“Caught in the
Trap” was the only album released by Swedish band Lynx and originally saw the
light of day back in 1985. Now, No Remorse Records are giving a new generation
of metal fans the opportunity to discover one of the forgotten gems of the
1980s.
Lynx have
often been compared to the early albums of co-nationals Europe, mainly due to
the keyboards which, while not entirely dominating the music, play a significant
role in wringing added intensity from the songs. Mats Eriksson’s voice still
sounds fresh and amazing – his singing has its own niche in the upper male
range. The album’s musicianship is in fact of a high standard and the songs have
a class that has rarely been surpassed during the 30 years interim.
‘Nightwalker’
– the song from whose lyrics the album title is derived – has more than a nod to
Rainbow. The tight-sounding and irresistible ‘Nothing In Return’ feels just
right for a live delivery. I could go on lauding the album but I’m sure you get
the general idea by now.
In this
re-issue, 3 previously unreleased bonus tracks have been added to incentivise
fans to buy the album. The first, ‘In the Night’, is a live recording from a gig
in 1982 and is the closest Lynx have sounded to Europe. The other 2 are demo
recordings from around 1983/1984. ‘Race To Hell’ is an alternative version of
‘Final Race’ and sounds heavier, faster, more melodic and, I dare add, better.
‘Keep On Loving Me’ is another upbeat song (think of Rainbow’s ‘I Surrender’)
that’s enjoyable even though it suffers from a poor sound quality.
I’ve heard a
rumour that Lynx might stage a comeback in 2015. Whether this does or does not
happen, there’s always this “Caught in the Trap” to cherish the music of one of
Sweden’s unsung heroes.
Line-up tracks
01 to 09:
Mats Eriksson (Mats Feretti) - vocals
Per Larsson - guitars
Mats Hermasson - keyboards
Kauno Vaattovaara - bass
Carl Moser - drums
