnation as the Station. These videos should carry a hairspray warning not only for the band’s flowing locks but the audience who have some cracking mullets on show! Music wise you can see the band’s love of harmonies and ‘Cinderella’ is the pick of the bunch. An interesting look at the band’s formative days.

   If you like the band buy this DVD as it is superb and for lovers of melodic rock who have yet to try this band try here as you get a good cross section of their songs.

 

****1/2

Jason Ritchie

 

HOUSE OF SHAKIRA 'Lint' LMC129 Lion Music (2005) www.lionmusic.com
   The debut album by House of Shakira gets a welcome re-release by Lion
Music and now with proper distribution more people will get to sample the
delights of this band. House of Shakira have sadly always been hindered by
record labels going bust and lack of product in shops. As for the album well
lets just say any fan of melodic rock should have this little gem in their
collection. What sets the band ahead of many others in this genre is their
mixing of hard rock with Eastern and African music. It sounds like it
wouldn't work but just to listen to opener 'Morning Over Morocco' that kicks
in big time after a call to morning prayers! 'Method Of Madness' features
chunky riffing and glorious harmony vocals come the chorus lien - a classic
tune in anybody's book. Other highlights include 'Elephant Gun' and 'Canned
Laughter'. The only song I am personally not overly keen on is 'Who's Lying
Now' that sounds too much like Journey's 'Who's Crying Now' (one of the
worst songs that excellent band ever recorded). There are two bonus tracks
as well with this re-release - 'On The Green' is a satisfying mid-tempo
number but 'Heroes' is pretty mediocre.
    A wonderful album and well done to Lion Music for getting this back out.
Hopefully they van now release the bands other two albums.

*****
Jason Ritchie


Reviews Editor
Get Ready To Rock!
www.getreadytorock.com

 

HOUSE OF SHAKIRA 'First Class'
LMC110 Lion Music (2004) www.lionmusic.com

HOUSE OF SHAKIRA First Class Lion Music LMC 110 Yet another highly promising young band who seem to have been beset by more than their fair share of problems, Sweden’s House Of Shakira debuted as long ago as 1997 with the hugely infectious ‘Lint’ album. A fine selection of sassy, hook laden AOR, it won them much needed exposure in the European music press, and a prestigious opening slot with Royal Hunt on the German and Swedish legs of their ‘Paradox’ tour. Everything culminated in a fantastic appearance at that year’s Gods event in Wigan – who could forget their blistering run through of Journey’s ‘Separate Ways’? – a bright future seemingly assured. Sadly, disaster was about to strike. Just as their much anticipated sophomore release ‘On The Verge’ was about to hit the shops, news began to filter through that their then record company Bluestone Music, had gone to the wall. Without vital industry support, the band floundered, all the precious momentum gained with ‘Lint’ grinding to a shuddering halt as they were faced with the prospect of starting all over again with yet another record company. Undeterred by this setback, House Of Shakira set about writing fresh material, a new deal eventually being struck with Germany’s MTM for the 2000 release ‘House Of Shakira III’. By now however the world had moved on, and the tougher sound of their latest album drew a rather more philosophical mixed response. A limited edition, self financed live affair followed in the fall of 2001, but this too did little to reignite the flame. And so to 2004 and yet another new recording contract, this time with up and coming Finnish label Lion Music. Whilst both ‘On The Verge’ and ‘III’ had their moments, neither managed to eclipse the joyous exuberance of the debut. However, the band had moved on from their Journeyesque roots into slightly earthier hard rock territory, and that has continued apace with their latest effort ‘First Class’. Yes there are still recognisable elements of the band who recorded ‘Lint’ – Andreas Eklund’s resonating vocals especially – but that was then, this is now. One thing that did become readily apparent as I perused this disc for the first time was that House Of Shakira seem to have curbed some of their more audacious tendencies, the result being a much straighter, stylistically less adventurous album than before. That said, this time around they seem to have concentrated their efforts into the core songwriting processes, fortunately resulting in the strongest batch of songs put out under the House Of Shakira banner since ‘Lint’. Finely balanced, ‘First Class’ offers the listener plenty of light and shade; moody, acoustic driven tracks like ‘Black And Blue Skies’ with it’s ‘Led Zep III’ kind of vibe, rubbing shoulders with punchier, raw edged cuts like the pulsating ‘Creep’. Talking of Zeppelin, the album is littered with similar inflections throughout if you delve below the surface, my own personal favourite being the somewhat eclectic ‘Sunshine Song’ … hmmm, sure there’s a pun in there if I look hard enough! But as I said, the biggest plus point this time around is the consistency in writing, and after just a couple of spins, numbers as diverse as ‘Ain’t Your Crowd’, ‘You Are’, ‘Chicago Blue’, and ‘State Of Grace’ become familiar old friends. A long overdue return to form. 8/10 Dave Cockett Hard RoxX Magazine

ALBUM OF THE MONTH:
July:

HOUSE OF SHAKIRA - First Class

The Swedish band House Of Shakira started out in Stockholm around 1991. Their debut, Lint, was released in
1997 and was nominated by a lot of magazines and the specialized press as best debut album. It also ranked high
on many top ten lists in 97. They also went on tour through Europe together with Royal Hunt. In England they were
invited to play at The Gods Festival. With the second release, On The Verge, big plans were made, but their record
company disappeared and went down just in time for the release. In year 2000 the band signed a deal with MTM
Music and they released House Of Shakira III. With great reviews and some support from radio stations in
Sweden, it led the band to play at Sweden Rock Festival in 2001. This live concert was recorded and released as
Live+. House Of Shakira also in 2001 went to Spain to play at Nemelrock festival together with Dare and Harem
Scarem. After ten years the band took a break in 2002, but they have now returned with First Class, stronger than ever!
 

 

I have followed House Of Shakira from the beginning and listened a lot to their releases through the years. It has
always been something special with House Of Shakira`s music, that you don`t find with many other bands. They
have a unique way to write songs who, in my opinion, goes a bit deeper into your soul than songs from many other
bands. Their music is a mix of Melodic Rock, Hard Rock and AOR, and with First Class they prove they are in
the elite of these bands today. Vocalist Andreas Eklund is one of my personal favorite singers in the music scene
today, and I think his voice is better than ever on First Class. Guitarist, keyboardist Anders Lundström and
guitarist Mats Hallstensson is without a doubt two very good skilled guitarists with a big specter of nice solos
and riffs. The rhythm section with bassplayer Per Schelander and drummer Tony Andersson sounds very tight
and precise. First Class is my most played album the last month and the more I listen to it the stronger it gets each
time I hear it. It has taken me a bit more time to be familiar with First Class than their other albums. Their music
takes a step away from the masses of Melodic Rock and Melodic Hard Rock and AOR bands and what I think is
the strongest with their songs, is their way of taking some untraditional directions here and there and mix it into their
fantastic songs. When it comes to the songs, who are all very strong, I can tell you immediately that you will be
entertained by no fillers, just killer songs from the first note till the end. With the opener, Ain´t Your Crowd, they
easily take your attention and already on this song you will hear what I mean with different elements and that the band
definitely has their own style who is very interesting to listen to. The twelve songs are filled with strong melodies, nice
choruses and technical elements from the whole band, who take this album directly to the top of releases in this genre
this year. I have, after listening at least twenty times lately to First Class, got some favorite songs like Uncontrolled,
You Are, Black And Blue Skies, Creep, Black Barn, State Of Grace, Celebration Bound and the beautiful
acoustic ballad Chicago Blue. The best album from House Of Shakira so far in my opinion, and if you haven`t
heard this superb Swedish melodic masters yet I think it`s time to do it NOW!
                                                                                                                                                 http://www.house-of-shakira.nu/
                                                                                                                                        http://www.lionmusic.com/

House Of Shakira are:

Andreas Eklund - lead vocals
Anders Lundström - guitar/keyboard
Mats Hallstensson - guitar/vocals
Per Schelander - bass/vocals
Tony Andersson - drums

www.melodichardrocktoday.tk

---

House of Shakira: First Class

 

If you’re going to call your album First Class, the music better live up to the billing. In the case of the fourth studio disc from Sweden’s oddly named House of Shakira, the first couple songs (“Ain’t Your Crowd” and “Uncontrolled”) don’t fulfill the album title’s promise. But then, lo and behold, the quintet give us the ultra-melodic and unbelievably catchy “You Are,” followed by the mid-tempo rocker “Hey Lord,” the dramatic, big-sounding acoustic ballad “Black and Blue Skies,” the dark-yet-soaring “Creep” and the harmony-laden “Black Barn.” All told, all but only a handful of the 12 tunes on First Class elicit a sense of aural pleasure that satisfies without going over the top.

In fact, subtlety reigns on First Class, as the band eschews the Middle-Eastern effects of 1997’s debut Lint and the experimental tendencies of 2000’s III. One reason these songs stand out — and the reason why House of Shakira has never made a boring album — is vocalist Andreas Eklund, who sings in a voice all his own and one that can best be described as a hybrid of Steve Walsh and Steve Perry. Another reason is the band’s refusal to musically stand still, creating exhilarating hooks over a variety of arrangements and managing to sound both organic and cohesive. The fact that a band can make music this enlightening after 13 years together, with more shattered record deals than record releases, speaks volumes about House of Shakira’s dedication to its craft.

People who mock so-called AOR and melodic hard rock for lacking substance and adventure need to hear First Class — or any House of Shakira album, for that matter. Solid musicianship (lead guitarist Mats Hallstensson could go fret-for-fret with Eddie Van Halen), honest lyrics (“So goodbye my lovely friends, chasing the black and blue skies/Hope we never meet again”), and inexplicable quirks (“A creepy crawler, on a creepy crawling crawl”) give House of Shakira the all-too-uncommon opportunity to refresh a tired genre.

 

Track Listing:
1) Ain’t Your Crowd (3:36)
2) Uncontrolled (2:34)
3) You Are (4:43)
4) Hey Lord (3:43)
5) Black and Blue Skies (5:07)
6) Creep (3:59)
7) Black Barn (4:57)
8) State of Grace (3:53)
9) Landing (4:28)
10) Celebration Bound (4:17)
11) Sunshine Song (6:15)
12) Chicago Blues (4:45)
Total Time: 52:22

Added: June 29th 2004
Reviewer: Michael Popke
Score: www.seaoftranquility.org

 

House Of Shakira - First Class
Lion Music

file under Hardrock/AOR

Eddy: Many years ago my wife and I went to a performance of Royal Hunt (their classic line up including DC Cooper) in Bochum, Germany. Opening for these Danish guys were another Scandinavian band called House Of Shakira. They were rather boring to see and the only time they impressed the crowd was when they decided to play something recognizable, 'Separate Ways' from Journey. So after that I totally forgot about that band. Till now, because their newest album landed on my desk. They have called it 'First Class' and first thing I notice that they have grown and are able now to create some fine tunes on their own.

One of the best tracks on this piece is the one they start with. 'Ain't Your Crowd' is it called and is like a fine American stadium rocker. I really like this strong sing a long song; it's catchy and well brought by these Swedish guys. They proceed with another good rock 'n roller called 'Uncontrolled'. You can't keep your head still, the rhythm works infectious. A fine guitar solo completes this tune. Kind of Journey like they continue with 'You Are'. 'Hey Lord' is only liked for the great harmony singing and a great guitar solo. Rest of this song is to thirteen in a dozen to me. 'Black And Blue Skies' is totally acoustic and proofs to be a great calm break on this album. The next song is 'Creep' and has an awesome intro filled with great sounding guitars. I just love the solo leading this tune in. I think this would be one of the highlights on this album. 'Black Barn' sounds a bit like 'Because The Night' from Patti Smith in the beginning. A song with again some fine harmony vocals and just an awesome guitar solo. This way of soloing reminds me a lot of the relaxed style we know from Mark Kendall from Great White. This is another fine highlight on this album. 'State Of Grace' is a happy tune that could easily get you out of a dip. 'Landing' is a song that makes you think of the music from Extreme. This one is nothing special. Following that song is 'Celebration Bound' starts of kind of Guns 'n Roses like and than turns out to be great aor. 'Sunshine Song' is a fine piece of composing. There is a lot happening musically in this song. Surely the most interesting and exciting song on this album. The last song on this excellent album is called 'Chicago Blues'. A delicious sounding ballad, proving that this band has really has found his home.

Score: 85/100   www.lordsofmetal.nl

REVIEWS:

Genre: Melodic Rock Label: Lion Music Playing time: 47:55 Band homepage: House Of Shakira   Tracklist: Retox Small Town No Faith Crazy But No Fool Life And Death Gabon Viper High Above Red Alert Bloodline Angel Dancer Turkish Nights   My first taste of HOUSE OF SHAKIRA was when I happened to hear the Swedish group’s note-perfect cover of JOURNEY’s “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)”. My first thought was, “Great Scott, these guys are hella talented.” For some bizarre reason, I forgot to check out the rest of the band’s material, but thankfully, Fortune has smiled upon me, and HOUSE OF SHAKIRA’s latest album, “Retoxed”, has found its way into my hands.   Let’s make one thing clear from the get-go: “Retoxed” is one stunning album. From the delicate piano intro, “Retox”, all the way to the seven-minute finale, “Turkish Nights”, this album is Melodic Rock at its finest. The band manages to strike a fine balance between catchy JOURNEY-inspired AOR and some edgier VAN HALEN-esque stuff, and it works marvellously.   It goes without saying that every member of HOUSE OF SHAKIRA has an insane amount of talent. Drummer Tony Andersson lays down the beat with metronomic precision, guitarists Mats HHallstensson and Anders Lundström throw down lick after lick, bassist Per Schelander delivers some majestic background vocals (which is ironic, considering he once lied about being able to sing so he could join the band!) and over top of it all is Andreas Eklund, the man with the golden voice. Seriously, now that Jeff Scott Soto has left JOURNEY, I think Eklund should capitalize on that little opportunity. He’s got the perfect voice, and as I mentioned above, the band’s cover of “Separate Ways” was spectacular.   Then again, with songwriting as stellar as this, who needs JOURNEY? Just listen to how perfectly the soft “Retox” segues into the upbeat and rockin’ “Small Town”. Just listen to the soaring vocal harmonies in the chorus of “Crazy But No Fool”. Just listen to the wondrous semi-acoustic verses of “Red Alert”. Damn, I’m running out of adjectives here.   Fans of super-catchy, well-produced Rock will love “Retoxed”. Fans of JOURNEY will absolutely adore it. As stated above, this is Melodic Rock at its finest, and if you’re in the mood for some catchy, upbeat music, then this is certainly the album you’re looking for.  And Mr. Eklund, I’m serious about that JOURNEY thing. Let me know how that works out. (Online December 7, 2007) www.metal-observer.com   House of Shakira 01. Retox 02. Small Town 03. No Faith 04. Crazy But No Fool 05. Life And Death 06. Gabon Viper 07. High Above 08. Red Alert 09. Bloodline 10. Angel Dancer 11. Turkish Nights   Swedish melodic rockers House Of Shakira are back Retoxed and ready to freshen up the melodic rock scene with their potent trademark blend of lush vocals and contagious musical hooks. The bands trademark melodies and vocals lines are here Retoxed stronger than ever with the music created to support the vocals and carry the lyrics to the listener. Not just content with working the main vocal melody the band have taken great care to ensure the background music and vocal melodies are there to support the band trademark vocals, the band call this the “Abba inspiration”. Well I can tell you that “Abba” might be an inspiration, but lucky for us House of Shakira doesn’t sound like Abba. The band has written the songs as a collective unit as they have done on their debut album Lint. After the short ballad Retox we are getting Small Town thrown in our AOR faces. The first band I had to think about when I heard this song is Extreme, especially the album III sides to every story. Although there is no Nuno Bettencourt in House of Shakira, the musicians have reached a high level after 10 years. The songs are very catchy, they have great melodies and choirs and Andreas Eklund has a voice that reminds sometimes of Tyketto’s Danny Vaughn or Steve Perry (Ex-Journey). Now we go on with No Faith which does sound a little bit like Fates Warning at the time of APSOG, especially the beginning of the song. Crazy But No Fool is again a sing-a-long song even as the following Life And Death. Of course there is another ballad on this album called Red Alert and maybe you can put the last song Turkish Nights also in that same window called ‘easy listening music’. This album swings like a woman’s tit (as we say in Holland ! ). Good songs, great melodies and a great singer, again from that country called Sweden. So if you like ‘Journey’, ‘Extreme’ or ‘Tyketto’ check out this new album from House of Shakira. www.myspace.com/houseofshakira     Rating: 83 /100 www.digital-steel.com     House of Shakira – Retoxed   2007 Lion Music An excellent mainstay in the melodic rock/metal scene, this band has always been arena ready with infectious melodies, hooks and finite harmonies that make Retoxed another feat for the hard rock glory that House of Shakira executes. Highly infused with a Queen influence, the musical showmanship of Journey, as well as the sonics of modern day troubadours such as Line of Fire, Extreme, and labelmates Dogpound, the new album leans towards the harder driving/balls-to-the-wall approach rather than the layered synthesized approach that we also know and love so much. Retoxed opens up with the Queen-ish piano intro of “Retox,” which is a short ballad that almost hints as if the record is going to be an opera of sorts; it is anything but, for that balladry is shattered with the wall of the opening guitar harmonies of “Small Town,” a straight ahead anthemic hard rock/metal tune, which packs a punch – whereas you have other cuts continuing this hard rock endurance with “Crazy But No Fool” and the staccato laden “Bloodline;” while other tracks like the dark “No Faith,” the AOR laden “Angel Dancer,” and the power ballad “Turkish Nights” show diversity among the tunesmith abilities. With all of the right elements on the table; the heaviness, catchiness, solos, & even classy pop sophistication, House of Shakira have produced another profound example of a modern day arena rock classic. Added: November 25th 2007 Reviewer: Tommy Hash www.ytsejam.com Score: Related Link: House of Shakira website HOUSE OF SHAKIRA 'RETOX' (LION MUSIC)   Swedish melodic rockers HOUSE OF SHAKIRA make a return with their 5th CD release. Musically they have always been making Melodic Hardrock and also their new CD 'Retox' follows that style. Although it is not THE melodic hardrockalbum of the year, it still is a high quality original Melodic Hardrockalbum that will please the fans of no-nonsense uptempo 80s American inspired good time rock and roll with strong melodic choruses in the style of DOKKEN, HEAVEN'S EDGE, VYPER, ICON and such. Especially the beginning with uptempo rockers like "Small Town", "No Faith", "Crazy But No Fool" and "Life And Death" and closing ballad “Turkish Nights” are showing the high level of HOUSE OF SHAKIRA's music. The CD has a full-blown production and therefore fans of mentioned bands should get it asap... More info at: www.houseofshakira.com and www.myspace.com/houseofshakira   (Points: 8.4 out of 10)   Strutter magazine, Holland   House of Shakira Retoxed Lion Music by Franco Wissa www.hardrockhaven.net Staff Writer   Comments: It was in the mid 1980s that guitarist Mats Halstensson, vocalist Anders Lundstrom and original drummer Henrik Andreasson formed the melodic rock band The Avenue. Even after a relentless touring schedule and the release of a demo, the band failed to generate label interest, and the decision was made to move from their northern Sweden roots to the capital city, Stockholm. In 1989, the name was changed to The Station, a few band members came and went, and after the advise of a record exec the name was dropped and a contest was held by a local radio station for a fan to name the band. And thus the name House of Shakira was born, named after what turned out to be a bordello. In 1997, the band released their debut CD, Lint, that introduced the world to their towering vocals, hook laden guitar riffs and verses that flowed into sweeping choruses. Subsequent releases would include 1998’s On The Verge, 2000’s Three and 2004’s First Class. Part Journey, part The Storm, part Harem Scarem, part Hardline and all 100% pure melodic rock, House of Shakira’s fifth studio release, Retoxed, takes the listener back to the age of bigger than life tracks with arena filling rock anthems, ballads and hard rockers. Vocalist Andreas Eklund ties each track together with what is probably