Perhaps the name of vocalist & guitarist Jonas Hansson doesn’t ring a bell, but notable drummer Jens Johansson and keyboardist Jens Johannson it does for sure: they would go on to fame with stints in Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force, Dio, Stratovarius, and many others. They were members of SILVER MOUNTAIN, a metal / hard rock
quartet (completed by bassist Per Stadin, later in Billionaires Boys Club and others) hailing from Malmo, formed 1979.
Silver Mountain are a unique entry into the rich history of Swedish heavy metal. As no doubt indicated by their moniker, the band’s sound was heavily indebted to the Dio-fronted era of Rainbow – of course, the still-going province of ex-Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore.
The existing hard rock scene was rapidly transitioning into the NWOBHM and relying on keys as much as the guitar – it should come as no surprise that Silver Mountain’s sound is similar to bands like Uriah Heep, Rainbow, Whitesnake (singer Jonas Hansson sounds a little like David Coverdale) but with a less polished, more energetic vibe.
Their 1983 debut, ”Shakin’ Brains”, is getting a vinyl and CD remastered reissue courtesy of Regain Records in 2024. And if you like classic Rainbow, very early Yngwie, and alike, you’ll love this.
Silver Mountain’s ”Shakin’ Brains” was originally released in March of 1983. Produced by the band themselves, it became a blueprint for the new “Classic Swedish Sound of the early to mid-80s”, a style of heavy metal copied by many, but never surpassed.
Being a huge fan of 1970s European hard rock, Jonas always felt that those bands had a distinct but somewhat limiting approach. “I liked being different and not sounding as anyone else,” Jonas recalls. He first replaced the second guitarist with keyboard wizard Jens Johannsen. “Many bands started to have that dual guitars approach. I really wanted more dynamics and Jens, being the brother of Anders (who had been in the band for a year by then) was an easy choice to add that depth I was looking for.”
Jonas’ influence by Ritchie Blackmore was certainly unmistaken on ”Shakin’ Brains”, but he craved to create his own divergent sound and managed this dazzlingly.
There’s some impressive guitar work from Hansson, and Johannson adds a classical touch, something he would continue to refine as he moved on to work with other artists. This places him at the vanguard of musicians that introduced classical elements to heavy metal, something that can be found in many corners of the scene.
If nothing else, ”Shakin’ Brains” is notable for being something of a ground zero for the melding of metal and classical music. But it is more than that, especially for fans of ’70s hard rock and the NWOBHM.
I wouldn’t call the songwriting amazing, but songs like “1789” and “Spring Maiden” (with an opening riff Motörhead may have borrowed for “Killed by Death” the next year) are raucous and entertaining as is the rest of ”Shakin’ Brains”.
The lively “Always” impresses with a tingling keyboard intro and an almost commercial sensibility that could and should have been a hit. Then Jens adds some classical magic keyboard parts to “Vikings”.
Finally, the epic “King of the Sea” is a prefect prelude to the stomping and dark closer “Keep On Keeping On”, bringing this razing album to an exciting and satisfying end.
If you don’t already own ”Shakin’ Brains” and the early days of heavy metal are in your wheelhouse, now is a good time to grab a copy of this cult classic – an etched-in-time document of early Swedish metal.
Highly Recommended
Tracklist:
01. 1789 (04:03)
02. Aftermath (04:06)
03. Always (04:17)
04. Necrosexual Killer (03:47)
05. Destruction Song (03:27)
06. Vikings (03:59)
07. Looking For You (03:54)
08. Spring Maiden (03:54)
09. King Of The Sea (03:43)
10. Keep On Keepin' On (04:21)
Silver Mountain – Shakin’ Brains [Remastered reissue] (2024)
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