Algebra

smooth cd, great singer, meaningful lyrics -- we need more of in today's music, music that says something, words of substance!!

This girl is really deep. I can't stop listening to What Happened and Come Back. Perfect music to write poetry by. Much success to you girl.

Algebra's music reminds me of Lauren Hill. Her voice is very soulful and passionate.

currently being slept on by the R&B music community. The cd is thoughtful and jam-worthy.

If this artist, here, does not get a couple Grammies off of this, it would be RIdiculous!!! This CD is beyond hot!!! Vocally... Lyrically... The tracks... Her emotions behind the arrangements of every song... She deserves to be heard, recognized and acknowledged around the globe... For real...

Abstrakt Algebra came to life in 1994 after the classic doom metal band Candlemass decided to take a break. They would reform a few years later. Bassist Leif Edling put this project together with Mike Wead (King Diamon, Hexenhaus, Memento Mori), Simon Johansson (Fifth Reason, Memory Garden), drummer Jejo Perkovic (who would also play on Candlemass' Dactylis Glomerata) and vocalist Mats Leven (Yngwie Malmsteen, At Vance). Being mainly Leif Edling's band, Abstrakt Algebra shares musical influences with his previous band Candlemass but they certainly have their different sound. First of all they are not completely old school doom; they have some Candlemass type of doomy patterns but with more emphasis put on the rhythm guitars and Leif's bass work being more in the forefront. Also there are lots of samples and a heavy keyboard sound dominating almost on the entire album.

The songs, except for bits and pieces, don't have any guitar solos either and the vocals definitely have their own characteristics. Mats Leven is an incredible singer, his work with Yngwie Malmsteen is also amazing. Now he's joined At Vance and I will definitely be checking it out. Abstrakt Algebra features his most aggressive vocal delivery to date, he sings with passion and energy. Though we get to hear his voice more on the first four songs, he still does an awesome job on the remaining tracks when given the room to showcase his talents. Mike Wead and Simon Johansson, who also recently played on Edge of Sanity's Crimson II album, do a great job as far as the guitar work is concerned. Abstrakt Algebra has a very full sound and the production allows each intrument to blend with each other as opposed to let them all have their own parts in the music. The drumming is also quite impressive, they could have gone for a more concise tone though.

The opening song "Stigmata" and "Shadowplay" immediately set the tone of the album and give you an idea of what Leif & co. have to offer you. "Nameless" and the title track are two of my favourites in the way that they represent some of the best vocal melodies with some really aggressive songwriting. After these tracks the album begins to shift towards a more instrumental record: the band lets the music express itself using lots of keys and sound samples. The atmosphere is really heavy. Nothing you would ever hear on a Candlemass album. Leven only intervenes in the songs with little passages, sometimes with spoken lines or whispering. One "Vanishing Man" the pace begins to pick up again and for the first time we hear Mike Wead doing great harmonic runs decorated with strong and rich melodies. Simon Johansson does a great job backing him up. The solo, again very different than everything else Candlemass has recorded, is really amazing. "Who What Where When" is the last and longest song and it is very progressive in its core. Edling would have never dared to cover this ground on a Candlemass album.

If you've wondered why the Dactylis Glomerata album gets so many mixed-up reviews, it's because that album was originally supposed to be a follow-up to this CD. But when Leif saw the possibility of a Candlemass reunion he decided to record it under his former band's moniker, with somewhat simplified songwriting structures. Leven and Edling would also form another project called Krux, so give it a listen if you like what you hear on this album.

Leif Edling has DOOM in his veins, and he couldn't write a song completely devoid of doomy riffs if his life depended on it. Even though he wisely disassociated this album from his previous band, it has more similarities than differences to Candlemass.
I'll keep it short: The opening song "Stigmata" would not be out of place on a Candlemass album at all, neither would "April Clouds", possibly Leif's slowest, doomiest, heaviest composition EVER. The title track is also filled with a beautiful melancholy, and features a long intro which contains alot of weird samples. Basically, the main difference between this album and a Candlemass album is the extensive use of keyboards, and some sound effect samples.
The last song, "Who What Where When" is dedicated to RUSH, and contains 13+ minutes of progressive rock-inspired riffing and storytelling. This is definitely a winner no matter how you slice it. Not doom through and through, but always HEAVY and interesting. Much better production than CHAPTER VI, too.

Thanx for the tip, I'm gonna buy it very soon. I can give you a tip as well. Get the album with Krux asap. It wont dissapoint you.

Hi, I'm gonna buy the album very soon. If you don't already have the Krux album I suggest you buy it asap.

WOW! I bought this album because of Mats Leven being the vocalist. I loved Mats vocals on Yngwie Malmsteen's "Facing The Animal" cd. I didn't expect to be completely blown away by Abstrakt Algebra. The album and band was ahead of its time. The album runs the full spectrum from melodic to psychotic. The musicianship is top notch. The songs and lyrics are simpley unbelievable at times. I'm only aware of this one album, and it's a shame if this is their only album. If you know of any others, please tell me. This is truly one of the best CDs I've purchased in the last few years. I highly recommend it!