Fatal Fusion - Land Of The Sun

(CD 2011, 65:52, Private Release)

The tracks:
  1- Land Of The Sun(9:16)
  2- Cry No More(3:55)
  3- Promises(6:28)
  4- Love In The sky(6:58)
  5- Shot To The ground(5:42)
  6- Remember(5:12)
  7- Broken man(12:36)
  8- Out To The Fields(15:45)

Fatal Fusion Website       


Fatal Fusion, founded early 2008, are one of the many new progressive rock bands from Norway. They emerged from the ashes of several other rock and blues cover bands from the eighties. Currently the line-up consists of Erlend Engebretsen (keyboards), Lasse Lie (bass), Audun Engebretsen (drums, percussion), Stig Selnes (guitar) and singer Knut Grøntvedt.

Fatal Fusion already recorded their debut album Land Of The Sun in 2010, but they only got some media attention a year later. Thanks to a good foreign friend I also became aware of this interesting band that mostly have a retro sound of the seventies due to the use of several vintage instruments like synthesizers, Mellotrons and Hammond-organs. You might say that their music is a tribute to the progressive rock bands from the seventies. Simultaneously they're still aiming to create their own unique sound, blending elements from different musical genres like hard rock, classical music, metal, blues, jazz and even latin. This mixture of several musical styles works very well on their debut album. Especially the combination of blues and progressive rock appears to be a fine musical marriage.

All of the eight tracks are of a high calibre and therefore I found it difficult to mention any favourites. Maybe the two epic pieces Broken Man and Out Of The Fields are slightly preferable to the others, but all the other tracks have so much to offer that it isn't fair to regard them as favourite tracks. It's also difficult to name a specific musical influence since Fatal Fusion has been influenced by a long list of bands. However, in order to produce a short list I guess the main influences are from bands as Rush, Led Zeppelin, Yes, ELP, Genesis, Camel, Pink Floyd and King Crimson, although younger acts like IQ, Marillion, Spock's Beard and Dream Theater crossed my mind as well.

People who like a fine mixture of blues and progressive rock music will most likely find this album a welcome addition to their CD-collection. If you are a devotee of one or more of the above-mentioned bands you should give this album a try. I certainly had a very good time while listening to Land Of The Sun!

**** Henri Strik (edited by Peter Willemsen)

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