Swedish Magnus Karlsson’s Melodic Metal project ALLEN/OLZON consists of himself, drummer Anders Köllerfors and two fantastic vocalists, Anette Olzon (THE DARK ELEMENT, ex-NIGHTWISH) and American Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X, ADRENALINE MOB). The very good debut disc ”Worlds Apart” saw the light of day in 2020. Now the group has released their second album, ”Army Of Dreamers”. The guitarist also plays bass and keyboards, just like last time. The material is of course produced and recorded by Karlsson himself. Very well done, I must say. Magnus is extremely good at everything he does. To his help he has the Grammy Award nominated, Danish producer and Mix engineer Jacob Hansen behind the mixing table.

For those of you who do not know, Magnus Karlsson is a Swedish Heavy Metal songwriter, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and producer. Magnus attended school to study classical guitar when he was 10 years old. Later on he was very much into ”The New Wave of British Heavy Metal” of bands such as IRON MAIDEN, DIO, JUDAS PRIEST and BLACK SABBATH. He has played in various Metal and fusion bands early on and developed a style which mixes Metal and Folk Music. He seems to be a person who does not emphasize himself, but stays in the background.

This man has done a lot in his music career. I will only mention some of it. In 2004, Magnus started to work in a project put together by Frontiers Records, which had the intention to have two Heavy Metal vocalists singing together as a duet. Behind the microphones Russell Allen and Jørn Lande (solo, ex-MASTERPLAN, AVANTASIA) ended up and the group was simply called ALLEN/LANDE. A few albums were made. All music and the majority of lyrics was written by Karlsson. It was a variety of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal songs with a Progressive touch. Another project featuring songwriting, production and playing from the guitarist is THE FERRYMEN, with Ronnie Romero (LORDS OF BLACK, RITCHIE BLACKMORE’S RAINBOW) as the singer. Since 2017, they have released three records. The latest one came this year.

Magnus Karlsson joined the German Metal band PRIMAL FEAR in 2008, of which he is still a member. A number of years later the guitarist released his first solo material, under the name MAGNUS KARLSSON’S FREE FALL. His third record came in 2020. Magnus and singer Tony Harnell (TNT) had recorded two albums with STARBREAKER, another Karlsson project. In 2018, they reunited and made the third one, which was released the year after. Behind the drums sat none other than Köllerfors, who was later recruited to ALLEN/OLZON.

The artwork on ”Army Of Dreamers” has just as on the first ALLEN/OLZON disc been made of Stan W Decker. Stan is a graphic designer specialized in album covers, packs and logotypes for Hardrock and Metal, from AOR to Extreme. He lives in France and has done album covers to many famous bands.

Not that it matters that much, but it should be mentioned. Unlike “Worlds Apart”, where only half of the tracks were duets, every single song on “Army Of Dreamers” is performed by both singers. Therefore, I found the new record a bit more fun to listen to, because that is a little how you expect it to be. Although the debut album was almost as good, regardless of whether it was one or two who sang. The singing is only half the experience. The other important half is the music itself, song construction and arrangement, something that Magnus Karlsson has a great talent for.

Something that is recognizable from one album to the other is the orchestral keyboard sound, which is alternated with Heavy Metal. For instance, I like the magnificent intro on the record and the title song. Russell’s slightly rougher voice is a contrast to Anette’s clear tones, which sometimes tend to be a little too penetrating. She sounds more Pop than Rock, but is a very good singer. Their voices together are a nice combination.

Again we hear an outstanding keyboard sound in, for example, “So Quiet Here”. On this track, it sounds like they have made a duplication of Olzon’s voice, in an ABBA way, which is a nice effect. Allen sings great in his Hardrock style and you can hear how super skilled the guitarist is. He also proves that in, among others, “A Million Skies”. The two singers also impress and match each other perfectly in that piece. There is a lot of power here, as well as a rather large dose of NIGHTWISH. Another song that flirts a bit with that band is “Carved Into Stone”. It is a bit mediocre though, but the chorus is catchy and strong, which lifts the overall impression.

“All Alone” is a superb composition. Lovely keyboard with some piano tones opens. Anders Köllerfors plays fantastic. The drum beats are playful and vivid. Both vocalists do well, especially Russell. The muffled finale tone from a bass drum is probably done on the keyboard, but it is a powerful detail that almost takes my breath away. Anette is incredibly good in “Until It’s Over”. It also sounds really nice when her and Allen’s voices intertwine. In the middle section, when the tempo slows down, their singing together is very harmonious. Then, with the guitar solo, the speed increases again. Exuberant tones seem to bubble up from the strings. The drumbeats are bouncing and the music maintains a good pace in this great song.

The pleasant and rather fast “Are We Really Strangers” rushes over the listener, like a whirlwind. I am impressed by Köllerfors. What a versatile way he plays in. Sometimes it is as if it calmly overflows and lovely tones just pour out. The same can be said about the guitar master, who is brilliant without taking up too much space. The whole record has a nice balance. Karlsson is an enormously talented songwriter and producer. He has written a bunch of terrific tunes again. The new ALLEN/OLZON album “Army Of Dreamers” is dreamy as well as cool and heavy.

A divinely gifted, skilled guitarist, who plays with warmth and energy. A magnificent drummer and two super great vocalists. It can only be incredibly good. (Anna)

Bewertung:

 8,5 / 10

Anzahl der Songs: 11
Spielzeit: 53:48 min
Label: Frontiers Music s.r.l.
Veröffentlichungstermin: 09.09.2022