As we posted our 2002 Awards in January, one reader left this message : "Hey, what about Spiritual Beggars guys ? Did you forgot the great On Fire from Michael Amott & Co.???". Well, yes and no !

Yes, because we are still waiting for the promo and we are not able to cover all the albums. No, because I appreciate too much this record. It was simply impossible for me to put it in my 15 Awards while we had not reviewed it. Having said that, I think the "damage" must be repair now as this record is one of the best hard rock album - 70's inspired - I haven't heard since ages.

So, our busy friend Michael Amott - which also plays for Arch Enemy in case you don't remember it - found the time last year to return to the studio after the magnificent Wages Of Sin (Arch Enemy's last shot) and recorded some 70's flavored stuff : Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Whitesnake, pure classic rock played the heavy way ... this is what Spiritual Beggars is all about.

The big Purple is back on ... Dance Of The Dragon King, Street Fighting Saviours, Black Sabbath is back from the ashes on Young Man Old Soul and Whitesnake gets resuscitate on Killing Time. On Fire's atmosphere reminds me also Type O Negative by its heaviness and its "depressive" melody here and there, but of course Spiritual Beggars put much more emphasis to the vintage hard rock compare to Type O. The Hammond Organ - keyboards - is played to the perfection, bringing the 70's very close to us.

Considering the different musical origins and horizons of the musicians, it becomes funny to analyze Spiritual Beggars :

Ex- guitarist of the legendary Carcass band : Michael Amott - Arch Enemy - ... or shall I say Mr. Riff :)
+ new vocalist J.B. - formerly of Grand Magus - who replaced the departed vocalist/bassist Spice - The Mushroom River Band.
+ Per Wiberg's very active organ contributions ... apart from his magical fingers on the keyboards
+ a enormous sound ! A wonderful production if you ask me.

Ah these Swedish talented musicians ! We knew them for their devotion and passion for the heavy metal, true metal, death metal (whether melodic or not), thrash metal ... and now here comes a perfect 70's hard rock lesson. On Fire is a refreshing moment ... especially if you are a dinosaur like me. Of course, you have to like Stoner Rock - Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, UFO or Whitesnake rules on this album - but these guys know how to sound melodic and express their adoration to the golden psychedelic years of rock - I am talking of the essence of the 70's - and mixes it with the force of the sound metal of the 90's - I could mention Kyuss. A must check album !!!

God bless Gothenburg, God bless Sweden :-)