Terry's Reviews
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Fate – Scratch ‘n
Sniff MTM Classix - 2005 |
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| As I started listening to this powerful album, I
said, "Who the heck is the guitar player in this band? This guy is ridiculously
talented." From the first track "Gotta Have It All" to the last bonus track
"Don’t Do Drugs" it sounded like Steve Vai on helium. Then I later found it
was Mattias IA Eklundh and I had to laugh because it all made sense. Mattias Eklundh is on
of the best players to ever grace this planet. "Gotta Have It All" is a hard rock anthem where Eklundh gets to squeal, scream and dazzle the guitar throughout. I like the positive vibe of "You’re The Best" and those lightning quick guitar runs by Eklundh are unbelievable. Mattias plays them so fluidly fast that he makes it seem like it’s easy to do. Per Henriksen says "Now dig this" before Eklundh rips the heavy distorted riffs of "Walk On Fire." The third song has a musical construction that sounds similar to a couple other hard rock tunes from early 90’s but the guitar fill and solo is insanely inspired with Eklundh’s blindingly fast guitar. The very end of the track with Eklundh and drummer Bjarne Holm coordinate the song’s meltdown that will leave you astonished. The most commercial sounding tune is the ballad "Freedom." Vocalist Per Henriksen does a great job in this melodic environment and the rest of the band adds background vocals that compliment the tune. Eklundh proves that the acoustic guitar is as much of his friend as the electric guitar. Eklundh leads us into "Won’t Let You down" with a beautiful acoustic guitar that gives way to a supersonic distorted rhythm guitar. The solo in this fifth tune explodes with speed and intensity. What Eklundh does in "The Whalesong" is amazing. Then he pushes the guitar envelope even further with "Larry." While listening to Eklundh’s volcanic solo in "Good Times Coming" I had to ask myself "how it possible for someone to play so creatively explosive." The band creates a Danish version of Bon Jovi with "One By One", except as much as I like Richie Sambora, he doesn’t play like Mattias. Eklundh captures a beautiful Andy Timmons distortion sound in "Surgeon In Love." The guitar fill and solo is the kind that only Mattias Eklundh plays. The notes are all over and you can never predict what the Swedish guitarist will do. Soft keyboard is used to begin "Wanna Be Your Lover" then Eklundh plays a like a resurrected version of Eddie Van Halen with a tad of Steve Vai thrown in. The middle section lets Eklundh fly. Damn! Eklundh freakin’ rips the hell out of the rhythm of "Think For Yourself." The intro is awesome! We get to hear Peter Steincke bass lead into Eklundh demolishing the solo. I loved the chorus interplay with Eklundh playing off the words. The lyrics carry a vital message. Peter Steincke lays the bass on heavy before guitar comes in on "Just A Stranger." It’s sweet the way the guitar and bass play off each other sort of casually at the end. The feel of the blues seep into the dark riffs of "Don’t Do Drugs." Steincke and Holm are strong in this second bonus track. Per Henriksen shows a lot of range and establishes a real catchy vocal groove. This is a sleeping masterpiece for anyone who appreciates the guitar. Time to wake it up. |
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