Once again, look to Sweden for some of the most exciting retro flavored sounds being released today. Hällas have a couple of albums under their belt, and their third, Isle of Wisdom (Napalm Records) sees the band diving deeper into '70s prog & hard rock, though the band themselves call their work 'adventure rock', but the influences of Wishbone Ash, Yes, Uriah Heep, PFM, Banco, and even some of the early NWOBHM scene are not hard to miss. Comprised of Tommy Alexandersson (lead vocals, bass guitar), Marcus Petersson (guitar), Kasper Eriksson (drums and percussion), Nicklas Malmqvist (organ and synthesizer), and Alexander Moraitis (guitar), Hällas have served up 8 new songs here on Isle of Wisdom, many of which are quite majestic and upbeat, filled with lovely twin guitar harmonies, loads of keyboards, and Tommy's unique vocal style. For some, his voice might be a love it or hate it thing, and though I feel his vocals might be the weak link for the band, I actually don't mind them and I think they fit the nature of the bands music just fine. Musically, this still is lots of fun, the regal "Earl's Theme", and the rumbling, proggy opener "Birth/Into Darkness" are just wonderful '70s styled songs that scratch the itch for vintage, fantasy themed hard rock & prog. Fans of Wishbone Ash's blend of majestic rock, folk, blues, and prog on their classic album Argus will love "The Inner Chamber" and the twin guitar lines of "Stygian Depths", while those wanting a more heavy rock/metal sound should tune into "Galivants (of Space)" and the epic closer "The Wind Carries the Word", the latter containing some wild organ flourishes, tasty lead guitars, and meaty riffs.
From the artwork to the songs, Isle of Wisdom just screams 1972, so if that's more or less your jam, this will be an album that I can easily recommend.
Track Listing
1.
Birth/Into Darkness 06:09
2.
Advent of Dawn 04:26
3.
Earl's Theme 04:41
4.
The Inner Chamber 06:41
5.
Elusion's Gate 04:05
6.
Gallivants (Of Space) 05:51
7.
Stygian Depths 05:10
8.
The Wind Carries the Word 07:18
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