Lion Music/Border
LARS ERIC MATTSSON is by now a phenomenon, releasing both new and old music at a ferocious pace. After some initial gigging with others his recording career began in 1987 with the EP “Can´t Go on Without Your Love”. Three more albums followed in 1988, 89 and 91, of which the latter was an instrumental. In 1992 he was involved in starting up VISION but had some legal problems, leaving Lars Eric to join up with singer Björn Lodin (BALTIMOORE) for the bluesy “Astral Groove”. That is the framework prior to this album, Lars Eric´s most celebrated “Obsession”, released originally in 1998.
Lars Eric, Björn Lodin and drummer Christer Jansson recorded the album in 1997, and Lars Eric has been quoted to say that this is his finest hour. The album is a classical hard rock album, complete with Björn´s soft yet strong voice. Opener “Caught in Your Web” has a fine refrain but though a strong track, it is not nearly up there with the best songs. The standout moment to me is “Just a Leo”, but there are many fine songs here. The influences clearly points to the work of a certain Ritchie Blackmore, especially in “Long Way Home” and “Sense and Obsession”. For good measures there are some nods to RAINBOW in the DIO era (“Lay It on the Line”) and QUEEN (“And the Road Goes On”). The seventies in general get a fine tribute in “Mother Forgive”, a track that also lingers. And Björn are close to DIO territory in the gentle “As the Sun Meets the Sky”, complete with Spanish guitars. The only less entertaining moment is “Alive”, which simply don´t cut it in comparison with the other songs. This must be Lars Eric´s finest moment, though competition is fierce and various since he has been involved n well over thirty albums over the years.
Track List
Caught in Your Web
Alive
Just a Leo
Messenger
Long Way Home
Time and Again
Sense and Obsession
Mother Forgive
As the Sun Meets the Sky
Eyes of a Child
Lay It on the Line
And the Road Goes On
www.lionmusic.com www.larsericmattsson.com
