Nils Patrik Johansson combines history and heavy metal on War & Peace, the singer’s third solo album due on 10th October via Metalville Records.
Out now is the second single taken from the longplayer, ‘Stay Behind’ available digitally with a video you can check out here at RAMZine.
The slow but powerful song tells the story of an underground organisation set up by NATO in Western European countries called Stay Behind, which was prepared to defend the countries in the event of an invasion by the Soviet Union. For some people, Stay Behind was also part of one of the many conspiracy theories in connection with the murder of Olof Palme.
It follows previous single ‘Gustav Vasa’ also available digitally with a video also here at RAMzine.
That track is about Gustav Eriksson Vasa, who took over power from King Kristian. There are many legends surrounding the person of Gustav Vasa and some people believe that he was the founder of Sweden. The song itself is like an adventure. A mixture of traditional heavy metal and modern power metal.
Commenting on the album release, Johansson said: “I am so proud of this album and the fact that I finally got my ‘Gustav Vasa’ song out to the world. My fans have been waiting. I’m also proud of Lars for his great work, for my son Fredrik for his amazing drum playing and also for Anuviel for the high quality keyboard arrangements. Also, a big thanks to Tommy Denander for his efforts.”
Lars being Lars Chriss, Johansson’s bandmate in Lion’s Share, who played both guitarist and bass on the album, as well as producing, and Saecred Spirit Anuviel being the keyboard player, alongside Fredrik Johansson on drums, plus Tommy Denander playing trumpet on the track ‘Prodigal Son’.
Born in Borlänge, Sweden, the singer has been synonymous with outstanding hard rock and metal albums for over 20 years. Not only with his solo albums, but also as frontman of Astral Doors, Lions Share, Civil War and Wuthering Heights.
Tracks featured on War & Peace are: ‘Himalaya’, ‘Gustav Vasa’, ‘Prodigal Son’, ‘Stay Behind’, ‘Barbarossa’, ‘Hungarian Dance’, ‘The Great Wall Of China’ and ‘Two Shots In Sarajevo’.
