Freak Kitchen
Move

THE REVIEW

Do you play guitar? Do you have an amp with a nice distorted effect? Well, then grab a bassist and a drummer and start playing some good old rock! Simple, right? Super simple, sure, then if you have an enviable stage presence, are technically impeccable, and are noticed by many specialized magazines that refer to you as one of the new great guitar innovators after 40 years of sacred monsters of the instrument, well, then you are Mattias "IA" Eklundh and your band is Freak Kitchen!

Since '94 the rhythm section of this Swedish band has seen some changes, while IA has always clung to his guitar with his teeth, faithful to the sole task of firing riffs in the face of unsuspecting listeners and refreshing rock in the simplest way, playing the three basic instruments without effects, except for distortion, with grit and passion.

The skill of this guy is astounding, his solos are incredibly clean, fast, and crazy; notes chasing each other along the fretboard, distances between frets disappearing, wild tapping, harmonics picked everywhere, lightning-fast sweeps, in short, an absolutely original shredder.

The album I recommend to you is Move, released in 2002 and in my opinion the best work by Freak Kitchen from every point of view, masterfully played by this crazy trio and sung by IA himself. A great performance behind the microphone for him too, a voice that, to compare it with a more famous singer, resembles a Jorn Lande with a funkier and more abrasive tone.

All the tracks on the platter are pure hard rock played with funky accents, but there is nothing déjà vu. The structure is always that simple and tested classic rock canon, but I challenge you to cover any of the tracks from Move! The technique is always in the forefront along with immediacy, so don't expect complex structures but hard rock played properly!

The guitar fires riffs that pack a tremendous punch, the voice scratches what the distortion can't say, and the rhythm section is the perfect pairing for all tracks on the platter.

No need for a track-by-track description, the album is a concentration of energy ready to explode in your players and when you hear Mattias in a solo, you can't help but stand petrified wondering how on earth a Swede rocks like this!

 Recommended for all those who expect great riffs, great solos, fun, and headbanging from music, but also for those who believe that in hard rock there's still something to say! Rock on!