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Comments:
Sweden’s Spearfish are a 1970s hard rock band time time-warped
forward 30 years into modern times. Their new CD Area 605
is a solid melodic hard rock record. Co-founder and singer Thomas
Thulin has a unique voice in the mold of a slightly higher pitched
Rush’s Getty Lee. The record is clean and well produced with barely
any low points.
The
first track, “Fate,” is a good rock song with a nice melody and an
almost Ritchie Blackmore-like guitar solo. The album includes a
remake of Rush’s classic “Limelight” and is very well done, at times
sounding musically identical. Guitarist Peter Lundin lays down solid
Rainbow/Sabbath type power rhythms through the whole album in a dark
rock/metal feel.
He
also shines with solid solos in “The End,” “Lonely Souls,”
“Addiction” and a clean heartfelt rock ballad solo in “Reckoning.”
The Cinderella love song sounding “All Said ‘N’ Done” is the only
track out of place on the album but is reasonably well done. Thulin
also handles bass guitar duties and shines especially with a hectic,
psychedelic, ’70s acid-trip style bass start to the song
appropriately titled “Addiction.” Johan Sterner, the band’s drummer,
does well to lead the way on these simple clean sounding rock songs.
For
fans of ’70s classic hard rock ala, Deep Purple or Rainbow, this is
the perfect new/old CD for you.
Band
Members: Thomas Thulin-Bass Guitar, Vocals - Peter Lundin-Guitarist
- Johan Sterner-Drums
www.hardrockhaven.net
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SPEARFISH 'AREA 605' (LION
MUSIC/BERTUS)
Here we have a great Swedish band named SPEARFISH, which already
released a couple of CDs, but this one is the first I ever get to hear. The
main bandmembers (bassist/vocalist Thomas Thulin and guitarist Peter Lundin)
have been making music since the early 80s, but with SPEARFISH they probably
have their most professional band so far. SPEARFISH was formed 15 years ago,
but just recently they were picked up by LION MUSIC. Their new CD 'Area 605'
is a very good strong classic melodic hardrockalbum that combines influences
of RUSH and RAINBOW into an exciting sound. From start to finish this is a
very solid album that has quite a few highlights. 11 songs are in total on
the CD, and songs like “Fate”, “Empty eyes” and “Broken” are all great
melodic heavy rocksongs that sort of capture a strong 80s poseur meets 70s
classic hardrock kinda style. They do have a sound of their own, yet you can
hear all sorts of influences. Check it out if it starts to interest you.
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
www.angelfire.com
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SPEARFISH - Area 605
Lion Music
by: METAL - KATIE
www.metalexpress.no |
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Apparently Spearfish from Sweden have been impressing the crowds with
their live performances, which by listening to their latest release,
Area 605, is easy to understand, especially if those shows have
taken place outdoors in the sun. Outdoor festival sounds like a perfect
place for Spearfish’s airy and breezy Prog-influenced Hard Rock.
Listening to them indoors from a two-speaker stereo system, while the
sun is blazing outside, does not quite have the same impact, and some of
the rough edges start to rear their heads.
Spearfish, just like their influences Rush and Cream, is a
three-piece band where the vocals are handled by the bass player (Thomas
Thulin). Despite being a three-piece band, Spearfish could still be a
bit tighter. They could definitely cut out some of the air from their
songs and make them more compact, as most of their songs tend to be a
bit on the long side. Adding a "touch of dirt" would make the over
polished jam sessions more captivating.
The best that the band amounts to is that kiss of death word in
relationshipland ... “nice.” Not amazing or particularly memorable ...
but nice. The only thing that could possible rattle listeners’ feathers
is Thulin’s vocals, which requires some getting used to, but just like
Thulin threatens in the song “Addiction”: “When will you learn that you
made a choice/Like it or not you will hear my voice.” He needs to be
heard first before the decision of where your vote lies can be made.
Most of the songs are slow to mid-tempo, except for fast tempo songs,
the album opener “Fate” and “Empty Eyes”, where they really hit the
groove and let it roll. “Lonely Souls” shows some Zeppelin influences,
and “Burning Candles,” “Reckoning,” and “All Said ‘n’ Done” all have
acoustic parts in them. Those of you who get excited by Rush and the
like will marvel at the laid back feel of this release, but others will
most likely be fighting the yawns before it's over. There’s even a cover
of Rush’s “Limelight,” which sadly turns out to be one of the strongest
tracks on the album.
Just like most ordinary things in life, Area 605 will require
some effort before it can be appreciated, but most likely it will still
struggle to break out of the background music league. If you like your
Hard Rock easily digested, with a touch of Progressive Rock, then
Spearfish should be your choice. This album is like listening to Sting
for Rush-heads ... a sonic tranquillizer.
Official band site:
www.Spearfish.se
Label site:
www.LionMusic.com |
SPEARFISH - Area 605 (2005) Lion Music
www.lionmusic.com
This is the band's second full album, their debut was double CD release
for charity that featured guests from Uriah Heep and Nazareth amongst
others. This album is a classic hard rocker with a vocalist who sounds like
lower range Geddy Lee at times. Not that surprising to see a Rush cover then
of 'Limelight'. It's good mix of fast paced hard rockers like 'Fate' with a
few slower moments to give a rounded mix to the album.
Not a bad little album that definitely needs a few plays to sink in. Good
solid hard rock for fans of Uriah Heep and latter day Rainbow.
***1/2
Jason Ritchie
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