Marcus Jidell - Pictures From A Time Traveller (2013)

Beside being in Evergrey, Marcus Jidell was also ex-guitarist for progressive metal Royal Hunt, notable in album Paper Blood, Paradox II:Collision Course and X. By seeing his port folios on those two bands you may already predict how his solo album going on. Alas, in Pictures From A Time Traveller, Marcus takes distance from his known works on those two bands, instead play on something different. This solo album is rather experimental, feel more futuristic in template of progressive metal and guitar shreds genre. For metal listener as myself, some of the song need adaptation to ears, such as when listen to very fast double pedal drum but without heavy distortion rhythm to back up.

Such a song started by Arctica. A complexes composition, that blended psychedelic Pink Floyd feel with some jazz, some death metal and also new age. In Huldra (Ruler Of The Forest) at least thing goes down to more melodically approach. Now you have a Jimi Hendrix-ish opening wah-wah, but then the song proceeds to something Marty Friedman-oriental feel. Tesla World System is playing with dissonance voices for most of the part, hammond organ, fast drumming all blended in, therefore creating a Deep Purple - Jon Lord-ish feel. Rei-Zan is kind of Royal Hunt feel, a progressive metal jamming. Then we back to interesting concept-base composition in El-Amarna (Ruins of Akhetaton), so much fantasy with just reading the title. Space Dog is old time very fast alternate licks highlight, still the futuristic feel is there, kind of Steve Morse, Shawn Lane and Tony MacAlpine thrown in altogether. There are the eye brow rising tracks, which unfortunately only lasted thirty minutes and close by a sweet , normal ballad, in a closing title Wedding Song.

Band member-wise, Pictures From A Time Traveller also a combination of both Evergrey and Royal Hunt team. This album is supposed to reach the more serious guitar listeners. By Evergrey fan base only, this is not too close to their market, since the genre is rather outside metal. It's experimental metal perhaps, the shredding parts are a lot in there, but not much heavy metal orientated riffs. Just listen to this by your own, if you love intrigue guitar stuffs!

Metal Harem class: ******** eight stars out of ten

Marcus Jidell - Pictures From A Time Traveller (2013)
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01. Arctica
02. Huldra (Ruler Of The Forest)
03. Tesla World System
04. Rei Zan
05. El-Amarna (Ruins Of Akhetaton)
06. Space Dog
07. Wedding Song

Line up:
Marcus Jidell (Evergrey, ex-Royal Hunt, Jupiter Society) - guitars
Johan Niemann (Evergrey, Mind’s Eye, Therion) - bass
Andre Andersen (Royal Hunt) - keyboards
Rickard Nilsson - keyboards

Hannes Van Dahl (Evergrey) - drums

Andreas Johansson (Cult Of Luna) - drums
Svante Henrysson (ex-Yngwie Malmsteen) - cello
Jennie-Ann Smith (Avatarium) - backing vocals
Rolf Jiddel - cello

Marcus Jidell Pictures From A Time Traveller album review