Björn Stigsson - A New Beginning

Has anyone heard about this new solo album from Bjorn Stigsson?  I just noticed on the Angelic Warlord site that it will be review out soon for the new album.  It looks like it was released (at least in Europe) in September, but the only place in the U.S. I can find to purchase it is from itunes (yuck!).

I was able to listen to the album on Spotify, and I have to confess it wasn't at all what I was expecting.  As a matter of fact I skipped the second half of several of the songs.  While the musicianship is certainly good, the songs themselves seems substantially "lighter" than anything he recorded on his previous solo album (Together With Friends)...and certainly mellower than anything with Leviticus.  I also find the lead vocals to be a little "off", it sounds like he may have done his own lead vocals on this album.  Kind of reminds me a little of David Zaffiro's softer solo stuff...but not quite as enjoyable.

I am yet to receive the album- so putting together a review is some time away (perhaps later this fall to early winter).  The problem is that "A New Beginning" can be only purchased at an online retailer called Talking Music, which is not a problem but the site is mostly in Swedish. 

Plus, there is virtually no promo material released to support the album; hence, you have no idea who performs on it or handles lead vocals.  Also, I am not on iTunes so that option is closed.  I do have an Amazon account so I am hoping in the near future the artist will make it available via Amazon (or at least CD Baby).

Perhaps in the near future Christian Metal Distro will have a few CD copies available for sale?  But that is the problem with many of the European import releases- they are so obscure and difficult to find and when you do they are terribly expensive (think along the lines of Golden Resurrection, ReinXeed, etc). 

At this point I am thinking of removing the album from the Upcoming Reviews list until it becomes easier to find.

The album is gonna have to be better than that for me to get it.  i didn't care for most of Zaffiro's softer stuff, and this isn't really exciting me, either.

I like Zaffiro's stuff.

I like Zaffiro's solo material, particularly "In Scarlet Storm".  So I am intrigued...

I like a few of the songs off his first two projects, but I no longer have the latter two.  They were mellow and mostly instrumentals.  I've purged most anything I had that was purely instrumental as I never played it.  I've gotten rid of Zaffiro's instrumental albums, Jeff Scheetz's stuff, Tony Palacious' album, and the first Lanny Cordola album.  I just never played them.  I did keep Jeff Scheetz' Christmas album as it is a fun album to play in the background occasionally.

alldatndensum wrote:

I've purged most anything I had that was purely instrumental as I never played it.

Heathen! Blasphemer! I shall pray for the cleansing of your mind.

And the continued cleansing of my CD racks.  I have a ton of stuff that still needs to go from the list I made a few months back.

Sounds like rock music... not hard rock or anything close to metal... but intriguing to me none the less...

I wonder if the vocals are from his cousin Haaken who sang on the first two Leviticus albums...

Is this the lead singer from the first two Leviticus albums?

Definitely lighter... almost "Foreigner" (the band) like...   It's good.. but definitely not the hard rock deliciousness I expected.  

pastorbrad wrote:

Definitely lighter... almost "Foreigner" (the band) like...   It's good.. but definitely not the hard rock deliciousness I expected.  

My thoughts exactly.

"A New Beginning" is now available at Christian Metal Distro: http://christianmetaldistro.storenvy.com/products/18189458-stigsson-bjorn-a-new-beginning-2016

Dynamis wrote:

"A New Beginning" is now available at Christian Metal Distro: http://christianmetaldistro.storenvy.com/products/18189458-stigsson-bjorn-a-new-beginning-2016

That's good news.  Personally still going to pass on it, but I look forward to reading the review in Angelic Warlord.

At this point I would like to mention what a good job that Christian Metal Distro is doing.

Candlemass wrote:

Is this the lead singer from the first two Leviticus albums?

I like this one a lot better!

alldatndensum wrote:

I like this one a lot better!

I think it was the most rocking song on the album, and it is a rerecord from one of the XT albums (the first one I think).

Candlemass wrote:

Candlemass wrote:

Is this the lead singer from the first two Leviticus albums?

I didn't answer because I didn't know.  Google says yes.

Xid wrote:

Candlemass wrote:

Candlemass wrote:

Is this the lead singer from the first two Leviticus albums?

I didn't answer because I didn't know.  Google says yes.

And we know that the Google doesn't lie 

Did the Google lie to me?

I have had opportunity to listen to the album closely and just finished work on the review (first draft).  "A New Beginning" could not be more different musically than Leviticus or XT in taking a straight on rock heading with ethereal and atmospheric touches (there are some blues and AOR elements as well).

The album proves aptly entitled in that regard in representing a 'new musical beginning' for the artist.

Fact is, the album features some REAL good songs, albeit going in a direction many of us were not expecting.  There is also a couple tracks I skip over.  Yes, I wish guitars were a bit heavier in places (only two songs touch upon hard rock) but the artist does take opportunity to solo quite often.

If you were expecting the artist to 'Set Fire To The Earth Again' or "Get Together With More Friends" you might be disappointed.  That said approach with an open mind in terms in terms of the new musical direction and you could very well be pleasantly surprised.

Looking forward to the full review, but after listening to the album on Spotify I have to confess it's just not something I enjoy.

I just uploaded the Stigsson review.  Following is the link: http://www.angelicwarlord.com/reviews/s/stigsson16.html

I forgot to mention that the artist handles his own vocals.

He also uploaded to YouTube a music video to the track "I Call Your Name":

I checked out several of the songs on Youtube and this album just isn't for me.