ETERNAL SNAPSHOTS

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

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.