Spiritual Beggars
Ad Astra

THE REVIEW

“......a current band that plays '70s hard rock? try Spiritual Beggars....”

Year 2000, that's how a friend responded to my desire to discover a band capable of proposing old sounds without falling into plagiarism of the great '70s bands.

Without hesitation, I gather information about the band and discover that it was formed in 1994, led by the already known Michael Amott, guitarist of the extreme Carcass and Arch Enemy, completed by the unknown Spice as singer/bassist and Ludwig Witt on drums. The foundations of the project were laid with “Another Way To Shine,” an album where the band's style is clearly in its embryonic stage, stoner and hard rock mix in Michael Amott's musical proposition, which nonetheless earns numerous accolades in the musical underground. “Mantra III” was released in 1998 and features the novelty of Per Wiberg (Opeth) on organ as a special guest; he significantly evolves the sound of Spiritual Beggars, pushing towards '70s sounds reminiscent of Deep Purple, Uriah Heep. With this album, Michael Amott's creation begins to take shape: energy, taste, and originality serve as the cornerstone for a transitional work that gives the band awareness of its own strength.

With the advent of nu-metal bands that were invading the record market at the beginning of the millennium, Spiritual Beggars present “Ad Astra,” an a-historical work, absolute music, valid in all contexts and eras. The album revolves around Michael Amott's guitar work, who finds a worthy companion in Per Wiberg, now a permanent member, capable of further stimulating Amott, creating instrumental parts where they both compete to show off their skills; Spice, with his warm, bluesy, scratchy voice, melds with the band's enveloping sound.

“Left Brain Ambassadors” beautifully kicks off the dance, the overwhelming strength of the Halmstad quartet is evident in the high-class riff that opens a track where every band member showcases what they're made of. Amott's breathtaking solo and Wiberg's response that closes the track in a finale from another time help to enrich an already perfect piece. “Wonderful World” speaks of the wonders of the world, because this is a positive album in every sense, there's a longing for life, to hell with negativity; the band plays with vital, proactive energy, each track shines with its own light and represents an energetic component that together overwhelms the listener, blinding them with brightness.

There are hard tracks: “Blessed” and “Save Your Soul” come down like an avalanche; there are wonderful tracks: “Escaping The Fools” and especially “Mantra” are capable of delivering strong emotions.

The success of the album also lies in its accessibility to anyone, not necessarily just metal enthusiasts, but to all who love great music; this is a work that rightfully stands alongside masterpieces of the genre.

A surprising album that gains value over time.