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“Pictures from a Time Traveller” is the debut solo album from the ex-Royal Hunt/current Evergrey guitarist. Although I admire both bands, this album still managed to surprise me. Positively, that is.
Progressive Metal, acoustic guitars, Hammond, acoustic piano, cello, mellow introspection, full-blown shred... these are some of the instruments and elements used to bring Jidell’s compositions to life. Indeed this is a musically diverse album where Jidell resists the urge to make it an egotistical vehicle.
With Jidell on guitar, bass, piano , cello, keyboards and percussion, “Pictures…” is enriched with the talents of, drummers Andreas Johansson (Narnia) and Hannes Van Dahl (Evergrey), keyboardist Andre’ Andersen (Royal Hunt), Johan Nieman (Evergrey, ex-Mind’s Eye, ex-Therion) on bass…the list goes on. Even Marcus’ father Rolf laid down some cello tracks for the album. All musicians do a stellar job but I was particularly impressed with the performance of Johansson – his style is not excessively fast but nonetheless quite intense. Amidst all this, Jidell is like an orchestra conductor, co-ordinating the proceedings while impressing us with his guitar-playing skills.
The inevitable result of the diversity of ideas and musicians is that the album has several layers to it. Don’t let this discourage you, though, because “Pictures…” is an enjoyable experience even for non-musicians. My only gripe is that the album is quite short, though I suppose that’s better than having sub-par tracks dragging down the album.
“Pictures from a Time Traveller” is a perfect title as Marcus Jidell takes the listener on a meandering journey through various moods and tempo changes. And its one voyage I recommend you embark on. | ||||||||||||||||||
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