4/5

Sayit's third album "Louder" fully lives up its name - it is louder, heavier and more powerful than any of this amazing Swedish guitarist previous work!
Sayit Dölen made his first album back in 1999 - and backed up by friend & mentor Tommy Denander it was a debut circling around the Toto-esque westcoast sound - it is now sold out, but available through Sayit's website with artwork and stuff...
Whereas the first two records was on self financed independent labels "Louder" is released through MTM and has a more straight heavy appearence. On the album all instruments are being handled by "the cream of the crop" vocals are being handled by the fantastic Geir Rönning, Tommy Denander is playing keyboards and additional guitars - and produced it too, Ulf Sandin on bass, Tony Franklin on bass and Erik Somphan on drums. The most amazing part here is the "classic" vocals by Prisoner/Radioactive shouter Geir Rönning - he has a voice that easily matches the ones of Glenn Hughes, David Coverdale and/or Joe Lynn Turner - his perfomance takes a peak on the heavy track "That ain't me" which also includes a thundering solo! Song of the year..?
As you already may have spotted I am very excited about this release - i think the are no fillers here - only good songs and astonishing performance! "I am King" is another powerful song that really takes off, and on the softer side the ballad "Longing for someone to hold" is very emotional but in general the tracks are faster and racier than i expected - and don't stop the record until the last track is over "Waiting for my Love" that gives even Whitesnake a grey scaled colour!

3/5

TYR has just released their second full length album - the first "How far to Asgaard" was released in 2002. The band hails from the Faroe Islands in the middle of the Atlantic Oceans - and has a close relation to Denmark as a matter of fact!
TYR mixes traditional Faroe language and music with very powerful though melodic heavy metal - quite special! In the music this quartet gives life to the magnificent legends of vikings and ancient gods of Valhalla. Terji Skibenæs on guitar, Heri Joensen on vocals and guitar, Kari Streymoy on drums and Gunnar Thomsen on bass are able to put a special feeling into the music with highly original guitar harmonies and great riffs and lot of tempo changes!
Partly sung in Faroe and partly on English this is indeed a very special kind of experience you get when you hear this from start to end - it is recommended from me that you are giving this a full spin in the CD player - is has a good powerful production by legendary Danish Thrash/speed producer Jakob Hansen. And I like the mix of ancient and new melodic expression, this is done very delicate and stylish.

4/5

Far North was born in a small appartement in Sweden back in 1992. Keyboard wizzard and technic gizmo Tobias Öhman wrote a few song on his new studio gear. He found out that he was missing something and old friend guitarist Jan Andersson was recuited - he knew a good vocalist called Patrik Jonsson. They later recruited drummer Sven Schönfeldt, bassplayer David Nyström and additional guitarist Peter Karlsson. This sixtet got a record deal with small label SMC Records and recorded "What!?" as a promo release for Sweden and Japan - later they recorded "Heart Attack" for a Thin Lizzy Tribute. The bright saga of this band came to an abrupt pause, when the label went bankrupt only three weeks before the planned tour to Japan - sad.
But now MTM Classix has re-released this splendid album - in a remastered version and featuring the bonus track "Heart Attack". Musically the complex/progressive elements to the melodic Scandinavian sound is quite unique - it is "wild" though melodic and has an orchestral touch towards it. And the guitarplayers gives us some "hidden" themes in the solos - James Bond theme etc.
If anyone knew of their excistence they would have been the major inspiration to bands like Prime Time and/or even Royal Hunt! But now the band gets a second chance - and they deserve it!