Lars Eric Mattsson’s VISION – On The Edge [remastered / re-recorded] (2018)

Lars Eric Mattsson’s VISION “On The Edge [remastered / re-recorded]” ends the Lion Music reissue campaign of all Lars Eric Mattsson’s VISION albums, the band the Swedish guitarist started in the early ’90s.
“On The Edge” is the fifth and final VISION album, originally released in 2004. This new 2018 version features mostly new vocals. Some guitars, keyboards and all bass has been re-recorded, and the rest of the multi-tacks remastered / remixed.

After having released some solo albums, in the early Nineties guitarist Lars Eric Mattsson decided it was time for a change.
In 1992 Lars teamed up with Swedish singer Conny Lind who had been in Los Angeles working with Alex Masi and together with drummer Tony Mattsson and bass player Michael Ahlskog they formed the band ‘Vision’ and recorded 1992’s album ‘Lars Eric Mattsson’s Vision’ which went down very well specially in Japan.

Other Vision albums followed, and with the new Century and after several projects, this “On The Edge” was scheduled 2004. Mattsson has played in countless bands / projects, and styles ranging from progressive metal to acoustic rock.
Musically, “Vision” was his ‘commercial rock’ project, and On The Edge” follows the same path of the previous records; this is a mix of Scandinavian classic melodic hard rock with AOR in the vein of Talisman, Europe, Goran Edman’s Madison, etc.

All are fine stuff, like the early ’80s Rainbow-like ‘Mountain of Love’, the Joe Lynn Turner / Yngwie inspired ‘Girl Goodbye’, or the more Scandi oriented ‘Prove It to You’ plenty of keyboards.
There’s a modern touch in the catchy title track ‘On the Edge’ adding some sequencers in the background, and a nice ballad in ‘Feel the Cold Wind’, like a second hand Europe.
‘Stranded’ brings to mind Talisman, ‘Keepin’ Your Dreams Alive’ has an anthemic chorus, while “Susanna” is typically ’80s Scandi AOR with lots of synths.

Driven by Mattsson clean melodic guitar riffs and keyboard dashes, “On The Edge” is a fine collection of songs in the style of the classic Scandinavian Melodic Rock / AOR tradition, not at the level of the above comparisons but enjoyable.
I can hear why the album has been remastered / remixed, as production is quite thin, at places sounding like a well recorded demo. Anyway it’s all entertaining music, with a strong second half of the Eighties feeling. Give it a chance.

01 – Mountain of Love
02 – Girl Goodbye
03 – Prove It to You
04 – On the Edge
05 – Feels so Strange
06 – Feel the Cold Wind
07 – Stranded
08 – Meant to Be
09 – Keepin’ Your Dreams Alive
10 – Susanna

John Jeff Touch – Vocals
Lars Eric Mattsson – Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards, Bass
Christer Jansson – Drums

BUY IT !
www.amazon.com/Edge-Lars-Eric-Mattssons-Vision/dp/B075C78P8N
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