Review: Abstrakt Algebra- Abstrakt Algebra (Megarock Records)

When Candlemass split up in the early 90s bass player and main man Leif Edling felt that he was far from finished with the music, so he put together this all-star group. This album features one of Sweden’s best singers Mats Levén, who later also would form the band Krux with Leif and some other great musicians, and even end up singing with Candlemass for a while. The guitars are handled by one of Sweden’s best guitar players Mike Wead, who also played with King Diamond, Hexenhaus and Memento Mori. Judging from this trio alone it simply cannot go wrong.

And it didn’t either. On the contrary, this is an amazing album all the way through. Leif Edling has written the album by himself it seems, but he is also hinting at some of the faster and crazier side of the music spectrum that Mike Wead leans towards. It’s faster, heavier, more progressive and way more experimental than what Candlemass had created by then. With a new band name I guess it gave him an opportunity to get out of the box and explore new territories without focusing on the classic Candlemass formula. This one has a really great progressive vein with some experimental intersections that we would also find on the first Krux album later on. Even thou this one is weirder it sure has some kick ass hooks and melodies as well. The majority of the songs have the typical Leif Edling riffs and sounds like a faster version of “Chapter VI” by Candlemass. It’s another one of those albums that are awesome from start to finish.

Abstrakt Algebra recorded another album as well which remained unreleased for quite some time. Leif later returned to Candlemass in the late 90s and made some more weird albums before reuniting for real with Messiah Marcolin in 2003. The second Abstrakt Algebra album was finally released as a bonus CD on the re-release of the Candlemass album “Dactylis Gloomerata”.