Sofia Karlsson

Sofia Karlsson utvidgar den svenska folkmusiken/vistraditionen, på samma sätt som hon tar Dan Andersson in i nuet. –- En makalös liveartist.” (PM Jönsson i GP)
Pressrosorna slår ut i fullaste blom inför hennes brillianta tolkning av Dan Anderssons dikter i albumet ”Svarta ballader” år 2005. Hon reser landet runt från söder till norr. Och vi tar emot hennes kärlek till sången, ger tillbaka. Idag har ”Svarta ballader” sålt runt 75 000 exemplar, en både fantastisk och glädjande siffra i genren. Priserna lyser likt stjärnor: en Grammis i Visa, det alternativa branschpriset Manifests folkmusikpris och en dansk Grammis för Bästa utländska album.

Well into the previous century Sweden was largely a peasant society with folk music an integral part of daily life. There were work songs, narrative ballads and, obviously, music for dancing. Over the centuries a not always easy coexistence between religion and folk culture developed, with hymns being adapted to a folk-music aesthetic while popular traditions were given a Christian veneer. An example of the latter is the rich store of ‘Staffan ballads’, springing from a pre-Christian horse cult but given a new slant as its focus shifted to St. Stephen – the first Christian martyr.

I samband med release av Mats Westlings nya och åttonde album ”Vintergatan 8” 5 april samt 20 års jubileum på svenska gör han en vårturné runt om i Sverige och kommer till oss på Albert för en konsert 25 april. Publiken bjuds då på låtar från såväl den nya plattan som en rafflande kavalkad från hans tidigare.

Former Gamma Ray vocalist Ralf Scheepers and bassist/vocalist Mat Sinner, two of the most respected German metal musicians, founded PRIMAL FEAR in 1997 and 21 years later, show no signs of slowing down. With 11 studio albums released, PRIMAL FEAR have become one of the most beloved and respected heavy metal bands around the globe, a true metal institution. Their last two studio albums “Delivering The Black” and “Rulebreaker” saw them climbing the charts and receiving even more critical praise than before. Truly, especially in recent years, the band has continued to raise the bar in terms of quality and musicianship with their release, constantly pushing themselves to find new ways to best themselves. And with the release of their new albu, “Apocalypse”, PRIMAL FEAR has once again raised the bar in heavy metal to towering heights!

“Best of Fear“, as the name implies, is a new best of compilation from German heavy metal masters, Primal Fear. This double album culls together the best material from Primal Fear’s last 10 years of work (including the albums “New Religion,” “16.6 (Before the Devil Knows You're Dead),” “Unbreakable,” “Delivering the Black,” & “Rulebreaker”), plus four brand new songs recorded specifically for this release.