LALLE LARSSON'S WEAVEWORLD - NIGHTSCAPES

With "Nightscapes" Lalle Larsson is concluding his Weaveworld trilogy, preceded by the albums "Weaveworld" and "Infinity Of Worlds", a completely instrumental series of albums proving us once and for all that Lalle Larsson is probably the world's best keyboard player.

"Nightscapes" links in perfectly with its predecessors and leads us once more through the beautiful world of sometimes mysterious and harmonious atmospheres, firmly rooted in melodic and premeditated jazz-rock.

Once more Lalle's fellow travellers through the realms of this Weaveworld are guitarists Richard Hallebeek ( a truly incredible guitarist), Stefan Rosqvist, bass player Jonas Reingold and drummer Walle Wahlgren.

The music on this third part of the Trilogy sounds a bit less emotional and the technical skills and complexity have taken the upper part and this third album lacks the warmth that was so characteristic for the second album, which I still consider the best.

Title piece "Nightscapes Suite" shows us once more all virtuosities and compositional skills the band are capable of in a work lasting more than 24 minutes.

"Rainbow's Gold" is closest to the sound of "Infinity of Worlds" and is my favourite on this album, showing us the romantic side of Lalle Larsson.

The beautiful "Nocturne" gives us an atmosphere of resignation, a fantastic duet played by Lalle on piano and Richard Hallebeek on acoustic guitar.

The album ends with the beautiful "Dawn Sheds a Final Tear", although I don't like these surprises at the end of an album when the last song has ended, a silence of several minutes follows and then you get another sonic pie after the dessert.

All three albums are practically on the same high level, although I still prefer the second one, but all three albums should be in the collection of everyone who claims to be a keyboard dominated progressive rock lover!!

Oscillator11

With "Nightscapes" Lalle Larsson concludes his Weaveworld trilogy, a series of 3 superbly played instrumental albums, all drafted in the same way. Instrumental progressive rock, solidly rooted in premeditated jazz-rock. All albums have the same line up: Lalle Larsson on keyboards, the incredible Richard Hallebeek on both electric & acoustic guitars, Jonas Reingold, one of the most remarkable bass players in the progressive scene on both fretted & fretless bass, the multi talented Walle Wahlgren on drums and a solid rock bottom of guitar riffs is supplied by Stefan Rosqvist.

After Weaveworld and Infinity Of Worlds, Nightscapes is the album which is strongest embedded in jazz rock harmonies and therefore has the sternest sound. The romanticism that adorned Infinity Of Worlds has faded and made room for a more technical approach, making it necessary to listen the album more often in order to discover all its beauties.

Don't think all romanticism has gone, just listen and enjoy "Rainbow's Gold", showing all melodic and harmonious talent of Lalle in all its splendour, one of my personal favourites.

In "Zero Hour" we understand why Stefan Rosqvist is present on the album. He supplies the song with a solid tuned down heavy guitar riff, thus representing the necessary rock ingredient on the album.

Nocturne gives us a moment of relaxation presented by Richard Hallebeek on his acoustic guitar and Lalle principally on his grand piano, an oasis of introspection, before the magnum opus of the album, title composition "Nightscapes Suite" starts off in a mysterious mood and resuming once more in one single piece the genious of Lalle Larsson and his compositional skills and playing qualities. Again I am amazed by the guitar playing of Richard Hallebeek, to me one of the revelations of this Weaveworld project. This suite, taking more than 24 minutes, is technically the most complex of all Weaveworld compositions and its worth to discover ali its hidden beauties, all the brilliantly conceived harmonic progressions and the exquisite melodies, the dark and brooding guitar riffs provided by Stefan Rosqvist widely contributing to the often sombre and melancholic mood of the piece.

The project seems to end in a quiet and introspected mood with the fretless bass of Jonas Reingold and a very melancholic piano and some smooth string sounds supplied by the synthesizers of Lalle Larsson. When the last sound seems to have died down, a silence of several minutes follows, before just for a short moment the atmosphere of the opening track Insomnia and the restlessness that characterises so many of the Larsson compositions is revived, the conclusion of a fantastic album and the end of a brilliant trilogy. One may wonder what mister Larsson will be coming up with next.

Advisable to everyone who is prepared to listen concentrated to a new album more often !! Thank you mister Larsson for this great set of three albums !!!

Erik de Beer

His freshest album to date , released in 2012 Nighscapes, is no less great as previous one. The albus is again solid, both in musicianship and in musical ideas, mainly because is the same line-up and the tightness between musician is brilliant. The music offred is again high level progressive/jazz fusion, I really love this one aswell, pieces like Insomnia, Zero hour showing that Lalle Larsson mean bussines in this field. His keyboards has an important role and he offers a varied landscapes of sounds and atmosphere. Another very solid album under his name, definetly recommended and 4 stars easy. Without hesitation he is one of the most intresting and smart keyboard player of the our recent times. Excellent again on art work, this time the blurry green is the color on overall art.