HASSE FRÖBERG & MUSICAL COMPANION

The album this week is "Eternal Snapshots" by Swedish proggers Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion (HFMC). Regular readers of my features may recall that Hasse Fröberg, was prominently mentioned in issue number 4 of #scottssongbysong about the Flower Kings. Hasse has been involved with the band since the beginning, but became an official member beginning with the Flower Kings' third album "Stardust We Are." He is the longest running permanent member other than FKs founder Roine Stolt.

Hasse Fröberg started the band in 2008 while the FKs were on hiatus. Fröberg stated:

"Old fashioned as I am, I don't want it to be like a project, I want a band with a certain sound. The key to that, I believe, is to find enthusiastic musicians who love to play my music and are willing to rehearse and to create a unit that really works well together."

"Eternal Snapshots," is the band's sixth studio album. It was released on June 6, 2024. The lineup is:

- Hasse Fröberg / vocals, electric & acoustic guitars - Sampo Axelsson / bass - Kjell Haraldsson / keyboards, piano, organs - Anton Lindsjö / guitars - Ola Strandberg / drums, backing vocals

The only non-original member is bassist Sampo Axelsson, who replaced original bassist Thomas Thompson who left in 2019.

Let's check it out!

Track 1 - All I Wanted to Be, Pt. 1

This song and part 2 of it bookend the album. A clean electric guitar part playing an arpeggiated pattern opens the song, soon joined by accents from the rest of the band and a melodic lead guitar line. At around 50 seconds, the music changes to a 7-4 pattern. The keys and lead guitar play countermelodies off of each other, nice! The instrumental parts calm down and the vocals enter at around 2 minutes in. The accompaniment is led by piano and acoustic guitar. There is a nice turnaround between verses at around 2:30. The drums and bass return at around 3:30 at a moderately slow 4-4 pace to lead us to the end of the opening track. Well done!

Track 2 - Deserve to Be Happy This one has an energetic intro that reminds me of Kansas' "People of the South Wind." The music quickly changes and becomes mellow for the vocals to begin. After the first verse at 50 seconds, the band begins to crescendo, and a part similar to the opening comes in. The rhythm gets steady and the vocals return. There is an outstanding guitar fill at around 1:20 The sound gets smoother and has a half time feel for the pre chorus. Then the chorus is in a similar style to the intro and back to the full tempo. I love the harmonies on the word "happy," at 2:07. The next verse has a little harder rock feel. We go back to half-time with beautiful harmonies at around 3:15 for the bridge. I like the contrasting feels in different sections. At around 4:15, a shifting meter accompanies the guitar solo. There is a wonderful sweep-picking arpeggio at around 4:50! Nicely executed, Anton Lindsjö! The music begins to slowly get quieter as the guitar solo brings us to the end of the song. Excellent track, lot's to dig into in just 5:45.

Track 3 - Wherever You May Go

The song begins with the sound of a distantly strummed guitar, with lots of echo. At least I believe it is a 12-string of some kind, but it could also be a harpsichord. Hasse begins singing to acoustic guitar accompaniment. His high notes are fantastic! More instruments join in as we proceed. The harmonies on this album are spectacular. The full band joins in briefly at around 1:25, before a new section, led by an acoustic guitar strumming pattern begins. The band settles into an easy-going 6-8 groove. There are occasional meter shifts as we proceed. I like the guitar fill that leads the band back in around 2:45. The keyboards provide a warmth to the sound. At around 4:00 there is a marching pattern on the snare drum. The keyboard solo that starts just before 4:30 and its accompaniment remind me a bit of Styx' "Lights." It is a well-done keyboard solo indeed. I like the heavier guitar runs that happen around the 5 minute point following the keys solo. Awesome sustained note from Hasse at 5:30! There are more to follow. I love the choral style vocals and the overall arrangement in the coda section as the song reaches its conclusion. Beautiful Track!

Track 4 - No Messiah

This is the longest track on the album at 7:17. Acapella harmony voices start this track with one part singing an accented melody. 12-string acoustic accompaniment and piano join in. The band begins to enter fully with a lovely keyboard ascending run by Kjell Haraldsson. There is a dramatic entrance section then the acoustic strums a triplet pattern that leads the band in, and they follow suit with the rhythm. The vocals enter with an effect on the voice and the bass keeping an urgent eighth note pattern while the drums accent. At around 1:50 the groove changes and gets slightly less urgent. The chorus hits at 2:05 with wonderful harmonies. The verse returns to the urgent pattern with smooth keys on top. Meters keep changing, keeping this prog fan happy. At 3:30 there is a quieter instrumental segment in which I think I hear flute and mellotron. Then the triplet rhythm returns. A drum fill takes us into a half-time guitar solo. That feel remains as the vocals return. The buildup in the harmonies here reminds me of "There Is More to this World," from Hasse's other band! I like the transition into the keyboard solo at around 5:45. Great high note at 6:12! Even higher a bit later! The guitar ad-libs as the music begins to fade before stopping abruptly. That was quite a ride!

Track 5 - Once In a Lifetime

There are some shoreline sound effects at the beginning that lead to a big deep note that reminds me initially of a fog-horn on a ship but becomes apparent as a synth. Hasse's vocals enter in dramatic fashion. The band begins to lock into a groove around 45 seconds into the song. The tune transitions into a melodic section at around 1:10. A cool guitar riff takes us to a mixed meter chorus. The next verse/chorus is in 7-4. At 3:00 though, we get whacky! The song goes into cut-time and it almost sounds like a slower polka with a tuba. The guitar plays a tune and the piano has some nice jazzy chords. A set of power chords brings us back out at 3:45. The music gets very dramatic and the voices (or synth voices) sound like a choir. The 7-4 groove returns for a chorus with nice lead guitar lines over the top. The polka beat returns at around 4:40. There is a tight little riff that ends the song on a sustained chord. I didn't see that middle part coming! Cool track!

Track 6 - Only for Me

This is one of 4 short songs on the second half of the album. It clocks in at 2:39. This begins with similar sound effects to the previous song. A high pitched floaty sound comes in before piano chords begin playing. The vocals have an interesting effect when they enter. There are harmonies, but I'm not sure if they are done through the effects. The song has a very ethereal quality to it. More coastline effects follow. I just checked a map of Sweden and I see that Uppsala, where Hasse is from, is a port city, so he must have grown up with these sounds. Hauntingly beautiful track.

Track 7 - The Yard

This is the second shortest song on the album at 1:46. Sampo Axelsson kicks this one off with a great, upbeat bass riff. Other instruments join in with a unique tone in the synth. I believe this one is an instrumental. I love the groove. Nice drumming from Ola Strandberg. Cool track, wish it was longer!

Track 8 - Searching for the Dark

Hasse leads the instruments in on the words "I just heard the news?" Electric piano is the primary accompaniment. I like the flourish at 45 seconds that ushers in harmony vocals. Clean electric guitar joins in, along with a few lead fills . There is another flourish at 1:55. The rhythm section kicks in with a slow beat at 2:14. There is a slide guitar on this one. At 2:45, what sounds like a mellotron comes in to accompany the wonderful guitar solo. The music is gradually growing in intensity. This one would not be out of place on a FKs album. Brilliant vocals from Hasse. More port sounds continue at the end of the song. Wondering if these past few tracks are meant to be a suite. Great track.

Track 9 - A Sorrowful Mariner

This is the shortest track at only 1:10. An organ and choir sounds begin this one. By 30 seconds there is an organ run into a more rhythmic melody. A nice 16th note run happens at around 45 seconds. And the short track ends with more coastline sounds.

Track 10 - Blind Dog

This one is longer at just over 6 minutes. The first few organ chords immediately remind me of Jon Lord from Deep Purple (may he RIP) and "Space Truckin'" The band comes in with a big blues rock riff. Lovin' this. The vibe is somewhere between Deep Purple and Zep. At around 1:35, the music slows down and chills out. The beat kicks back in about 30 seconds later for the chorus. Hasse is singing very gritty on this one. This song rocks hard. I like the dynamic shift for the guitar solo. Anton Lindsjö is a fine soloist and I love the way he slowly builds this up. At around 4 minutes Kjell Haraldsson takes over on the organ. Hasse comes back in soon after. I like the delicate contrasting bridge sections. This is a great classic hard rock style song. The backing vocals and guitar solo over the vocals near the end are awesome touches. HFMC ROCKS!

Track 11 - All I Wanted to Be (Part 2)

The album has come full circle with the other half of the opening song. It begins with a restatement of the opening guitar part. A big fanfare follows. Anton Lindsjö is really making the guitar scream (in a great way) on this one. Hasse comes in with high notes right off the bat here! By 2 minutes into the song it quiets down to an acoustic guitar and vocal duet.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

Brilliant album! Hasse and his "companions" have made some fantastic songs here. The playing was fabulous by all involved and the vocals were exquisite. The songwriting and arranging and production are all top-notch. Lovers of any type of melodic rock music would find something to like here. My only complaint is that some of the songs were too short! Not quite CTTE or DSOTM level but damn good! 4.75 Stars.

Clicked 5 stars even though it it a 4.75, because 4 is too low.

Hasse Fröberg first came to prominence in Swedish hard rock band Spellbound during the Eighties, but it will be for the last two decades he has spent with The Flower Kings which must progheads will know him for. He came up with the idea of forming a band in 2008, with Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion starting to play the following year, and this is the sixth album since then. There has been a minor line-up change since 2021's 'We Are The Truth', with the band now being Hasse Fröberg (vocals, electric & acoustic guitars), Sampo Axelsson (bass guitar), Kjell Haraldsson (keyboards, piano, organs), Anton Lindsjö (guitars) and Ola Strandberg (drums, backing vocals).

I have only heard the last two albums, and I do find it strange that they are the only reviews for those on PA so they must have slipped under the radar, and while I enjoyed them, I must admit I felt they could have done with some judicious editing as they were both over an hour in length and just too long. I have no idea if others felt the same, but this album is 47 minutes and is definitely much better for it. While there are obvious Flower Kings influences, which one would expect given he has been such a key member of that band for so long, there are also plenty taken from the melodic rock scene and the result is something which is vibrant and exciting. The keyboard sounds are wonderfully dated at times, with Mellotrons and more, yet the music can be very upbeat indeed with some great driving bass, superb vocals and plenty of hooks. The result is a prog album which can be played and enjoyed the first time of hearing yet there is more to discover each time as while it stays rooted in prog there is at times very much a concentration on the word "rock". This is easily the best HFMC album I have come across to date and I am intrigued to hear what he comes up with next.

Hasse Fröberg sings as if his life depends on it. We know him, of course, from the Swedish prog band The Flower Kings, where he handles lead vocals alongside Roine Stolt and also contributes with supporting guitar parts. Additionally, since 2009, he has been busy with his own band, Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion, abbreviated as HFMC. This ensemble, which offers a more compact, classic rock-infused variation of The Flower Kings' sound, had released five albums until recently. With "Eternal Snapshots," Fröberg and his band present their sixth installment, and just like every other time, it's advisable to listen to the music meticulously. It's another delightful disc full of subtle power.

In contrast to the excellent predecessor "We Are The Truth" from 2021, which showcased a somewhat more adventurous overall sound, the newcomer revisits their 'good old band sound'. The passionate notes effortlessly find their way to the listener across eleven well-varied tracks, with no double oxers or other daring leaps.

"Eternal Snapshots" is a concept album that addresses questions such as how do we become who we are. Is everything predetermined? Is fate involved in our lives? The album's title refers to the fact that new destinies are born every second, and in the tracks, we can follow two of them. We meet a man searching for answers to his existence in this rotten world, and we also witness a newly born baby. Existential questions abound. As far as the framing words go, let's delve into the content.

The album kicks off with the first part of All I Wanted To Be and ends with the second part. Both parts start almost identically with blissful bombast. Then each part follows its own course depending on its place on the album. The first part delights in its melodious side. The party can begin.

With the exuberant Deserve To Be Happy and the steaming Blind Dog, HFMC mostly revisits its roots. Deserve To Be Happy is pure classic rock, complete with a virtuosic guitar solo by Anton Lindsjö. The synthesizer permeates the song nicely, the rhythm guitar sounds tight, and the vocals take you to places you want to be. Then the band brings subtlety, variation, and an extra layer of depth that will make your prog heart beat faster. Wherever You May Go is delightfully light-footed thanks to the acoustic guitar. The song is about the aforementioned baby, which makes this atmosphere quite logical. No Messiah, with its partially angular approach, is rather special, and the beautiful Once In A Lifetime, with its tantalizing combination of Hammond organ and slide guitar, is a dream track, provided you appreciate the ragtime middle section. The guitar playing in this street parade-like passage is so intense that you'll spontaneously develop an appreciation for it, guaranteed.

The album also features some short tracks, including the atmospheric Only For Me. The lead vocals here are by Ola Strandberg, while his brother Alf sits behind the piano as a guest musician, weaving the synth pad through the song. Another noteworthy short track is A Sorrowful Mariner, where keyboardist Kjell Haraldsson invokes his Hammond. Taste is not lacking in this Swede.

The album, of course, boasts some gems, and although all the tracks are deserving, Searching For The Dark and Blind Dog shine the brightest. The Uriah Heep-like organ in the infectious Blind Dog is deliciously mouth-watering, and when the bombastic intro of All I Wanted To Be follows, you know the disc is almost at its end. Ultimately, the band reaches melancholic maturity and carries you away.

Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion have once again succeeded in delivering a beautiful album. What a treasure.

Originally posted on www.progenrock.com

HFMC are back with their fifth album, their second with just the abbreviation HFMC on the cover, with yet again the same line-up of Hasse Fröberg (lead vocals, guitars). Anton Lindsjö (lead guitar, acoustic guitars, backing vocals), Kjell Haraldsson (grand piano, keyboards, backing vocals), Thomas Thomsson (bass, backing vocals) and Ola Strandberg (drums, acoustic guitar, backing vocals). It is certainly no mean feat to keep the same five musicians together over the course of so many albums, especially when the band leader is mostly preoccupied with some outfit called The Flower Kings. Actually, it is remarkable that HFMC have been able to work so much together given just how active The Flower Kings are, but given Roine somehow always manages to find time for other projects perhaps it is not quite that surprising.

One of the major failing of The Flower Kings over the years is the seeming inability to self-edit, and with three lengthy songs we find the latest HFMC release is 70 minutes in length, so pushing the boundaries of a standard CD (long gone are the days when albums would fit on one side of a TDK-90. If you don't know what one of those is then I now feel very old), and while this never drifts as much as some of their releases, there are certainly times when the attention wanders. They are truly crossover in that we get plenty of nice melodies which would not sound out of place in more commercial settings, while they move happily between genres such as folk and symphonic. "Other Eyes" is one of the longest songs on the album, and provides one of the most delicate and enjoyable passages when Hasse is accompanied by acoustic 12-string, and it allows him to demonstrate just why he is so highly regarded. This may not be a classic prog album, but it is certainly enjoyable, with some nice keyboard sounds being utilised, yet there is a feeling that there are times when it is somewhat lightweight and could have done with more punch. Not exactly essential, this is a nice release all the same.

Hasse Fr'berg & Musical Companion are back with their fourth album, and the first one without the full name on the cover, and given that 2015's release had the abbreviation as the album title I wonder if they have changed their name. Fr'berg has of course been lead singer with The Flower Kings since their 1997 album 'Stardust We Are', a position he holds to this current day and as well as releasing this album in 2019 he of course also features on their 'Waiting For Miracles'. Prior to joining The Flower Kings he had been a member of the melodic hard rock group Spellbound, and HFMC (at least by this example) are an amalgam of the two.

It is incredibly polished, with great vocals (of course) and there are some great songs contained within, it's just a shame I can't get a handle on it at all. There are plenty of people raving over this, but while I do agree it is a reasonably good album, it feels way too sanitised and clean. The bottom end is almost non-existent, and it feels like every knows their part and what they have to play but it isn't organic. There is no edges here whatsoever, they have all been smoothed over so the whole dynamic contrast has disappeared and we all sit in the middle eating tea and crumpets. There is no soul, no gravitas, and I just feel like I have overdosed on sugar. There truly are some great musicians at play here, and Anton Lindsj' in particular needs a very special mention as he tries, he really tries, with some shredding which makes me think this could be a very different album indeed if it had been produced and mastered in a different manner to what it has. Fans of melodic rock with some progressive tendencies may find this of interest, while those who follow The Flower Kings may well track this down for completeness, but for me, next!

If you know The Flower Kings, you also know Hasse Fr'berg. A fine hard rock singer and guitarist in the 80s, the man ended up in one of the biggest progressive rock acts of the 21st century - and together with four equally skilled musicians, he even has found the time to release a new (by now the third one) album under the name Hasse Fr'bergs Musical Companion.

An album with a slightly uninspired title (HFMC), but after listening to it on and off for 6 weeks, I can only conclude that the inspiration has instead gone into the music. Music that is introduced by a ticking clock on Seconds, which is soon replaced by a short keyboard piece by Kjell Haraldsson that flows seamlessly into the whirling keyboard and guitar opening of Can't Stop the Clock. This is the first real song on the album and it starts full of energy, reminding of Images & Words era Dream Theater and 2015 Franck Carducci at the same time. This track is varied in style, as well as in tempo and key (which the band already announced on their web site when it was released as a preview video. It contains metal and hard rock, but also mellower parts - in short, it rocks.

Less varied, and totally different is the the follow up Everything Can Change, which has a jazzy feel to it in various places, when the piano is the lead instrument, but in other places it also feels like a 60s rock song with synths and guitar added to make it more complex. On this one, Hasse Fr'berg's slightly hoarse voice really works very well.

With Pages, we move into longer songs, over 10 minutes. The opening is a quick crescendo of guitar and keyboards, followed by a more melodic keyboard piece. In a way, the music reminds of Yes, and later on also Genesis, but never too strongly. The vocals of Hasse remind me of a more emotional version of Grobschnitt's Wildschwein. The highlight of this song is a guitar solo by Anton Linsj', which I put in my review notes as "it's not Gilmour, it's not Stolt, it's that guy from HFMC'. After this solo, a well done vocal part (with piano and acoustic guitar) leads into an outro that is as bombastic as the intro. Circle closed.

With Genius, a more ballad like track, the listener gets some rest before moving into the net long track, In the Warmth of the Evening. A varied track, like Can't Stop the Clock, but 4 minutes longer and without the strong metal influences - although in the second half the keys become really bombastic, before a closing guitar solo with a lot of feeling in it - like some great blues guitarists also could, but here no blues is involved.

On Something Worth Dying For, the band moves slightly into Hasse's past as a hard rock musician. This one has guitar leads, and riffs accompanied by a strong drum work (lots of cymbals too) by drummer Ola Strandberg, and matching bass work by Thomas Thomsson.

The last track of the album Someone Else's Fault brings us back to the world of symphonic rock, with vocal choirs and keyboards that remind of Yes and Genesis. But when Hasse sings alone, over a dancing keyboard tune, it becomes almost soulful, something Jon Anderson never did. Half way, the music changes into bluesy hard rock, with yet another very well executed guitar solo - before going back to symphonic land at the end. I put the words 'soulful', 'bluesy hardrock' and 'Yes' in my review notes - only to find out later that apparently Hasse Fr'berg described this track as a mix between Yes, Stevie Wonder and AC/DC. Well - I guess he got that more or less right.

After this, all that remains is the ticking of a clock, on Minutes, which makes the album go full circle. And full circle it may go - as some other albums that I reviewed, I have no problem putting this one on repeat. In the second half of 2015, the band will be playing gigs in various countries, and I already spotted my chance to see them in The Netherlands. Get your chance as well, or just get the album, or do both... you catch my drift.

Here's the third releases of the second Flower Kings guitar player and vocalist. Here, he can express his ideas with freedom being the main songwriter. The album start and end with the sound of a clock ticking which connects all the songs together and identify the main concept of the album : time. The first song "Stop the Clock" is one of the highlight song of the album that illustrate all the colors and moods of the album, from the heavy parts to some more gentle melodic part. The symphonic music of Flower Kings is balanced with some heavy and darker rock sound. "Everything can change" brings some more conventional rock with a little jazz segment and some bluesy and sometimes pop feel. "Pages" starts like a ballad with some flute and some Yes influence that's get more upbeat with some straight forward melody. Some nice vocals parts are bringing this song to another level. "Genius" is less complex but still emotional. "In the Warmth of the Evening" is the second highlight song that is complex and contains many shades, textures and tempo changes. "Something Worth Dying For" is dark and goes to the Progressive Metal side with some crunchy guitars. "Someone Else Fault" is a return to some classic/hard rock sound in the first part, but in the second part it gets more symphonic.

This album could be the most satisfying of the band's career. If the vocals and the guitar work of Hasse Froberg are the main attraction, the rest of the musicians complete this band perfectly to create this captivating album that will enjoy fans of Flower Kings, Yes, Kaipa and more standard rock bands.

Hasse Froberg & Musical Companion- HFMC

A review by Don Cassidy of Delicious Agony Progressive Rock Radio

The third release by a band has a historical musical precedent of being very important in a band's history. Often it takes a band a few albums to find themselves and the third release has been that place. This is evident in classic releases such as The Yes Album, Trilogy by Emerson, Lake, & Palmer, Machine Head by Deep Purple (Mark II), and Cream's Wheels Of Fire. On HFMC, Hasse Froberg & Musical Companion has taken their mix of progressive rock and hard/classic blues based rock to another level. In an interview with Delicious Agony Progressive Rock Radio, Hasse Froberg told us that the band, 'reached another level on this album.' When hearing the songs, the instrumentation, and production of HFMC, this reviewer agrees. In addition, it appears that the band has released an album that will be an early contender for album of the year and one of the best releases by any member of The Flower Kings.

Most progressive rock fans are familiar with Hasse Froberg as the dynamic singer/rhythm guitarist of The Flower Kings for close to 20 years. While band leader and progressive rock icon Roine Stolt represents the more classic side of progressive rock, Hasse represents that dynamic Bon Scott/Robert Plant element of the band, that is particularly evident in their live performances. When the band was on hiatus in 2010, Hasse Froberg & Musical Companion burst on the scene with their debut album, Future Past. This was followed by the excellent Powerplay in 2012, which was show cased by their appearance at the Rites Of Spring Festival in May of 2012. After a triumphant return to the prog scene, which included two acclaimed albums, The Flower Kings are again taking a break. This allows the individual band members to move forward with their music and projects outside of The Flower Kings. The time was right for a huge step forward by Hasse Froberg & Musical Companion.

HFMC is a 63 minute release that contains 9 tracks, three of which totaling greater than ten minutes in length. After a short keyboard intro by Kjell Harldsson, Seconds, the band begins the album with the track, Can't Stop The Clock. This song has been chosen as the first video for the album. With the majestic beginning and memorable chorus, I can see this song as a natural opener for the live stage. The next song, Everything Can Change, was described by Froberg to me as one the best songs he has written in terms of structure and arrangement. The next song, Pages, is the longest one at over 15 minutes in length. With music written by drummer, Ola Strandbeg, this is one of the proggiest songs by the band with many exciting twists and turns. The Gilmour influenced guitar by Anton Lindsjo at the ten minutes mark is particularly memorable. Genius slows down the tempo for five minutes and Froberg sings about the mental struggles of someone blessed with talent that left the world too soon. The Warmth of the Evening is next and is described by Froberg as the most symphonic rock song on the album. More than any other song, this one may remind the listener a bit of The Flower Kings. The next track, Something Worth Dying For, is the heaviest song on the album and again features the guitar of Linsjo. The final ten minute plus song on the album, Someone Else's Fault, was described by Froberg as, ' a mix between Stevie Wonder, Yes, Whitesnake and AC/DC.' As with many of the songs, the guitar of Linsjo, the keys of Haraldsson and majestic vocals from Froberg lead the way. The album concludes again with the ticking clock, this time representing Minutes.

There is no question that HFMC further cements this band as a force on the modern progressive rock scene and not just a side project for Hasse Froberg. The band are truly masters of blending modern prog with blues based heavy/classic rock and the playing and arrangements on the album are a treat for the listeners. With his work with both The Companion and The Flower Kings, Froberg continues to distinguish himself a top notch songwriter, musician and performer. In addition, the members of The Companion, Anton Lindsjo, Kjell Haraldsson, Ola Strandberg, and Thomas Thomsson, all equally contribute to the synergy that is evident to the listener. This fantastic album is available on Glassville Records and I would highly recommend to attempt to catch Hasse Froberg & Musical Companion live.

Don Cassidy President, Interviewer, DJ, Artist Promo contact Delicious Agony Progressive Rock Radio www.deliciousagony.com

Hasse Froberg has been lending his powerful voice and guitar skills to Swedish proggers The Flower Kings for many years now. That's where I had my first introduction to him and I'd imagine the same goes for most of you out there. I've always loved the work he did with TFK, delivering many unforgettable vocals album after album. Naturally, I was excited to hear what Hasse would bring to the table on a solo album.

Once I popped in my copy of Powerplay it didn't take long at all to sell me. This is a monster of a record! Hasse states that he wrote all the melodies with his voice and acoustic guitar, in order to avoid the possibility of hiding a weak line behind a really cool sound. Regardless of his methods, he sure did something right, because the vocal lines are marvelously memorable. With just one listen to the album I felt like I could easily identify vocal lines, choruses, and even instrumental parts, which is something that does not happen every time you throw on a new disc.

I would divide this album into two halves: the prog half and the rock half, kicking it off with "My River to Cross," which ends up being the perfect way to open up this album. Huge sound, soaring melodies that get stuck in your head, and lots of proggy goodness categorize this fine piece. I was pleasantly surprised with the number of headbanging riffs that this tune provides, making fantastic use of unison guitars, bass, and drums, with the Hammond filling in the background nicely. Kjell Haraldsson executes dazzling synth and Hammond solos, after which Mr. Froberg wraps it up with a nice, big chorus. As the next track came on I instantly knew this wouldn't be a boring or repetitive album. "The World keeps turning adds an accessible appeal with catchy hooks, something that usually scares me away, but not in this case. Once again, Hasse shows us what a fine band he has put together, with gorgeous virtuoso soloing on from Kjell and Anton. As "The Final Hour" gears up, we enter prog mode full on with fantastic arpeggiator and some really musical vocal harmonies and techniques, creating some moments that I would like to say are very distinctively Hasse Froberg. On the other hand, this song has some of the most Flower Kings' moments on the album, especial the guitar solo section, which made me think a bit of Mr. Stolt mixed with some Steve Vai-like phrasing. If you aren't sold yet, just wait 'til you hit the eight minute mark where you'll hear some gorgeous piano and Mellotron flute. Yup, that's it, "The Final Hour" is a progalicious piece, landing the spot of my favorite track of the album.

The next half of the album is pretty straightforward; Hasse's mission is to provide solid rock 'n roll with beautiful prog influences and a great band that constantly reminds us that there's a team effort going on here, and it's a winning team, might I add. "Waves" brings a bit of a relaxing atmosphere to the album with its steady drumbeat, ballad-esque melodies, and nostalgic lyrics, backed by the gentle textures of guitar and Hammond. "Venice CA," on the other hand, is the party song on the album, a straightforward rocker with some pretty heavy 80's influences. At this point the album has taken a more straightforward edge, following up "Venice" with "Is it Ever Going to Happen," a heavy blues rocker (on the verse), with gritty vocals and a few surprises; after the really rocking parts it transitions smoothly into more jazz influenced territory with nice use of Rhodes, then pulls out the tron briefly before entering into a heavy section, and even a little bit of reggae style guitar and then brings the chorus back. All of a sudden it gets heavy again and we get a major shred guitar solo from Anton Lindsjö, full of tremolo picking, pinch harmonics and the works. Following "Is it Ever Going to Happen" we get "White Butterfly," a short acoustic guitar/vocal piece (that I wasn't too thrilled about) before moving on to "The Chosen Ones." Overall this is one of the weaker pieces, not really offering much that other tracks haven't already done for us up to this point, except some very high quality fusion solos on guitar and keyboard which help this piece finish off strong. Closing out the album is "Godsong," delivering first class on the positive lyrics, in The Flower Kings spirit, accompanied by uplifting and memorable melodies.

To sum it up, Powerplay is an album you won't want to miss. Honestly, I listened to this and Banks of Eden right next to each other as they came out, and I'm not going to lie, I was every bit as impressed with this album as I was with the then new Flower Kings; and that's saying a lot. Hasse Froberg, through this album, has thoroughly proven to me that he is a force to be reckoned with, not just a strong member of a first class band, but a true leader who has the compositional ability it takes to turn heads.

Hasse Froberg and Musical Companion is a prog rock band formed of course by Hasse Froberg, no one else then the vocalist and guitarist of The Flower Kings. So far they released two albums one in 2010 and second offer will coming two years later in 2012 named Powerplay. So, what we have here is pretty solid music, sometimes very close to what The Flower Kings done in past years and I mean symphonic prog but this time this style is melted with hard rock elements, giving in the end a heavy prog album quite spectacular in places. There are lots of melodic hooks, nice instrumental passages, and keyboard driven arrangements. Also the voice of Hasse is very strong, he has a warm vocal tone who is fiting perfectly into this type of music. The musicianship and songwritting is top toch, every musician involved here truly shining, specially on pieces like opening My River to Cross what a strong opener, some great duels between guitars and keyboards like in the old days of heavy prog, The World Keeps Turning and few more, in fact all pieces stands as great, not a weak moment here. I really like this combination of symphonic passages with hard rock elements, the result is quite more then generous to any prog listner. All in all a winner, this album is as good as debut, both are strong and quite recommended. One of the better bands around in last years for sure. From me easy 4 stars. The album comes in digipak format with nice silvery artwork and booklet. Very solid band IMO.