FREE FROM SIN – Free From Sin (2015)
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Founded some years ago by Swedish musicians with a strong musical background, FREE FROM SIN are releasing their self-titled debut plenty of classy rockin’ sounds to enjoy.
All started around 2009-2010 when singer Per Englund and guitarist Patrik Lämborg – who played together in ’80s band Blacksmith recording an EP – connected again and decided to tape a demo in Patriks home studio. The demo contained new but also a couple of old songs.
All turned out very well, and again the duo proved that they still can produce very good hard rock songs.
After Blacksmith, Per moved on with other bands such as 220 Volt (under the name Voltergaist) during 1992-93, and then Mandrake Root 1994-98, recording 4 albums with them. The virtuoso Hammond B3 player in the band was Staffan Stavert (also from AORsters Grand Illusion), who Per invited to join Free From Sin.
They called terrific drummer Jaime Salazar (Bad Habit, Allen / Lande) and bass player Anders Waldermansson, and Free For Sin were ready to record their debut.
“Free For Sin” is pure, unadulterated classic hard rock, the type performed and arranged in the real traditional way. And Free For Sin are darn good at it.
Think ’85 Deep Purple (‘Evil or Divine’), ’83 Rainbow (‘Dreamstealer’, ‘Stumbling down a Wicked Road’), ’80s Black Sabbath (‘The Masquerade’), MSG (‘Evil or Divine’), early ’80s Praying Mantis (title track ‘Free From Sin’), the commercial ’80s Judas Priest mixed with Alcatrazz (‘Evershine’), 220 Volt (‘Believer’), and so on.
You get the picture, all classic stuff, and very, very well arranged and performed.
Patrik Lämborg is clearly influenced by Richie Blackmore, but I hear some Michael Schenker also, Per Englund’s pipes are quite ‘British’ and instantly familiar for this type of hard rock, and Stavert plays some awesome (all over) classy Hammond B3 organ, adding an even more ‘classic’ atmosphere.
Then the rhythm section is really ‘traditional’, steady on the drums (great job by Jaime Salazar, as usual) and rounded by thick, deep bass lines.
“Free For Sin” is a very good Classic Hard Rock album, and put the word ‘classic’ in every sense of the term.
I mean; classy vocals, valvular Fender guitar riffs, classic keyboards… ‘that’ sound which made this genre timeless and so lovely.
All solid songs and of course… a classic production sound akin the great records from the early ’80s created by all the aforementioned acts. But Free For Sin add their own spin, all feels updated to modern times.
Strongly Recommended.
01. Requiem
02. Evershine
03. Free From Sin
04. Believer
05. Evil or Divine
06. Dreamstealer
07. Stumbling Down a Wicked Road
08. The Masquerade
09. Temple of Fear
10. La Grande Finale
Vocals: Per Englund (Mandrake Root, 220 Volt)
Guitars, Keyboards: Patrik Lämborg (Spider, Overload)
Hammond Organ: Staffan Stavert (Grand Illusion)
Bass: Anders Waldermansson
Drums: Jaime Salazar (Bad Habit, Allen / Lande)
Backup Vocals: Thomas Karlsson (Charizma)
BUY IT !
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