Today, it's easier for a side project or solo career to be taken seriously due the benefic effects of modern studio technologies and wider internet connections, especially when the musician has many bands (a demand of these days when digital music caused problems to the music business). This is the reason a musician as the Swedish guitarist Magnus Karlsson can find time to release another album under the name of MAGNUS KARLSSON'S FREE FALL, "Hunt the Flame", the band's fourth album.

Magnus plays on PRIMAL FEAR, ALLEN/OLZON, ANETTE OLZON, GINEVRA, HEART HEALER, KISKE/SOMERVILLE, THE FERRYMEN, PLANET ALLIANCE, and others (without mentioning the bands where he played), and even in this way, he found a way of composing a form of music that can be called Swedish Power/Heavy Metal (full of catchy melodies, with well-worked instrumental parts and arrangements) that it's far of being something like a recollection of clichés. Not, his approach is personal, rich and full of energy, with songs where a free and uncompromised feeling exists, and maybe it's the reason for these songs are so good and easy to hear.

As expected, Magnus produced the album, having Jacob Hansen working on the mixing and the mastering of the songs. And the efforts were done to reach a high level of quality into the model used for Power Metal sound qualities: clean and defined, but weighty. All works near perfection, giving the songs all they need to flow in a fresh and wild way into the ears, As guests, he brought Anders Köllerfors (his comrade on ALLEN/OLZON, ANETTE OLZON, GINEVRA and HEART HEALER) for recording the drums' parts, and the singers Alexander Strandell, Jakob Samuelsson, James Durbin, Kristian Fyhr (who did the backing vocals as well on "Hunt the Flame" and "Demons of Our Time"), James Robledo, Michael Eriksen, Girish Pradhan, Raphael Mendes, Terje Harøy, Jake E., and Antti Railio, one for each song of the album.

All songs of "Hunt the Flame" are really great, but to begin the album with, the better ones are "Hunt the Flame" (a song rich in contrasts of ambiences and excellent arrangements on the guitars), "You Can't Hurt Me Anymore" (a set of changes between tender and heavier parts can be heard, with charming keyboards parts), "Break of Dawn" (another song filled with climatic ambiences, with main focus on a tender and hooking outfit with excellent bass guitar and drums parts), "Far from Home" (a Power Metal song filled with Prog Metal traces, especially during parts with evident keyboards arrangements, and with lovely guitars' arrangements once more), "Holy Ground" (what bombastic and heavy set of melodies and with some shreds), "The Lucid Dreamer" (what lovely and hooking instrumental arrangements that creates a perfect sheath for the vocals to be laid above), and "Summoning the Stars". But remember, the entire album is very good.

MAGNUS KARLSSON'S FREE FALL is really a lovely and enjoyable solo project, and "Hunt the Flame" will not disappoint Magnus' fans.