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NILS PATRIK JOHANSSON “War and Peace”
NILS PATRIK JOHANSSON “War and Peace”
By Colonel Angus
It is hard to believe that NILS PATRIK JOHANSSON is already on his third solo release. The man seems to keep himself busy with ASTRAL DOORS which is where I was first introduced to him. I have not heard his previous solo efforts so I’m not sure what sort of metal magic he unleashed on “Evil Deluxe” or “The Great Conspiracy”. One thing for sure, I really enjoyed last year’s ASTRAL DOORS’ album T”he End of It All” so I was looking forward to hearing what he had in store for us this year.
Well, what we get with “War and Peace” is a collection of tunes that are history lessons wrapped up in a nice heavy metal wrapper. The eight tracks (seven really but more on that later) focus on historical events or facts that almost prompt the listener to do a little internet sleuthing while having their eardrums battered by the music. I learned more history headbanging to this record than I did in high school.
Starting off the disk is an intro called “Himalaya” and this is what I mean about seven tracks really make us the disk. This intro has a bit of an epic tone like most power metal songs but since there are no lyrics and it being so short, I don’t really want to include it as a track. The first proper track is a power metal tour de force about Swedish king Gustav Vasa. Named after him, the pounding metal of this tune reminds me of DIO on steroids. It contains all the epic-ness of RJD’s material but with an updated power metal tempo that fits JOHANSSON’s vocals perfectly.
We get more history with the galloping “Barbarossa” which is about the German operation/attack on the Soviet Union which was a turning point in World War II. This is another five minute epic which lowers the power metal component and features more of a letter day IRON MAIDEN vibe. The song ends with a bit of folky Russian music to give the story some authenticity. “Stay Behind” is another chugging metal epic that adds some great keyboards to add another texture to the whole record. The guitars at the end play a portion of “The Star Spangled Banner” which is a nice touch and a nod to his fans in the US. This one references operations that occurred in World War II where countries took precautions against the threat of invasions.
Elsewhere we get “The Great Wall of China” which starts off with what sounds like Asian school children but quickly morphs into a hard hitting rocker that showcases some great guitar work courtesy of Lars Chriss. JOHANSSON also channels his best DIO inspired performance on this tune which packs a lot into its relative short five and a half minute timeframe. The record ends another history lesson on the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand which is one of the events that lead to World War I. “Two Shots in Sarajevo” is thumping metal track that has this catchy chorus on top of a thumping rhythm that will create an “ear worm” for weeks to come. Oddly, the song abruptly ends instead of fading out but either way, you’ll want to start the disk all over again.
I have not heard his earlier releases but NILS PATRIK JOHANSSON should be proud of his current album. At just over forty minutes long, “War and Peace” is an explosion of metal and historical storytelling. He and his band pack each track to the brim with pounding riffs, soaring solos, and lyrics that delve deep into the past making every minute count. Highly recommend, especially for fans of SABATON who enjoy history with their metal music.
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