Dream Child is the latest release from the somewhat prolific (Lars Eric) Mattsson and is, I believe, his first effort since the last Book of Reflections CD which I certainly enjoyed. This time around he has recruited Adrienn Antal on vocals and a particularly fine job she does too! Hers is a pure voice occasionally reminiscent of Floor Jansen of After Forever and suits the metallic/classical styling of Mr. Mattsson perfectly.  One of the first CD’s I ever reviewed for this site was Hauteville’s Relief Data Complete where I noted that (and somewhat pretentiously I am going to quote myself) Hauteville had made an album that, “in weeks to come....it will probably seem better than it does now.” This is exactly how I feel about Dream Child, although it may well be more immediate than Hauteville.  There have been some very fine releases in the female vocal/progressive genre recently, Neverland's Reversing Time springs to mind in particular and Dream Child is every bit as good, and every bit as well constructed and arranged, as that particular opus. This is clearly evidenced on This is Our Time, as ong which is lushly orchestrated yet also feels East European in places and has a widdly keyboard solo as well. Heavenly.  Perhaps the most interesting song is Heaven and Hell Unite which is in turns gothic, heavy, prog-tastic and really gives Mr. Mattsson free reign to indulge himself instrumentally. The song that really grabbed my attention though was Heart Of A Clown where Ms. Antal shines on a track that is possibly more of a straight forward rocker than most of others herein, at least until the solo arrives whence it goes its own merry way. The guitar work on this one is particularly good especially the way in which it interacts with the keyboards and Eddie Sledgehammer belts the living daylights out of his kit.  If this was an essay I would, at this point, wrap things up with a pithy conclusion which would say that this is one of the classiest releases thus far in 2008 and if you like your metal with a progressive touch then you should seriously contemplate investigating this CD. In fact, that is exactly what you should do!

Track Listing Prelude to Life I’m Coming Home Dream Child Killing Everything This is Our Time See the Dreamer Behold Until Our Last Goodbye Moonlight Dream Heart of a Clown Life in the Shadows Heaven and Hell Unite Goodbye Line Up Adrienn Antal - Vocals Bjorn Lodin – Additional Vocals Eddie Sledgehammer – Drums

LARS ERIC MATTSSON ‘Earthbound’ Lion Music (2005) www.lionmusic.com

 

   Guitarists Lars Eric Mattsson returns with his first all instrumental album in over 14 years. He’s best known for fronting the excellent power metal band Mattsson and on here he plays all instruments bar drums provided by the eloquently named Eddie Sledgehammer. It is a true guitar album as well as there are minimal keyboards and SFX used which make a change and it’s not all ‘see how fast I can shred’ like many guitarists’ albums. Highlights include ‘ShredHead’ and the epic title track that really highlights the talented playing of Mattsson. Nice mix of styles as well and it is an album you can see yourself playing again in years to come.

 

***1/2

Jason Ritchie www.getreadytorock.com

 

LARS ERIC MATTSSON - Earthbound Lion Music Release Date: 2005-11-01 by: ALEX REIS Email: alex@metalexpressradio.com   www.metalexpressradio.com

The legendary Finnish Prog Rock veteran Lars Eric Mattsson has blessed guitar fans with a brand new Instrumental Rock record, Earthbound. After a 14-year hiatus, several side projects, and more than a couple of releases of his main project, Mattsson, and his latest Prog Metal opera, War, the shredder went minimalist and took to the “Guitarist and Drummer” approach. Earthbound has an overall Prog-ish feel, showing off all of Mattsson’s magnificent playing. Drifting away from his neo-classical roots, the album has a highly varied landscape, flirting with everything form Oriental to Classical music and all things in-between. There are plenty of heavy tracks in Earthbound, but they are still melodic enough to keep the listener’s attention. “From the Skies,” with its magnificent melodies and heavy riffs is not really what you’d expect to hear in a Guitar album. There aren’t enough words to express Mattsson’s playing. Arpeggios fly off from his fingers in lighting fast speed and stunning precision, and his sound is crisp and clear. In Earthbound, you will find way more than a shredding exercise ... it’s a stunning Instrumental experience. While not being polished or overly produced, the album maintains a nice overall production quality, with the guitars and drums upfront in the mix, but not covering anything else; making the listening experience very pleasant. Some jazzy moments can also be found on Earthbound, showing Mattsson in an eclectic mode. The title track, "Earthbound," although being mostly Neo-Classical in its essence, steps into Jazz territory for a mood switch. Latin rhythms are also present within the album’s soundscape, as can be heard in the soulful “Time Capsule.” Clean guitars shine with gracefulness, and while not falling into virtuoso territory, make for a nice melodic, charismatic feel. Your ticket to the Asian continent is guaranteed within Earthbound as well. Mattsson plays the Sitar on several tracks, and mixes nicely Oriental passages with Progressive soundscapes such as in “Delhi.” Full shredding moments you’d expect from any Guitar album are also present in Earthbound, and since it deals with Mattsson, they feature a great Neo-Classical Finnish accent. Listen to “ShreadHead” for Maestro Lars Eric Mattsson’s great virtuosity show-up. If you are looking for something different from what you usually expect in a Guitar album, or are a fan of the Prog Metal master Lars Eric Mattsson, Earthbound is definitely worth a spin. If there is such a thing as Instrumental Prog Metal Guitar Rock, this is definitely it. Visit Lars' Web site at www.LarsEricMattsson.com, or the label's Web site at www.LionMusic.com for more info.

 

Mattsson, Lars Eric - Earthbound (7,5/10) - Finland - 2005   Genre: Instrumental Metal Label: Lion Music Playing time: 43:36 Band homepage: Mattsson, Lars Eric   Tracklist: From The Skies Earthbound Time Capsule Delhi ShredHead The Orchid Free Wind Song Of The Woods Closed Eyes …Later Lars Eric Mattsson is one of those artists I’ve heard of, but have never actually heard. From looking at his bio, he is a busy man releasing albums with his own band, MATTSSON, along with others such as BOOK OF REFLECTION. “Earthbound” is only his second all-instrumental album, with the first, “Electric Voodoo” (“The Exciter” in the USA), having been released clear back in 1991.   Mr. Mattsson handles all but the drums on “Earthbound” (those duties go to Eddie Sledgehammer – what a name!) and it’s clear from the get-go that he possesses great instrumental prowess. The guitar, though, is Mattsson’s weapon-of-choice and he shreds with the best.   “Earthbound” runs the stylistic gamut, going from Rock to Metal to Funk to World and many things in between. There are many ethnic sounds throughout, with the appearance of a Middle Eastern sitar and Spanish-influenced guitars. But overall, this is best described as Instrumental Progressive Metal.   The success of any instrumental album is based solely on the composer’s compositional skills, since there are no catchy vocal melodies to fall back on. The material on “Earthbound” is well composed and varying in styles, making this a worthy addition to any Instrumental Metal fan’s collection. (Online February 3, 2006) www.metal-observer.com

 

			Earthbound Lars Eric Mattsson Lion Music Reviewed by Adam Harrold www.larsericmattson.com Tracks: From the Skies; Earthbound; Time Capsule; Delhi; Shredhead; The Orchid; Free Wind; Song of the Woods; Closed Eyes; …Later.
	Debating about the merits of instrumental guitar music can be a time-consuming exercise. The other day at RockSomething Towers for example, a row about Ritchie Blackmore’s extended guitar solo in Deep Purple’s “Lazy” lasted a solid forty-five minutes. The argument had lasted so bloody long that the cows had not only come home, but by that stage, had learnt to read, write and defeat humans at Scrabble. So yes, the technical ability of Lars Eric Mattsson’s first instrumental album in fourteen years could be raved about for the next week, but we’d still be talking about arpeggios and scales and still have no idea as to whether “Earthbound” is any good. And that’s the only thing that really matters. Now “Earthbound” might not be a modern representation of classical music, it might not be a gift from Ra, it might not even follow the rules that your music teacher sets you, but nonetheless you’ll be wiping the dust off of that air guitar as soon as you hear it. In fact so frantic have the air guitar sessions been, that a set of wireless headphones had to be purchased in order to riff through the night without fear of self-strangulation. Admittedly, as delicate songs such as “…Later” and “Dehli” show, this isn’t all about going mad with an axe, but the suitably-named “Shredhead” and the title track show Mattsson at his electrifying best. There’s no doubt that with Satriani, Vai, Malmsteen and even Marc Rizzo, that there’s a lot of this type of music around, but Mattsson’s “Earthbound” deserves your full attention. Besides, if you don’t get it now, there might not be a follow-up for another fourteen years!

RockSomething.com © 2005

 

 

Lars Eric Mattsson - Earthbound (Lion Music) By: Joe Florez   www.live4metal.com
	Lars has made the rounds and kept busy for at least twenty years playing guitar. After creating the War project which was very extravagant, he decided to strip things down just a bit to produce his solo instrumental album which is the first since 1991. This is a two man team along with Eddie Sledgehammer who handle absolutely everything without any outside artists. Anything string related along with the keys is handled by Mattsson. Immediately, you can tell that this is a less elaborate album than his previous works. “From The Skies” carries a rather simple 4/4 pattern with some minor drum trickery here and there, and Lars letting his fingers fly somewhat as well. There are some odd effects that come into the song
halfway through that have a Steve Vai feel. The pacing moves around from mid paced to rip roaring, but it’s definitely enjoyable and easy to swallow. The title track is heavier, thanks to the guitars. There is more power in there this time out and it sounds chunky, but at the same time the soloing is filled with emotion. There are even moments of a classical performance during the breakdown. What I like about this release is that LEM doesn’t limit himself to just one style. He is versatile and likes to take chances. “Delhi” is contains middle eastern influences set to hard rock. It has a spiritual feel and is a relaxing number that is sure to take the stress off once you get into it. “ShredHead” is exactly what you would expect. You get a ton of notes crammed into a three plus minute song that is fast, but performed with great efficiency and contrary to what you might think, it doesn’t have the Yngwie flair or is full of egoism. One song in particular that grabbed my attention was “Closed Eyes” because it’s so strange to hear hard and 70’s era rock blended with flamenco guitar work and funk added for good measure. To some, it may sound like a train wreck, but to me it’s just flat out interesting. I have to admit, I am very weary of instrumentals nowadays unless you come from the school of Satriani, Vai or Malmsteen, but this one kept me around for the duration. The compositions are much easier to digest than some of his other work and I think that is the selling point. The songs for the most part don’t drag out either. They are right to the point and don’t contain too much filler. If you are looking for an alternative, then this may be it.  www.lionmusic.com | www.larsericmattsson.com

MATTSON - War - CD - Lion Music - 2005


review by: Ignacio Coluccio  www.maelstrom.nu

If Ayreon were to form a prog / power band, I'm pretty sure Mattsson would be similar to the result. Lars Eric Mattsson is a Finnish shredder, so expect full-blown technicality, lots of long solos and also strangely good, weird melodies. War is his eighth album, and third under this name, so the experience comes out in the songwriting a lot.
The center of Mattsson's music is, yes, the guitar playing. And oh, damn, can he play. From weird rhythm patterns to ultra fast shredding, he does it all in a unique way. Weirdly, the keyboards (also played by him) are impressive and add a lot of professionalism to the music. Compositionally, all the songs are complex enough without turning into wankery, so that's a definite plus. While the vocals are mostly power-metallish, the instrumentation is mostly related to progressive metal and rock, sometimes stepping in Ayreon's retro-progressive zone.
If there's one thing to change in War, it's its vocalwork. Just like in Arjen Lucassen's band Ayreon, Mattsson hires guest vocalists to sing in his albums. Most of them are amazing, but some are dull and sometimes even unnecessary. Thankfully, they don't detract from the album all that much.
If you can get past some of the vocalists, War is an impressive record by an impressive instrumentalist, and a must for fans of pompous, bombastic music. (8.7/10)

 

Mattsson - War
One of the more prolific guitarists from Sweden, Lars Eric Mattsson has been writing and releasing music under a number of various guises since the late 80's. 'War' is a I believe, the third album to bear the Mattsson band name, following on from 'Another Dimension' in 2000, and 'Power Games' some three years later. Unlike his solo albums which are generally more geared towards the instrumental niche markets, Mattsson albums are full blown vocal affairs, this particular tome being perhaps his most ambitious offering yet. Billed as a 'non fictional rock opera', 'War' explores the socio-environmental state of Planet Earth in 2005, and as song titles like 'Smoke And Mirrors', 'Where's Our Chance', and 'This Is The End' recant, the conclusions it draws don't make for particularly uplifting news. A diverse mixture of styles and moods pitched somewhere between Symphony X and Ring Of Fire, 'War' boasts an impressive cast of vocalists (Mark Boals, Irene Jansen, Lance King, etc.), with Mattsson himself handling most everything else, save for a few telling keyboard splashes from the master himself, Vitalij Kuprij. Given the weighty subject matter, it's no surprise to find that the album is quite dark sounding at times, the neatly interwoven progressive themes and angst ridden melodies meandering their way through quite a variety of different sounds and tempos. It's not the easiest or most immediate of albums to get into, but the more I listen, the more I think it ranks as Mattsson's most accomplished, and as such, offers a good pointer towards the way future releases ought to go. Refreshingly different. (D.Cockett) Desiny Records

 

MATTSSON - War! (Lion Music, 2005)

This one first went into the CD player with some degree of trepidation -
what are you about to hear when the press release states that this is a
"non-fictional rock opera about the state of this planet we call the Earth"
and the writer (composer), producer, guitarist, bass player and most
keyboards are by a Finnish musician that you've never heard of!!
Lars Eric Mattsson is the Finn concerned and this album seems to have been a
labour of love with a great deal of thought, effort and variation put into
the concept.
Opening track "Where's Our Chance" starts as the album means to go on with a
Native American chant leading into typical Scandinavian guitar shredding.
"Your Dream" features a sitar intro and leads into a number with a
distinctive Alcatrazz feel to it.
Vocals are supplied by a mixture of vocalists including Irene Jansson
(Ayreon), Lance King (Balance of Power) and Mark Boals (ex-Yngwie) together
with ever present female backing vocals. These backing vocals add the extra
dimensions to a lot of the tracks featured. Keyboard solos feature the
talents of the mighty Vitalij Kuprij.
The highlight of the album is the epic "War Suite Concerto" which clocks in
at just over 14 minutes and is split into eight movements for want of a
better word. Lots of female chanting, acoustic guitars, tom toms,
orchestrations and yes quite a bit of shredding.
"Requiem" concludes an enjoyable album - "No innocence in this troubled
time."
Overall - a weird one but I like it!

****
Phil Berisford
Get Ready To Rock!
www.getreadytorock.com
 

MATTSSON
WAR
LION MUSIC (2005)
85%
Lars Eric Mattsson composed & produced this rock opera. It features well known performer from bands like Yngwie Malnsteen, Ring of Fire, Star One, Tears of Anger, Balance of Power,etc. The writing has been more than well done but the main problem is the fact that it's not very catchy and the progressive elements may sound complex for some listeneners. Also some songs are very long! This is more music for musician if you know what I mean. Having said that, the execution is perfect and it's easy to see that those guys are amazing talented musicians. Big solos, tempo changes, etc..you got it all! Also the production is great, it sounds very good. The orchestration is amazing and everything is at the right place. We're talking about huge writing skills here. Amazing vibe! Fans of the genre will love that record!

Patrick www.thedarkesthours.com

Mattsson: War   Lars Eric Mattsson is one of Finland's best guitar players who has been active in the music business since 1985 playing on lots of albums and releasing solo discs as well. He goes by his full name when he puts out solo releases, and uses just the Mattsson handle when he combines the services of vocalists in his recordings. His solo albums are more on the instrumental spectrum utilising lots of technically advanced guitar solos with complex harmonies, whereas with Mattsson he explores a more defined and unique style of music. His guitar playing shows restraint, allowing the vocalists to deliver the lyrics effectively. War is Lars Eric Mattsson's third album under the Mattsson moniker and it combines plenty of different vocalists' impressive work. This is a strictly "non-fictional vocal opera" featuring Lance King (ex-Balance of Power, Pyramaze), Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen, Ring of Fire), Irene Jansen (Star One, Ayreon), Andre Vuurboom (ex-Sun Caged), and Bjorn Jansson (Tears of Anger, Imaginery). The only guest musician on the album is Vitalij Kuprij adding in some exceptional keyboard solos on half of the tracks. Lars Eric Mattsson, on the other hand, plays all guitars, bass, and keyboards (except the solos recorded by Kuprij) with impressive results. Special mention goes to his keyboard work: Mattsson employs samples, genuine sounding orchestral synths (though there is also a real orchestra on one track) as well as a multitude of quirky sounds to add more atmosphere to the songs. Eddie Sledgehammer and Yoshi Watanabe provide the drum and percussion rhythms through the album. As the title reveals, the album is about the shortcomings and atrocities of war with references to the crisis in the Middle East. In this respect, it could be likened to Kamelot's The Black Halo, as it also shares a similar lyrical theme. Mattsson's lyrics are deep and thought-provoking. There are some haunting lines that will stick to your mind right on the first listen, such as "In this war no one wins!" or "Open your eyes and take a look around/ They are feeding you with lies" on the tracks "This is the End" and "Requiem" respectively. On the musical front, this could be Mattson's most ambitious work in his recording career. It is intensely heavy and dramatically emotional. The album encompasses a wide array of influences, such as the Native American chanting vocals in the intro of "Where's Our Chance" sung by Irene Jansen of Ayreon's The Human Equation fame. The song finds Jansen offering a rather aggressive vocal performance, only resembling her gripping singing during the chorus. The other track with Jansen is completely different. It's one of the two ballads on the album with an emotionally charged guitar solo that exudes a melodious stream of riffing and phrasing. Lance King, with whom Mattsson worked before, appears on "Your Dream". Though not the strongest piece on the album, Vitalij Kuprij's keyboard solo is breathtaking. Kuprij once again explores a million sounds and his work often collides with Mattsson's elaborate guitar solos through the album. Also pay attention to the sitar in the intro of this song. I'd like King to cut loose a bit, but maybe the song's context wouldn't let him. He sings in a rather monotone style. Knowing his abilities in Balance of Power and Pyramaze, I'd have loved a more aggressive vocal delivery regardless. The relatively shorter cut "Deep in the Shadows" has Mark Boals behind the mic with Mattsson's daugher Mikaela backing him up. Without doubt, the album's highpoint is the 10+ minute dark masterpiece "Smoke & Mirrors" sung by none other than former Sun Caged singer Andre Vuurboom. This must be his first recording since his departure from Sun Caged and what a voice! This song is utterly dark, rhythmically complex and technically astounding. From Vuurboom's killer voice to Kuprij's keyboard work to the unison instrumental firework at the end, it stands head and shoulders above the other tracks, and 90% of any other prog song I've heard all year. Lars Eric Mattsson should consider writing a whole album with Vuurboom's voice in mind. The two of them could really take the prog community by storm. However, we shouldn't forget the longest song "War Suite Concerto" which is the most original track on the album. The Astral Chamber Orchestra is behind Mattsson when he plays a nifty classical piece over beautiful female soprano vocals in the first half of the track. Things then morph into a glorious melodic metal fury as Mattsson cuts through the song with a thunderous rhythm guitar attack that soon melts into an impressive instrumental break. Mattsson also sings a few melodies here. Granted he isn't as great a singer as a guitarist, but the lyrics he sings are really effective. The mix and production are crisp and the songwriting is tight. This will appeal to progheads who like melodically rich music with a wide variety of singers as well as to fans of power metal bands such as Kamelot, Angra, and Rage. Track Listing Where's Our Chance Your Dream Deep in the Shadows Smoke & Mirrors Dreamer's Lullaby This Is the End War Suite Concerto Requiem Added: August 6th 2005 Reviewer: Murat Batmaz www.seaoftranquility.org Score: Related Link: Mattsson website

MATTSSON (USA) POWER GAMES (57:44) LION MUSIC Reviewed by Toby on May 9, 2003. Mail this article to a friend!

Who knows Lars Eric Mattsson? I think a lot of us still don’t. Maybe is it useful to write a little introduction about that man. Way back in 1985 he was discovered by Mike Varney (Guitar Player Magazine and Shrapnel Records). From that point he joined a lot of hardrock bands. After e few years he decided to form his own band and made several records like ‘Eternity’(1988), ‘No Surrender’(1989) and his former one ‘Another Dimension’(2000). After ‘Another Dimension’ his biggest success till so far he contributed on ‘Warmth Of Wilderness’, a tribute to Jason Becker and recorded an album with AOR band Condition Red.
In 2002 Lars started working on the new Mattson album including vocalist Lance King (Balance Of Power/Empire). His new album is called ‘Power Games’. I guess this album is mainly made for people who like power metal, AOR, symphonic rock and hardrock. Power Games opens with an somehow poppy intro guided with a synthesiser like Jean Michel Jarre use to do a long time ago. When you are listening to ‘Blind Faith’, a sort of melodic firework. On this one you can hear Mattsson's skills perfectly. Not only the guitars on ‘Power Games’ are played like only a master can do. The vocals on this track are marvellous, it reminds me to Geof Tate’s ‘Operation Mindcrime’. Fortunately Lance King got also another face, so don’t worry. It’s evident he like to use his high pitch voice to release all his energy in his music. Back to Mattsson. He’s a cool guitar player cause he is not always on the front in order to give his band their useful space to be as one. His style is hard to compare with others, quit original these days. listen for example to 'Beyond the Horizon - Guita Concerto no I', an instrumental based on eastern melody's which you only can expect from a man like Jason Becker. I think, his uniqueness is the reason this album is even suitable for me even knowing I don’t like this sort of music. For the the progs and hardrockers amongst us who like Queensrÿche, Dream Theatre and Kansas, go to the store and listen for your self.

Tracklist: 1.Open the Gate 2. Victim of Freedom 3. Blind Faith 4. Chained to My Pain 5. Bridge to the Past 6. Safely Through the Fight 7.Beyond the Horizon - Guita Concerto no I 8. Lead Me On My Way     Discography: Eternity (1987) No Surrender (1989) Electric Voodoo (1991) Lars Eric Mattsson's VISION (1992) Astral Groove (1995) Till The End Of Time (1997) Obsession (1998) Another Dimension (2000) Project: Condition Red  (2001) Power Games (2003)

Line-up: Lars Eric Mattsson - Guitars, bass, keyboards, Lance King - Vocals, Eddie Sledgehammer - drums         Review from: www.vampire-magazine.com

 

MATTSSON – Power Games (Lion Music)

As is always the case, Lion Music presents another musical gem. Without a doubt this label is the unofficial home of shred. However, Power Games is the most widely accessible release yet from this label. Finnish guitarist Lars Eric Mattsson is the brainchild behind Power Games combining masterful guitar work with an equally compelling performance on the keyboards. The real treat here is American singer Lance King (Balance Of Power), who delivers an amazing performance. His style, phrasing and range is so much like Geoff Tate of Queensryche that it is scary. Mattsson is in fine form throughout. The guy can deliver passionate playing like Satriani, out and out shredding like Malmsteen, yet still maintains his focus on the song structure as opposed to guitar flash. Power Games consists of eight melodic progressive metal songs with neo-classical leanings. ‘Open The Gate’ starts with keys building into a majestic prog-metal classic of a track. The epic instrumental track ‘Beyond The Horizon – Guitar Concerto No. 1’ runs 17 minutes plus and, although at first glance may look like an obvious over indulgence, the track follows an Eastern theme which plays out quite well with brilliant keyboard/guitar interplay. Taking cues from Malmsteen, Symphony X and Queenryche, Power Games is an excellent listen.

Allan Grusie 8
Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles

POWER GAMES /  Mattsson
Lion Music 2003
Review by The Atomic Chaser

1. Open The Gate
2. Victim Of Freedom
3. Blind Faith
4. Chained To My Pain
5. Bridge To The Past
6. Safely Through The Fight
7. Beyond The Horizon
8. Lead Me On My Way

The latest venture from guitarist Lars Eric Mattsson comes to us in the form of, 'Power Games'.  A meeting of two great minds is how I would describe it. 'Power Games', features the explosive guitar power of Lars Eric Mattsson in perfect union with the dynamic and powerful vocal prowess of Lance King (Balance Of Power/Empire).  The end result of this alliance is a recording that will stimulate your senses and leave your imagination with a lasting impression. 'Power Games'' musical intensity comes at you from all angles. From groove laden progressive movers like, "Victim Of Freedom", "Chained To My Pain" and  "Safely Through The Fight" to instrumental variations of the third kind like, "Beyond The Horizon". The talents of both Mattsson and King work very well together. Lance King's vocals breathe life into Mattsson's diverse musical compositions giving each song its own charismatic vibe. Its such a shame that of all the progressive acts that are out there  a band like Mattsson hasn't received the recognition that he truly deserves.  If your musical fix includes the likes of, Dream Theater, Symphony X or Fates Warning, you might want to check out, 'Power Games' by Mattsson. You might just find yourself a new progressive addiction. Thanks to Lars and Lance on a job very well done. -
The Atomic Chaser

 

 

Mattsson: Power Games

Listening to the three Balance of Power CDs that Lance King sang on (Book of Secrets, Ten More Tales Of … and Perfect Balance), I never noticed just how similar his voice sounds to Dream Theater front man James LaBrie. But listening to Power Games, the most complex release yet from veteran neoclassical guitarist, bassist and keyboard player Lars Eric Mattsson, the comparison begs to be made. Granted, Mattsson's music can be classified as progressive metal a lot easier than Balance of Power's progressive-tinged arena rock can. But Mattsson -- the guy who runs Lion Music, which released Power Games -- knew what he was doing when he signed up King.

Power Games features Mattsson playing everything except drums (deftly handled by Eddie Sledgehammer, which has gotta be a stage name). And while Mattsson has used several vocalists over the years, King is one of the best -- despite the LaBrie analogies. Many of the eight tracks here are slick progressive metal, and while King makes the transition well from Balance of Power to this kind of music, it is Mattsson's 17-minute instrumental epic "Beyond the Horizon - Guitar Concerto No. 1" that will garner the most attention. The sprawling piece is a testament to Mattsson's versatility on many instruments.

King also appeared on Hypnotica, the first album from Empire - a melodic hard rock band released by Lion Music in 2001 and featuring the likes of Don Airey and Rolf Munkes. For some reason, though, King is gone from Empire's lineup on the recently released Trading Souls. Here's hoping Mattsson keeps him around longer than just one album.

Added: April 4th 2003
Reviewer: Michael Popke
Score:
www.seaoftranquility.com

Mattsson; Power Games

Lion Music

After being discovered as a truly gifted guitarist in 1985, Swedish Lars Erik Mattsson has been bursting out one hard rock/heavy metal album after another, either as a solo-artist or in his bands Vision and Baltimore. We’ve dealt with Mr. Mattsson on several occasions in this webzine in the past when releases by Vision, Baltimore and even Condition Red – another of Lars Erik Mattsson’s projects - were released. And now he’s back with yet another solo-album, this time featuring Lance King of Balance Of Power fame on vocals. Needless to say for those who’ve read through the entire archive of this ezine, or even just the metal-part of it, that Lance King is one of my absolute favorite singers within the current melodic metal-scene, and his band Balance Of Power is likewise, in my opinion, perhaps the best melodic and progressive metal band to come around within the ten last years or so. Anyways, Lance King is a good match for Lars Erik’s guitar playing, and he actually lifts this album beyond just being another guitar-solo-record. This isn’t anything a la Balance Of Power, though, as it’s less progressive, less heavy and doesn’t have anywhere near as wonderfully arranged background vocals, but why shouldn’t it, this isn’t a new Balance Of Power album, but a new Mattsson album, even though I’d kind of wished it was the other way around. Overall, though, this is a good album, and Mattsson’s guitar playing is as good as ever. (JJJJJJ) Ane Erlandsen, Past and Present Music

 

---

Guitar Mania – Review

Mattson – “Power Games”

Finnish guitar maestro Lars Eric Mattson returns with his most prolific and powerful release to date. Power Games features Mattson teaming up with vocalist extraordinaire Lance King, delivering an intense collaboration of highly melodic progressive material. 

Power Games kicks off with the free for all “Open the Gates”; that mixes moodier tones with highly technical, progressive elements. This sets the scene for the rest of the CD. All tracks except for the all instrumental “Beyond the Horizon” showcase Lance King at the top of his game delivering soulful vocal arrangements that are powerful yet full of emotion and feeling. King has one of those silky smooth voices that is well suited to Mattson’s over the top guitar heavy compositions. One can hear the intricate melodies of bands like Dream Theater or Fates Warning throughout all the compositions. Other influences include more mainstream bands like Queensryche. Melodic sensibilities are showcased with an intertwining of sheer musical virtuosity from both Mattson and King.

Further highlights of this CD include the all acoustic “Chained to My Pain” where Mattson stretches out acoustically, providing a nice respite from the more chaotic tracks that follow. Mattson really lets loose on the all instrumental – “Beyond The Horizon”, shredding through a wide range of textures and styles that incorporate, neo-classical, jazz, free form fusion, power metal and straight up rock. The final track on the CD “Lead Me on My Way” is a nice funky number with some great use of the wah, wah – icing on the cake if you ask me!!

Power Games is intense, progressive, melodic and full of life. Mattson and King gel like a tight woven fabric to produce intelligent, complex music that should rival today’s best progressive offerings.

Guitar Mania

http://www.guitarmania.ca

BAND >>	CD >>	LABEL >>	NOTE>>
MATTSSON	POWER GAMES	LION MUSIC (2003)	85%
Lars Eric Mattsson is back with Power Games and the title is right cause is powerfull! Lance King (ex-Balance of Power) is the singer on that record and let me tell you that it's an amazing good news cause this man knows how to sing and I love is voice! Again you can clearly hear the talent of Lars, this guy is a very talented musician. Also this is a very strong release. The production is awesome! Good sound and also the writting skills of those guys keep on improving every day! Blending progressive, power metal, metal and guitar metal a la Satriani, Mattsson recorded Power Games, is best album to date in my opinion and also ading Lance was a very good idea! Love it! And by the way, the artwork feature the Montreal olympic stadium on it and I was very suprised to see that on an Finland CD! Cool! Patrick www.thedarkesthours.com

MATTSSON - POWER GAMES
Lion Music 2003

 

                             After spending some time working on other projects (such as Condition Red, etc.) Swedish neo-classical guitarist Lars Eric Mattsson returns to his own band for the follow up to 2000’s excellent ‘Another Dimension’ set. Much less overtly Malmsteenesque than some of his earlier works, ‘Power Games’ has a much moodier, more progressive undercurent coursing through its veins. This time around Mattsson has enlisted the services of former Balance Of Power vocalist Lance King (who replaces Baltimoore’s Bjorn Lodin) to add that extra touch of class to proceedings, and between them they’ve cooked up a batch of songs which must rank as some of Mattsson’s best work to date. Imagine a mixture of good Malmsteen, classic Fates Warning, and TNT (especially King’s vocals), and you’ll start to get a mental picture of the kind of sound songs such as ‘Bridge To The Past’, ‘Open The Gate’, and ‘Blind Faith’ are aiming at. Because the songs are more complex and ambitious than ever before, ‘Power Games’ does take a couple of spins before it starts to take full effect – but believe me, that initial investment is well worth it! (D.Cockett) Destiny Records, UK, February Mail order catalogue

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MATTSSON - POWER GAMES
Lion Music 2003

  Guitarist Lars Eric Mattsson was first discovered Mike Varney (founder of
Shrapnel Records) and has been releasing albums since 1988, as well as being
a member of the band Vision. On this latest album as well as guitar
shredding he handles bass and keys, with ex-Balance of Power vocalist Lance
King and Eddie Sledgehammer (from the Manowar school of band member names!)
on drums. Opener 'Open the Gate' starts with a synth sounding guitar (shades
of Maiden circa 'Seventh Son') before heading off into a melodic metal
direction. Lance King's vocals on this sound similar to Queensryche's Geoff
Tate's, whereas on other tracks they have a more power/speed metal tone
similar to Gamma Ray. 'Blind Faith' has some tasty keyboard touches and a
catchy hook-filled chorus. 'Chained to My Pain' is a slower number with
subtle guitars (possibly mandolin?) overlaid with jazz-like percussion - not
what you'd expect! The epic instrumental 'Beyond the Horizon - Guitar
Concerto No. 1' takes centre stage with Mattsson really letting fly on his
guitar! There are keyboards interwoven into the mix as well, although this
sort of epic track won't be to everyone's liking. For those who a bit of
70's freeform form the closing track 'Lead Me On My Way' should do the
trick. Heavy riffing guitar, bits of free form guitar and a little bit of
Hammond organ all add to make this track another curve ball on this album.
Lance King's harmonised vocals nicely round off the track.
   A varied and enjoyable power metal release, guitar fans and fans of Gamma
Ray/Balance of Power/Queensryche will like this album big time.


Classic Rock Newswire -

 

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MATTSSON - POWER GAMES
Lion Music 2003

"Powergames" is the new album based around Finnish guitar player Lars Eric Mattsson and Balance Of Power frontman Lance King. "Powergames" is a melodic neo-classical power metal album full of delicious shredding, and catchy songs that at times remind me of a cross between Queensryche, Dream Theater, TNT and Bad Moon Rising.

The first song 'Open The Gate' best examples this theory and has some really stunning technical guitar work from Lars with Lance's vocals coming over like Geoff Tate from Queensryche, a good start.This style is continued on the next song 'Victim Of Freedom' only this track is more melodic, not too far from Yngwie Malmsteen or Mark Boals' Ring Of Fire.

'Blind Faith' is a more mainstream melodic rocker, it is awesome and catchy and could have come right off any TNT album, here Lance sounds pretty identical to Tony Harnell.'Chained To My Pain' starts off with some fine Latin playing, this song is a melodic power ballad in the Yngwie style and has some captivating lyrics. The epicness of Yngwie is taken one step further with 'Bridge To The Past', a soaring pompus melodic piece that also reminds me of Rainbow and Brazen Abbot.

I really loved 'Safely Through The Fire' which is perhaps my favourite track on "Powergames". Again this is very much like TNT and has some cool orchestral work and very hot guitar work, a totally brilliant song. Beyond The Horizon - Guitar Concerto no 1' is an interesting concept that runs in at a breathtaking 17 minutes 11 seconds. It's experimental, neo-classical everything really that is structured around a guitar instrumental epic, there are even some pompy keyboards during the song.

The album ends with 'Lead Me On My Way' which has is quite funny and has a disco theme and is something that you would perhaps find Jeff Scott Soto doing, Lance King could actually become the next Jeff Scott Soto the way he's going these days, a very talented singer and this song is great and catchy, again a bit TNT-ish with a disco funky edge.

So a good album that delivers what is expected, if you like TNT and Queensryche then you will love "Powergames"

Nicky Baldrian

MATTSSON-Another Dimension

Track Listing:

1.Hell (3.54)
2.Crash and Burn (5.10) Guest Guitar- Patric Rondat
3.Don’t Chain My Mind (5.11) Guest Synth Solo- Erik Norlander
4.Angel Blue (4.17) Violin - Ella Grussner
5.Burn the Witch (5.56) Keys - Par Lindh
6.Burning My Soul (5.28) Guest Guitar- Rob Johnson
7.Don’t Lose Your Patience (4.02)
8.Another Dimension (5.52) Keys - Par Lindh
9.Road of Babylon (4.39)
10.In Both Ends (5.34) Keys - Par Lindh
11.Save Our Souls (5.14) K eys - Par Lindh
12.Memory Lane (4.48)
13.Wait for the Angels (4.42) Keys - Par Lindh
14.Cry No More (5.15) Guest Backing Vocals- Esa Pietila

Powerful, moving, melodic, progressive, and and over the wall impressive guitar playing are just a few words to describe this stellar in your face guitar driven metal release! That's even an understatement to the skill of this Euro guitarist! I just got this CD in the mail from Lion Music and I was totally blown away! If your a fan of the Neo-Classical / Progressive Metal Genre or not you'll really love this CD. Don't get me wrong this isn't a straight Neo release either, its just that it has lots of Neo-Classical touches to it.   "Another Dimension is also packed with shred and balls wall guitar playing. That's the first thing you'll notice about Lars Eric Mattsson, his playing style is massive!  Whether its a million notes per second, soulful melodic solos, or down and dirty metal riffing, this guy delivers the goods! If your a guitarist please do you playing a favor and buy it! Even if your not, this CD was made for the true metal fan at heart.  Great lyrics and song writing and lots of catchy lyrics. Not to mention the sound quality and mix of this CD is absolutely killer. Not many guitarists can handle the production and mixing as well as this guy does. All instruments are clear and loud. I hope you enjoy this CD just as much as I did reviewing.  Its worth every cent! On with the goods...

Track one "Hell" is a great name for this song because this song was written in the utter depths of the pit of fire! Great guitar work, I love the main riff of the song, it drives onward through out the whole track. Giving lots of power and mass. Also pay attention to all the runs and fill in riffs through out the song. Great vocals Bjorn's vocal have really developed though the past few rele