The Codex - The Codex
Frontiers Records
Melodic Hard Rock / Heavy Metal
12 songs (69'12)
Release year: 2007
Magnus Karlsson, Frontiers Records
Reviewed by Marty
The Codex is the latest project of multi-talented (and very busy it seems) guitarist/composer Magnus Karlsson. Does this guy ever sleep? Not only is he the driving force behind Last Tribe, he enlisted two of the best voices in metal namely Russell Allen (Symphony X) and Jorn Lande (ex-Masterplan) to contribute vocals to The Battle and The Revenge; two of the better melodic hard rock albums to come out in recent years. In between that, he started the Starbreaker project with ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell. With The Codex, Magnus has coaxed veteran vocalist Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen, Ring Of Fire) to return after a 3 year hiatus with a sound that has similarities in the melodic aspects of Starbreaker, Allen/Lande and Last Tribe yet with a decidedly heavier edge more prominent guitar presence. Also on board for this album are Linus Abrahamson, bass and Daniel Flores (ex-Mind's Eye) on drums. Composed and produced entirely by Magnus Karlsson, the pairing of his melodic heavy metal style with the great voice of Mark Boals is a marriage made in heaven for melodic heavy metal fans.

With a strong ear for melody and catchy choruses, Magnus Karlsson continues the trend seen with all of his previous work here with this album. The guitar sound is big with touches of neo-classical elements and a little progressive metal feel to enrich the sound of this little gem. The album kicks off with a great track entitled Beyond The Dark. Mark Boals' voice sounds amazing and brings the listener back to some of the work he did for Yngwie Malmsteen namely the classic Trilogy album from the 80's. A few tracks feature more mid tempo Scorpions influenced styles with stunning use of melodic lead guitar fills and showing some similarities with the vocal melodies and choruses to the Allen/Lande material. Classic riff-driven heavy metal can be found with tracks like Toxic Kiss and Prisoner with Toxic Kiss making great use of the classic 80's Accept riffing styles complete with wild Wolf Hoffmann like lead guitar fills. The Prisoner uses a slower tempo riff pattern with Mark Boals delivering one of the most emotional and catchy chorus sections to be found on this album. There's a sense of a very formulaic style after the first 5 songs or so but Magnus throws a curve ball at you with the one-two punch of Dream Makers and Whole Again. Dream Makers uses a mix of light and heavy sounds with a more dreamy-like atmosphere for the verse sections. The continued amazing melodic sense is ever present with a track that has a very different feel than the rest of the album. Whole Again seems like the obligatory power ballad at the onset but slowly evolves into a very solid and emotionally charged song with another huge chorus. A little more modern feel is on the menu with Mistress Of Death, a track that uses de-tuned guitars, wah lead guitar and a little Eastern influence with the melodies. The album finishes with the chugging, thematic riff filled You Can Have It All and the more progressive edged Garden Of Grief, a track that mixes heaviness and melody with just the right amount of atmospheric qualities to form a rock solid foundation for Mark Boals' vocals.

The combination of great songs, amazing vocals by Mark Boals and Magnus' cranked up power chord riffing strikes an almost perfect balance with this album. As much as I loved both Russell Allen and Jorn Lande on The Battle and The Revenge, Mark Boals' voice is an almost perfect match for the Magnus Karlsson sound. Each and every track very quickly establishes a mood or atmosphere that is carried right through to the end. Magnus shows an awesome grasp on melody and how to accent it just right with a heavy metal sound. Everything is in the right place whether it be the riff breaks, lead fills or other harmonic accents. Even though this album is big on melodies and choruses, it still rocks hard and reminds me of Dokken and Scorpions in the 80's when they were kings of that style of melodic heavy metal. Magnus Karlsson is the new king of melodic heavy metal and it's been a long time since I've heard an album so full of catchy choruses and melody lines. Although there are a few tracks that fall a bit short over others, they are still very good with no filler to be found whatsoever on this album. As great as this album is, it's just a couple of tracks shy of a masterpiece......definitely a late edition to my best of the year list.

Killing Songs :
Beyond The Dark, Toxic Kiss, Dream Makers, Whole Again and Prisoner
Marty quoted 88 / 100
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