Album review: MAGNUS KARLSSON’S FREE FALL

Frontiers Records [Release Date 14.6.13]

He may not be a household name, but Magnus Karlsson has been one of European hard rock’s go-to people for some time, assembling critically acclaimed projects like Starbreaker and Allen-Lande, writing prolifically, and for the past five years playing guitar for doyens of the power metal scene Primal Fear.

For his first album under his own name (though confusingly adopting the moniker current Swedish retro rockers), he has enlisted no less than nine different singers, mainly from past collaborations. Sometimes this can give an album a disjointed feel but on this case it is not at the expense of a cohesive set of songs.

Indeed it is interesting how the various guests adapt to his songwriting style- on our Time Has Come ex Malmsteen singer Mark Boals sounds like Bob Catley, whose last solo album Karlsson wrote, while I could have sworn the soaring vocals of the second track in, Higher, were those of TNT’s Tony Harnell, but in fact they are those of Primal Fear’s Ralf Scheepers. The former, who collaborated in Starbreaker, gives the ballad Stronger a typically smooth melodic feel, while other songs are in heavier territory and closer in feel to his present band such as Not My Saviour.

Magnus’ Malmsteen-esque guitar work is all over the album but never at the expense of the songs and his own voice loses nothing by comparison to his all-star guests on the three songs he sings, including Heading Out and Ready or Not, even though the latter’s keyboard riff sounds like a metal version of the old Blockbusters theme!

With an album that straddles the worlds of power metal and melodic rock with ease, Magnus Karlsson has come out of the shadows with an album to rival the best work he has produced. ****

Review by Andy Nathan

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

Next session: Sunday 19 January

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 24 November 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 26 November 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)