Charizma

Item: Swedish Invasion
Author: Daniel Baillod

Swedish Invasion

(1988)

Reviewed by Daniel Baillod

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Label independentAdonai Metal Rock #3July 1989

hard rock heavy metal melodic metal pop metal

Translated from the original French

Yeah, CHARIZMA has come on 100% since their album "Rock The World"!! The band is almost unrecognisable!! The three blond lads could well become one of the major forces in Christian metal. Yeah, impressive: the four tracks on this demo, even if they do not have the benefit of "Rock The World"'s production, show that CHARIZMA has matured enormously over these last two years. Their music, though still very commercial, has become more complex. The guitar sound is heavier, the compositions are seriously beefy... The four tracks on the demo are hits in the making!! CHARIZMA's hard is often washed over with keyboards ("Lay Down Your Life", "One Life To Live") and the choral vocals are twenty times more imposing than on "Rock The World": there's STRYPER in the air!! It is Bosse Nikolausson who has changed the most: without any exaggeration, it is hard to recognise him, so far have his vocals come on!! Far more aggressive, far more hard... Bosse has become a real hard singer...! The demo leaves an impression of very great professionalism. The best track, among these four potential hits, is "Lost In The Night": the song is heavier than the others, more complex; the choral vocals are gigantic, and the vocals are at the summit of quality. Acoustic guitar on the intro and on the bridge. Goran Nikolausson's solos are far gutsier and more melodic than on "Rock The World"... "Lost In The Night" is a future single!! Excellent. The last track on the demo is a semi-slow: "One Life To Live". Keyboards and acoustic guitar are on the menu, but nothing like the syrupy, clinging slows of certain bands. CHARIZMA is definitively a great hope of the Christian hard scene. Knowing that they are managed by the woman who used to manage STRYPER, there is every chance that CHARIZMA's new album will go through the floor (and the ceiling!!)...! In the meantime, I have only one piece of advice for you, you hard FM fanatics: throw yourselves at this excellent demo!! A blast guaranteed!!