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Comments: Sweden’s Spearfish are a 1970s hard rock band time time-warped forward 30 years into modern times. Their new CD Area 605 is a solid melodic hard rock record. Co-founder and singer Thomas Thulin has a unique voice in the mold of a slightly higher pitched Rush’s Getty Lee. The record is clean and well produced with barely any low points.
The first track, “Fate,” is a good rock song with a nice melody and an almost Ritchie Blackmore-like guitar solo. The album includes a remake of Rush’s classic “Limelight” and is very well done, at times sounding musically identical. Guitarist Peter Lundin lays down solid Rainbow/Sabbath type power rhythms through the whole album in a dark rock/metal feel.
He also shines with solid solos in “The End,” “Lonely Souls,” “Addiction” and a clean heartfelt rock ballad solo in “Reckoning.” The Cinderella love song sounding “All Said ‘N’ Done” is the only track out of place on the album but is reasonably well done. Thulin also handles bass guitar duties and shines especially with a hectic, psychedelic, ’70s acid-trip style bass start to the song appropriately titled “Addiction.” Johan Sterner, the band’s drummer, does well to lead the way on these simple clean sounding rock songs.
For fans of ’70s classic hard rock ala, Deep Purple or Rainbow, this is the perfect new/old CD for you.
Band Members: Thomas Thulin-Bass Guitar, Vocals - Peter Lundin-Guitarist - Johan Sterner-Drums
www.hardrockhaven.net
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SPEARFISH 'AREA 605' (LION MUSIC/BERTUS)
Here we have a great Swedish band named SPEARFISH, which already released a couple of CDs, but this one is the first I ever get to hear. The main bandmembers (bassist/vocalist Thomas Thulin and guitarist Peter Lundin) have been making music since the early 80s, but with SPEARFISH they probably have their most professional band so far. SPEARFISH was formed 15 years ago, but just recently they were picked up by LION MUSIC. Their new CD 'Area 605' is a very good strong classic melodic hardrockalbum that combines influences of RUSH and RAINBOW into an exciting sound. From start to finish this is a very solid album that has quite a few highlights. 11 songs are in total on the CD, and songs like “Fate”, “Empty eyes” and “Broken” are all great melodic heavy rocksongs that sort of capture a strong 80s poseur meets 70s classic hardrock kinda style. They do have a sound of their own, yet you can hear all sorts of influences. Check it out if it starts to interest you.
(Points: 8.3 out of 10) www.angelfire.com
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SPEARFISH - Area 605
Lion Music
by: METAL - KATIE
www.metalexpress.no
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Apparently Spearfish from Sweden have been impressing the crowds with their live performances, which by listening to their latest release, Area 605, is easy to understand, especially if those shows have taken place outdoors in the sun. Outdoor festival sounds like a perfect place for Spearfish’s airy and breezy Prog-influenced Hard Rock. Listening to them indoors from a two-speaker stereo system, while the sun is blazing outside, does not quite have the same impact, and some of the rough edges start to rear their heads.
Spearfish, just like their influences Rush and Cream, is a three-piece band where the vocals are handled by the bass player (Thomas Thulin). Despite being a three-piece band, Spearfish could still be a bit tighter. They could definitely cut out some of the air from their songs and make them more compact, as most of their songs tend to be a bit on the long side. Adding a "touch of dirt" would make the over polished jam sessions more captivating.
The best that the band amounts to is that kiss of death word in relationshipland ... “nice.” Not amazing or particularly memorable ... but nice. The only thing that could possible rattle listeners’ feathers is Thulin’s vocals, which requires some getting used to, but just like Thulin threatens in the song “Addiction”: “When will you learn that you made a choice/Like it or not you will hear my voice.” He needs to be heard first before the decision of where your vote lies can be made.
Most of the songs are slow to mid-tempo, except for fast tempo songs, the album opener “Fate” and “Empty Eyes”, where they really hit the groove and let it roll. “Lonely Souls” shows some Zeppelin influences, and “Burning Candles,” “Reckoning,” and “All Said ‘n’ Done” all have acoustic parts in them. Those of you who get excited by Rush and the like will marvel at the laid back feel of this release, but others will most likely be fighting the yawns before it's over. There’s even a cover of Rush’s “Limelight,” which sadly turns out to be one of the strongest tracks on the album.
Just like most ordinary things in life, Area 605 will require some effort before it can be appreciated, but most likely it will still struggle to break out of the background music league. If you like your Hard Rock easily digested, with a touch of Progressive Rock, then Spearfish should be your choice. This album is like listening to Sting for Rush-heads ... a sonic tranquillizer.
Official band site: www.Spearfish.se
Label site: www.LionMusic.com
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SPEARFISH - Area 605 (2005) Lion Music www.lionmusic.com
This is the band's second full album, their debut was double CD release
for charity that featured guests from Uriah Heep and Nazareth amongst
others. This album is a classic hard rocker with a vocalist who sounds like
lower range Geddy Lee at times. Not that surprising to see a Rush cover then
of 'Limelight'. It's good mix of fast paced hard rockers like 'Fate' with a
few slower moments to give a rounded mix to the album.
Not a bad little album that definitely needs a few plays to sink in. Good
solid hard rock for fans of Uriah Heep and latter day Rainbow.
***1/2
Jason Ritchie
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