EXIT STAGE LEFT, who took their band name from the legendary live album by Rush, consists of 4 young guys from Sweden with musical influences from bands such as Rush, Yes, Deep Purple, Genesis, Asia, and more.
“Appleberry Trees” is their first album, and what a debut. The band has some strong song material and backs that up being excellent musicians graduated in Music, all in their twenties. That isn’t an impediment for them to develop classic progressive rock with a modern approach, and in between a knack for an ’80s rock&pop melody or a ’70s rocking riff.
EXIT STAGE LEFT are participating in the ‘Nestor Next’, an event organized by melodic rock band Nestor to promote new talented Swedish bands. Obviously, Nestor only select bands with a ‘classic sound’ from the ’70s / ’80s.
Melodic, playful and interesting are the core ingredients on EXIT STAGE LEFT music. “Appleberry Trees” is, in true genre spirit, a 10 song concept album where we get to follow a man from his early years and through his ups and downs in life.
Swedish prog bands have something special, take as example ACT or MoonSafari just to name a couple. Now the Borås group Exit Stage Left joins to the talented crowd. Yes, they’re named after a live album by Rush, and yes, they’re influenced by the Canadian power trio (drummer Jimmy Svahn, in particular, seems to have listened a lot to Neal Peart), but that’s only one of their influences.
When Exit Stage Left create atmospheres the image of YES appear, as well as Deep Purple which gives the band’s a certain rocking edge.
They are also a versatile four-piece. Hear, for example, “Vagabond’s Respite”, where one part Uriah Heep meets Emerson Lake & Palmer, and another resembles a more lively Radiohead, and which begins and ends like a rock variation / fusion of Dave Brubeck’s “Blue rondo à la turk”.
Exit Stage Left is a terrific young band. We heard many times ‘there’s something in the water in Sweden’. Not at all. There’s something in their culture, in their Music Arts education. These young dudes may have listened their grandpa LP’s, but they perfected themselves as musicians to create some awesome music.
The icing on the cake is dynamic Arvid Wilhelmsson, whose voice elevates the already excellent material on “Appleberry Trees” even further.
Highly Recommended
Tracklist:
01. Piece Of Gold
02. Good People
03. End Of The Night
04. Appleberry Trees
05. Vagabond's Respite
06. Son
07. Shine Through
08. The Poet
09. Old Man Smile
10. Champs-Elysees
line up:
Arvid Wilhelmsson - Vocals & Guitars
Daniel Lyngsaa Larsson - Keyboards & Backing Vocals
Robin Hellsing
Jimmy Swahn
Exit Stage Left – Appleberry Trees (2023)
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