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HASSE FRÖBERG & MUSICAL COMPANION

Crossover Prog • Sweden


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Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion picture
Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion biography
Founded in 2008
Hasse Fröberg - Born 4 January 1964 (Sweden)

HASSE FRÖBERG & MUSICAL COMPANION is a band formed by its namesake, Hasse FRÖBERG. Hasse is most famous for his work as a vocalist and occasional guitarist of symph-prog titans THE FLOWER KINGS. After TFK went on hiatus around 2008, Hasse decided to form a new band in order to present 'songs that [he has] written through the years that don?t fit the T.F.K formula.'

The group's debut album, "Future Past", was released in 2010. The music on the album features certain elements that are similar to TFK's symphonic style, but with a distinct hard-rock/classic-rock twist. Hasse's warm vocals are the main focus of the album, along with classic keyboard-laden prog-rock instrumentation.

Biography by Anthony Hagen.

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HASSE FRÖBERG & MUSICAL COMPANION discography


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HASSE FRÖBERG & MUSICAL COMPANION top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.90 | 79 ratings
Future Past
2010
3.72 | 73 ratings
Powerplay
2012
3.95 | 146 ratings
HFMC
2015
3.58 | 60 ratings
Parallel Life
2019
3.40 | 28 ratings
We Are the Truth
2021
0.00 | 0 ratings
Eternal Snapshots
2024

HASSE FRÖBERG & MUSICAL COMPANION Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

HASSE FRÖBERG & MUSICAL COMPANION Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

4.50 | 6 ratings
No Place Like Home - The Concert
2017

HASSE FRÖBERG & MUSICAL COMPANION Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

HASSE FRÖBERG & MUSICAL COMPANION Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

HASSE FRÖBERG & MUSICAL COMPANION Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 We Are the Truth by FRÖBERG & MUSICAL COMPANION, HASSE album cover Studio Album, 2021
3.40 | 28 ratings

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We Are the Truth
Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion Crossover Prog

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

3 stars HFMC are back with their fifth album, their second with just the abbreviation HFMC on the cover, with yet again the same line-up of Hasse Fröberg (lead vocals, guitars). Anton Lindsjö (lead guitar, acoustic guitars, backing vocals), Kjell Haraldsson (grand piano, keyboards, backing vocals), Thomas Thomsson (bass, backing vocals) and Ola Strandberg (drums, acoustic guitar, backing vocals). It is certainly no mean feat to keep the same five musicians together over the course of so many albums, especially when the band leader is mostly preoccupied with some outfit called The Flower Kings. Actually, it is remarkable that HFMC have been able to work so much together given just how active The Flower Kings are, but given Roine somehow always manages to find time for other projects perhaps it is not quite that surprising.

One of the major failing of The Flower Kings over the years is the seeming inability to self-edit, and with three lengthy songs we find the latest HFMC release is 70 minutes in length, so pushing the boundaries of a standard CD (long gone are the days when albums would fit on one side of a TDK-90. If you don't know what one of those is then I now feel very old), and while this never drifts as much as some of their releases, there are certainly times when the attention wanders. They are truly crossover in that we get plenty of nice melodies which would not sound out of place in more commercial settings, while they move happily between genres such as folk and symphonic. "Other Eyes" is one of the longest songs on the album, and provides one of the most delicate and enjoyable passages when Hasse is accompanied by acoustic 12-string, and it allows him to demonstrate just why he is so highly regarded. This may not be a classic prog album, but it is certainly enjoyable, with some nice keyboard sounds being utilised, yet there is a feeling that there are times when it is somewhat lightweight and could have done with more punch. Not exactly essential, this is a nice release all the same.

 Parallel Life by FRÖBERG & MUSICAL COMPANION, HASSE album cover Studio Album, 2019
3.58 | 60 ratings

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Parallel Life
Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion Crossover Prog

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

3 stars Hasse Fr'berg & Musical Companion are back with their fourth album, and the first one without the full name on the cover, and given that 2015's release had the abbreviation as the album title I wonder if they have changed their name. Fr'berg has of course been lead singer with The Flower Kings since their 1997 album 'Stardust We Are', a position he holds to this current day and as well as releasing this album in 2019 he of course also features on their 'Waiting For Miracles'. Prior to joining The Flower Kings he had been a member of the melodic hard rock group Spellbound, and HFMC (at least by this example) are an amalgam of the two.

It is incredibly polished, with great vocals (of course) and there are some great songs contained within, it's just a shame I can't get a handle on it at all. There are plenty of people raving over this, but while I do agree it is a reasonably good album, it feels way too sanitised and clean. The bottom end is almost non-existent, and it feels like every knows their part and what they have to play but it isn't organic. There is no edges here whatsoever, they have all been smoothed over so the whole dynamic contrast has disappeared and we all sit in the middle eating tea and crumpets. There is no soul, no gravitas, and I just feel like I have overdosed on sugar. There truly are some great musicians at play here, and Anton Lindsj' in particular needs a very special mention as he tries, he really tries, with some shredding which makes me think this could be a very different album indeed if it had been produced and mastered in a different manner to what it has. Fans of melodic rock with some progressive tendencies may find this of interest, while those who follow The Flower Kings may well track this down for completeness, but for me, next!

 HFMC by FRÖBERG & MUSICAL COMPANION, HASSE album cover Studio Album, 2015
3.95 | 146 ratings

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HFMC
Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion Crossover Prog

Review by Angelo
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

4 stars If you know The Flower Kings, you also know Hasse Fr'berg. A fine hard rock singer and guitarist in the 80s, the man ended up in one of the biggest progressive rock acts of the 21st century - and together with four equally skilled musicians, he even has found the time to release a new (by now the third one) album under the name Hasse Fr'bergs Musical Companion.

An album with a slightly uninspired title (HFMC), but after listening to it on and off for 6 weeks, I can only conclude that the inspiration has instead gone into the music. Music that is introduced by a ticking clock on Seconds, which is soon replaced by a short keyboard piece by Kjell Haraldsson that flows seamlessly into the whirling keyboard and guitar opening of Can't Stop the Clock. This is the first real song on the album and it starts full of energy, reminding of Images & Words era Dream Theater and 2015 Franck Carducci at the same time. This track is varied in style, as well as in tempo and key (which the band already announced on their web site when it was released as a preview video. It contains metal and hard rock, but also mellower parts - in short, it rocks.

Less varied, and totally different is the the follow up Everything Can Change, which has a jazzy feel to it in various places, when the piano is the lead instrument, but in other places it also feels like a 60s rock song with synths and guitar added to make it more complex. On this one, Hasse Fr'berg's slightly hoarse voice really works very well.

With Pages, we move into longer songs, over 10 minutes. The opening is a quick crescendo of guitar and keyboards, followed by a more melodic keyboard piece. In a way, the music reminds of Yes, and later on also Genesis, but never too strongly. The vocals of Hasse remind me of a more emotional version of Grobschnitt's Wildschwein. The highlight of this song is a guitar solo by Anton Linsj', which I put in my review notes as "it's not Gilmour, it's not Stolt, it's that guy from HFMC'. After this solo, a well done vocal part (with piano and acoustic guitar) leads into an outro that is as bombastic as the intro. Circle closed.

With Genius, a more ballad like track, the listener gets some rest before moving into the net long track, In the Warmth of the Evening. A varied track, like Can't Stop the Clock, but 4 minutes longer and without the strong metal influences - although in the second half the keys become really bombastic, before a closing guitar solo with a lot of feeling in it - like some great blues guitarists also could, but here no blues is involved.

On Something Worth Dying For, the band moves slightly into Hasse's past as a hard rock musician. This one has guitar leads, and riffs accompanied by a strong drum work (lots of cymbals too) by drummer Ola Strandberg, and matching bass work by Thomas Thomsson.

The last track of the album Someone Else's Fault brings us back to the world of symphonic rock, with vocal choirs and keyboards that remind of Yes and Genesis. But when Hasse sings alone, over a dancing keyboard tune, it becomes almost soulful, something Jon Anderson never did. Half way, the music changes into bluesy hard rock, with yet another very well executed guitar solo - before going back to symphonic land at the end. I put the words 'soulful', 'bluesy hardrock' and 'Yes' in my review notes - only to find out later that apparently Hasse Fr'berg described this track as a mix between Yes, Stevie Wonder and AC/DC. Well - I guess he got that more or less right.

After this, all that remains is the ticking of a clock, on Minutes, which makes the album go full circle. And full circle it may go - as some other albums that I reviewed, I have no problem putting this one on repeat. In the second half of 2015, the band will be playing gigs in various countries, and I already spotted my chance to see them in The Netherlands. Get your chance as well, or just get the album, or do both... you catch my drift.

 HFMC by FRÖBERG & MUSICAL COMPANION, HASSE album cover Studio Album, 2015
3.95 | 146 ratings

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HFMC
Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion Crossover Prog

Review by rdtprog
Special Collaborator Heavy, RPI, Symph, JR/F Canterbury Teams

4 stars Here's the third releases of the second Flower Kings guitar player and vocalist. Here, he can express his ideas with freedom being the main songwriter. The album start and end with the sound of a clock ticking which connects all the songs together and identify the main concept of the album : time. The first song "Stop the Clock" is one of the highlight song of the album that illustrate all the colors and moods of the album, from the heavy parts to some more gentle melodic part. The symphonic music of Flower Kings is balanced with some heavy and darker rock sound. "Everything can change" brings some more conventional rock with a little jazz segment and some bluesy and sometimes pop feel. "Pages" starts like a ballad with some flute and some Yes influence that's get more upbeat with some straight forward melody. Some nice vocals parts are bringing this song to another level. "Genius" is less complex but still emotional. "In the Warmth of the Evening" is the second highlight song that is complex and contains many shades, textures and tempo changes. "Something Worth Dying For" is dark and goes to the Progressive Metal side with some crunchy guitars. "Someone Else Fault" is a return to some classic/hard rock sound in the first part, but in the second part it gets more symphonic.

This album could be the most satisfying of the band's career. If the vocals and the guitar work of Hasse Froberg are the main attraction, the rest of the musicians complete this band perfectly to create this captivating album that will enjoy fans of Flower Kings, Yes, Kaipa and more standard rock bands.

 HFMC by FRÖBERG & MUSICAL COMPANION, HASSE album cover Studio Album, 2015
3.95 | 146 ratings

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HFMC
Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion Crossover Prog

Review by YESABWH

4 stars Hasse Froberg & Musical Companion- HFMC

A review by Don Cassidy of Delicious Agony Progressive Rock Radio

The third release by a band has a historical musical precedent of being very important in a band's history. Often it takes a band a few albums to find themselves and the third release has been that place. This is evident in classic releases such as The Yes Album, Trilogy by Emerson, Lake, & Palmer, Machine Head by Deep Purple (Mark II), and Cream's Wheels Of Fire. On HFMC, Hasse Froberg & Musical Companion has taken their mix of progressive rock and hard/classic blues based rock to another level. In an interview with Delicious Agony Progressive Rock Radio, Hasse Froberg told us that the band, 'reached another level on this album.' When hearing the songs, the instrumentation, and production of HFMC, this reviewer agrees. In addition, it appears that the band has released an album that will be an early contender for album of the year and one of the best releases by any member of The Flower Kings.

Most progressive rock fans are familiar with Hasse Froberg as the dynamic singer/rhythm guitarist of The Flower Kings for close to 20 years. While band leader and progressive rock icon Roine Stolt represents the more classic side of progressive rock, Hasse represents that dynamic Bon Scott/Robert Plant element of the band, that is particularly evident in their live performances. When the band was on hiatus in 2010, Hasse Froberg & Musical Companion burst on the scene with their debut album, Future Past. This was followed by the excellent Powerplay in 2012, which was show cased by their appearance at the Rites Of Spring Festival in May of 2012. After a triumphant return to the prog scene, which included two acclaimed albums, The Flower Kings are again taking a break. This allows the individual band members to move forward with their music and projects outside of The Flower Kings. The time was right for a huge step forward by Hasse Froberg & Musical Companion.

HFMC is a 63 minute release that contains 9 tracks, three of which totaling greater than ten minutes in length. After a short keyboard intro by Kjell Harldsson, Seconds, the band begins the album with the track, Can't Stop The Clock. This song has been chosen as the first video for the album. With the majestic beginning and memorable chorus, I can see this song as a natural opener for the live stage. The next song, Everything Can Change, was described by Froberg to me as one the best songs he has written in terms of structure and arrangement. The next song, Pages, is the longest one at over 15 minutes in length. With music written by drummer, Ola Strandbeg, this is one of the proggiest songs by the band with many exciting twists and turns. The Gilmour influenced guitar by Anton Lindsjo at the ten minutes mark is particularly memorable. Genius slows down the tempo for five minutes and Froberg sings about the mental struggles of someone blessed with talent that left the world too soon. The Warmth of the Evening is next and is described by Froberg as the most symphonic rock song on the album. More than any other song, this one may remind the listener a bit of The Flower Kings. The next track, Something Worth Dying For, is the heaviest song on the album and again features the guitar of Linsjo. The final ten minute plus song on the album, Someone Else's Fault, was described by Froberg as, ' a mix between Stevie Wonder, Yes, Whitesnake and AC/DC.' As with many of the songs, the guitar of Linsjo, the keys of Haraldsson and majestic vocals from Froberg lead the way. The album concludes again with the ticking clock, this time representing Minutes.

There is no question that HFMC further cements this band as a force on the modern progressive rock scene and not just a side project for Hasse Froberg. The band are truly masters of blending modern prog with blues based heavy/classic rock and the playing and arrangements on the album are a treat for the listeners. With his work with both The Companion and The Flower Kings, Froberg continues to distinguish himself a top notch songwriter, musician and performer. In addition, the members of The Companion, Anton Lindsjo, Kjell Haraldsson, Ola Strandberg, and Thomas Thomsson, all equally contribute to the synergy that is evident to the listener. This fantastic album is available on Glassville Records and I would highly recommend to attempt to catch Hasse Froberg & Musical Companion live.

Don Cassidy President, Interviewer, DJ, Artist Promo contact Delicious Agony Progressive Rock Radio www.deliciousagony.com

 Powerplay by FRÖBERG & MUSICAL COMPANION, HASSE album cover Studio Album, 2012
3.72 | 73 ratings

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Powerplay
Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion Crossover Prog

Review by Progulator
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Hasse Froberg has been lending his powerful voice and guitar skills to Swedish proggers The Flower Kings for many years now. That's where I had my first introduction to him and I'd imagine the same goes for most of you out there. I've always loved the work he did with TFK, delivering many unforgettable vocals album after album. Naturally, I was excited to hear what Hasse would bring to the table on a solo album.

Once I popped in my copy of Powerplay it didn't take long at all to sell me. This is a monster of a record! Hasse states that he wrote all the melodies with his voice and acoustic guitar, in order to avoid the possibility of hiding a weak line behind a really cool sound. Regardless of his methods, he sure did something right, because the vocal lines are marvelously memorable. With just one listen to the album I felt like I could easily identify vocal lines, choruses, and even instrumental parts, which is something that does not happen every time you throw on a new disc.

I would divide this album into two halves: the prog half and the rock half, kicking it off with "My River to Cross," which ends up being the perfect way to open up this album. Huge sound, soaring melodies that get stuck in your head, and lots of proggy goodness categorize this fine piece. I was pleasantly surprised with the number of headbanging riffs that this tune provides, making fantastic use of unison guitars, bass, and drums, with the Hammond filling in the background nicely. Kjell Haraldsson executes dazzling synth and Hammond solos, after which Mr. Froberg wraps it up with a nice, big chorus. As the next track came on I instantly knew this wouldn't be a boring or repetitive album. "The World keeps turning adds an accessible appeal with catchy hooks, something that usually scares me away, but not in this case. Once again, Hasse shows us what a fine band he has put together, with gorgeous virtuoso soloing on from Kjell and Anton. As "The Final Hour" gears up, we enter prog mode full on with fantastic arpeggiator and some really musical vocal harmonies and techniques, creating some moments that I would like to say are very distinctively Hasse Froberg. On the other hand, this song has some of the most Flower Kings' moments on the album, especial the guitar solo section, which made me think a bit of Mr. Stolt mixed with some Steve Vai-like phrasing. If you aren't sold yet, just wait 'til you hit the eight minute mark where you'll hear some gorgeous piano and Mellotron flute. Yup, that's it, "The Final Hour" is a progalicious piece, landing the spot of my favorite track of the album.

The next half of the album is pretty straightforward; Hasse's mission is to provide solid rock 'n roll with beautiful prog influences and a great band that constantly reminds us that there's a team effort going on here, and it's a winning team, might I add. "Waves" brings a bit of a relaxing atmosphere to the album with its steady drumbeat, ballad-esque melodies, and nostalgic lyrics, backed by the gentle textures of guitar and Hammond. "Venice CA," on the other hand, is the party song on the album, a straightforward rocker with some pretty heavy 80's influences. At this point the album has taken a more straightforward edge, following up "Venice" with "Is it Ever Going to Happen," a heavy blues rocker (on the verse), with gritty vocals and a few surprises; after the really rocking parts it transitions smoothly into more jazz influenced territory with nice use of Rhodes, then pulls out the tron briefly before entering into a heavy section, and even a little bit of reggae style guitar and then brings the chorus back. All of a sudden it gets heavy again and we get a major shred guitar solo from Anton Lindsjö, full of tremolo picking, pinch harmonics and the works. Following "Is it Ever Going to Happen" we get "White Butterfly," a short acoustic guitar/vocal piece (that I wasn't too thrilled about) before moving on to "The Chosen Ones." Overall this is one of the weaker pieces, not really offering much that other tracks haven't already done for us up to this point, except some very high quality fusion solos on guitar and keyboard which help this piece finish off strong. Closing out the album is "Godsong," delivering first class on the positive lyrics, in The Flower Kings spirit, accompanied by uplifting and memorable melodies.

To sum it up, Powerplay is an album you won't want to miss. Honestly, I listened to this and Banks of Eden right next to each other as they came out, and I'm not going to lie, I was every bit as impressed with this album as I was with the then new Flower Kings; and that's saying a lot. Hasse Froberg, through this album, has thoroughly proven to me that he is a force to be reckoned with, not just a strong member of a first class band, but a true leader who has the compositional ability it takes to turn heads.

 Powerplay by FRÖBERG & MUSICAL COMPANION, HASSE album cover Studio Album, 2012
3.72 | 73 ratings

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Powerplay
Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion Crossover Prog

Review by b_olariu
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Hasse Froberg and Musical Companion is a prog rock band formed of course by Hasse Froberg, no one else then the vocalist and guitarist of The Flower Kings. So far they released two albums one in 2010 and second offer will coming two years later in 2012 named Powerplay. So, what we have here is pretty solid music, sometimes very close to what The Flower Kings done in past years and I mean symphonic prog but this time this style is melted with hard rock elements, giving in the end a heavy prog album quite spectacular in places. There are lots of melodic hooks, nice instrumental passages, and keyboard driven arrangements. Also the voice of Hasse is very strong, he has a warm vocal tone who is fiting perfectly into this type of music. The musicianship and songwritting is top toch, every musician involved here truly shining, specially on pieces like opening My River to Cross what a strong opener, some great duels between guitars and keyboards like in the old days of heavy prog, The World Keeps Turning and few more, in fact all pieces stands as great, not a weak moment here. I really like this combination of symphonic passages with hard rock elements, the result is quite more then generous to any prog listner. All in all a winner, this album is as good as debut, both are strong and quite recommended. One of the better bands around in last years for sure. From me easy 4 stars. The album comes in digipak format with nice silvery artwork and booklet. Very solid band IMO.

 Future Past by FRÖBERG & MUSICAL COMPANION, HASSE album cover Studio Album, 2010
3.90 | 79 ratings

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Future Past
Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion Crossover Prog

Review by apps79
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars Swedish guitarist/singer Hasse Fröberg was born in 1949 and started his professional journey in the world of music with the Hard Rock band Spellbound.After two albums Spellbound demised in 1988 and Fröberg formed Solid Blue at the beginning of the 90's.The group had little success, but meanwhile Fröberg participated on Roine Stolt's ''The flower king'' album, building with him a relationship, that ended up with the promotion of Hasse to a full-time member of The Flower Kings in 1995.When The Flower Kings took a short break in 2008, Hasse formed his so-called companion, teaming up with ex-Spellbound members Ola Strandberg (drums) and Thomas Thomsson (bass), hiring also keyboardist Kjell Haraldsson and guitarist Anton Lindsjö.In 2010 the first album of Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion ''Future past'' came out on Reingold Records, issued also in the USA by ProgRock Records.

Part of the tracks are leftovers from ''The sum of no evil'' recordings of THE FLOWER KINGS with additional material composed by Fröberg.The album is somewhat different from the music of THE FLOWER KINGS, although the more keyboard-oriented passages have definitely a symphonic feeling.''Future past'' moves primarly on the paths of Classic Rock and Hard Prog/AOR/Rock, having a strong retro aura throughout, based on the impressive duo of Fröberg and Lindsjö on guitars, offering striking solos and sharp electric riffs, often with a dual approach.Echoes of RAINBOW, LED ZEPPELIN, FOREIGNER and DEEP PURPLE are evident in these parts.However the music is not sterile or completely vintage in its deliveries.All the edgy guitar parts, deep bass grooves and solid drumming are accompanied by a very talented keyboard player, who's work on Hammond organ, piano and synthesizers not only fills the compositions with proggy vibes, but even leads them at moments towards a more Classic Prog approach, somewhat close to recent-day YES, with plenty of technical solos and huge, bombastic waves of flashy lines.The long tracks are full of surprises with passionate guitar moves meeting Classical-drenched keyboards meeting smoother and atmospheric lyrical parts, featuring excellent shifting moods.The short ones are also far from compatible and bland music.Either driven by hard guitar runs or elegant and even dynamic keyboard moves, they explore the whole Rock history, from the powerful Classic Rock of the 70's to the modern Progressive/Art Rock scene.

A really amazing debut for Hasse Fröberg and his company.Tremendous songwriting with tons of memorable material and catchy parts blended with grandiose and virtuosic instrumental textures.Highly recommended to all Prog and Classic Rock fans.

 Powerplay by FRÖBERG & MUSICAL COMPANION, HASSE album cover Studio Album, 2012
3.72 | 73 ratings

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Powerplay
Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion Crossover Prog

Review by ProgShine
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars It is easy to say who's Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion if you know what's been going on the Prog world in the last 20 years. Hasse Fröberg is the vocalist and guitarist from the Swedish band The Flower Kings, one of the bands responsible for bringing the Prog back in the 90's.

Back in 2008 The Flower Kings froze their activities for undetermined time, while Roine Stolt founded Agents Of Mercy and released 3 albums. Hasse gathered some friends to form a new band and in 2010 they released their first album Future Past (2010). To tell you the truth I was completely unaware of his 'solo' work till their second album Powerplay (2012) was sent to me. The band is formed by Hasse Fröberg (vocals and guitars), Anton Lindsjö (guitars and vocals), Kjell Haraldsson (keyboards and vocals), Thomsson (bass and vocals) and Ola Strandberg (drums and vocals).

Powerplay (2012) was released in April last year by Reingold Records, owned by The Flower Kings bassist Jonas Reingold and the sound engineer and producer (with Hasse himself) on the album is Tomas Bodin, keyboard man from TFK. As you can see TFK is like a big family, record company, producers and etc.

It's very easy to see The Flower Kings influences on Powerplay (2012) and that wouldn't be different, Hasse is an important part of the band. The first track 'My River To Cross' has the amount of energy and style to easily been put on a TFK album if they were not on a break at that time. I would say that the difference between the two bands is that Musical Companion is a bit more Rock n' Roll, the old 70's Rock, sometimes. Like I said, it is very hard not to compare this album with what The Flower Kings does. Of course Hasse songs are not the same as Roine Stolt (the main writer in TFK) and you have many new nuances in Powerplay (2012) because of the other musicians involved, but many times it seems we're listening a very good cover band from the original.

The difference lies in tracks like 'The Final Hour', especially in the final part and because of the guitars from Anton Lindsjö. 'Waves' is also a very different track. I guess my favorite track is 'Venice CA' for its 'light' and good mix between the melodies and the catchy chorus. In 'Is It Ever Gonna Happen' we have a good amount of TFK again, the good part. In 'The Chosen Ones' we have the best moment of Kjell Haraldsson and his keyboards.

It's not that Powerplay (2012) is a bad album, it is not. In fact, it is a very good album. And it would be exceptional to have it in The Flower Kings time off, but as soon as this album was released The Flower Kings announced their return and it's a bit complicated to pay attention to Powerplay (2012) when you have the original band with a great album like Banks Of Eden (2012) is.

It's quite hard to review this album without the comparisons, especially to me, a fan of The Flower Kings. I realize that it's unfair, but it is what it is and Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion drinks in all the fountains TFK drank too and it's impossible not to compare both.

Some might say that having two albums with members of your favorite band and with high quality being released in the same year is a very good thing. They're probably right! Stop thinking about it for a while and just enjoy Powerplay (2012) and you'll be just fine.

 Powerplay by FRÖBERG & MUSICAL COMPANION, HASSE album cover Studio Album, 2012
3.72 | 73 ratings

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Powerplay
Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion Crossover Prog

Review by Conor Fynes
Prog Reviewer

4 stars 'Powerplay' - Hasse Fröberg Musical Companion (7/10)

The name of Mr. Hasse Fröberg is already well known in prog circles, specifically the ones prudent enough to look past the seventies. The Flower Kings are undeniably one of the most successful and revered bands in the modern progressive rock scene, and even had Fröberg decided to make a Top 40 pop hip-hop record, there would still be a degree of respect for this man and what he's contributed. With the Hasse Fröberg Musical Companion, there's no question that he is broadening his sights, so Flower Kings fans looking for 'more of the same' will find themselves disappointed. I can't quite say that the Musical Companion's music fits my taste too much, but I can't deny the tight precision and skill of these guys.

"Powerplay" is the sort of album that I may have dismissed, had I stopped at one listen. To tell the truth, by the end of the ten minute opener "My River To Cross", I felt confident in the fact that- despite Hasse's illustrious past- the Musical Companion was just another progressive-styled act playing a melodic brand of pomp rock that I could not get into at its best. It's reasonable to assume that I returned to "Powerplay", and with each listen, I was surprised to notice things I would have otherwise overlooked. Stylistically, "Powerplay" is a mesh of polished 'AOR' melodic hard rock, filtered through a progger's ambition. It's easy to take melodies for granted in this sort of music, but Fröberg's skill with catchy hooks really shines here.

Hasse Fröberg and his company give an incredible performance here. Although few riffs here impress on their own, the band's chemistry gives "Powerplay" a vibrance I rarely hear in melodic rock. Much of the songwriting here is fairly straightforward, but each of the musicians flesh it out a bit with plenty of details that reward the persistent listener. Not to mention, Hasse's voice is great as well, with but a touch of gravel to give character to his otherwise entirely clean voice. With the possible exception of the energetic "The World Keeps Turning" and uplifting "The Chosen Ones", I wouldn't say that the songwriting is excellent overall, in spite of some powerful melodic writing. Paired with a near-mechanical sense of overproduction, "Powerplay" often lacks the organic lustre I hear much of in The Flower Kings, and would have probably lacked it entirely, were it not for the excellent cast of musicians. "Powerplay" might not go beyond what has already been done in rock music for many years, but fans of Hasse Fröberg and tight melodic hard rock won't find themselves disappointed with this one.

Thanks to chris s for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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