There is something charming about retro-sounding bands. It can be quite hit or miss, as it can come off as kitschy or gimmicky, even worse, it can be plain boring. But when a band shows a clear love and understanding of Classic Rock (and Classic Prog in this case), it can tap into a raw energy that is quite contagious. Not every band has to reinvent the wheel to make great music, there is comfort in something that sounds at the same time brand new and familiar. FATAL FUSION's debut record, "Land Of The Sun", which has gotten a brand new reissue, definitely falls into the best side of retro-rock.

"Land Of The Sun" is an album that covers diverse ground among its infatuation with the 70s, but most of the tracks seem to fall on one of two clear sides, the Prog one and the bluesy, Hard Rock one. I'd argue FATAL FUSION is just as strong in both, but I have a bit of a soft spot for their proggy, lengthy compositions.

On the Hard Rock/Heavy Blues side, the references are quite clear, taking cues from LED ZEPPELIN, URIAH HEAP, and seemingly the band's biggest inspiration in this regard, DEEP PURPLE. The songs fall on the relatively shorter side (four to six minutes), are more focused on groove and catchy melodies. "Cry No More" is a perfect example of this side of the band, with its strong organ sound evoking Jon Lord's tone, almost funky beat and some shred-lite soloing, for showing-off purposes. It even has a bit of a US Southern Rock feel.

"Shot To The Ground" is another full-blown rocker, that features some nice rhythmic tricks, like shifting between 4/4 and 6/8, as well as a great percussion-led instrumental section. Meanwhile, "Promises" falls on the more introspective side of bluesy Hard Rock. Ethereal clean guitar lines and hypnotic organ -it surely sounds like a Hammond but brighter- carry this track's mix of nostalgia and optimism.

The Prog end of things comprises three long-form compositions, including the title track (and opener), "Broken Man" and closer "Out To The Fields", ranging from 9 to 16 minutes in length. All this tracks retain the bluesy sound but inject some Jazz, Psychedelia and even Metal influences into the proggy, multi-section song structures.

"Land Of The Sun" opens with rainstorm sounds and deep bass, making for an intriguing start. Jazzy guitar and keyboard, paired with a strong psychedelic vibe, keeps things playful. There are some beautiful piano passages sprinkled throughout. This song truly conveys the sense of wonder and being on a faraway land that the album cover hints at. SANTANA seems to be a reference point. Erlend Engebretsen lays down some exquisite synth soloing, very sci-fi sounding, sitting somewhere between Richard Wright's mysticism and Rick Wakeman's technicality.

The 12-and-a-half-minute "Broken Man" covers darker tones, adding a bit of jazzy, sinister KING CRIMSON-esque sounds. Its second section is slightly folky and benefits from a drone-y constant bell sound. For its third and final section, it bounces between full-blown Heavy Metal crunchiness and YES/EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER territory, with some Flamenco-esque, Steve Howe-inspired guitar for a while, making for an epic musical journey. Despite having a gloomy sound, its chorus is fully on AOR territory with an epic, big stadium feel.

Closer "Out To The Fields" is an almost sixteen minutes long, full-band instrumental. It moves through several moods, from PINK FLOYD-like ambience to Heavy Blues to straight-up Hard Rock to groovy jazz fusion, it works because the songwriting is strong and the band really knows what it is doing. I won't even try to describe bits and pieces of it because there's so much going on, it is meant to be heard.

Sitting in between the Prog and the Heavy Blues, are "Love In The Sky" and "Remember". The former is a RUSH-esque rocker, with a slight 80's Hard Rock feel (those chugging guitars surely feel straight-out of a SURVIVOR album) and an extremely FLOYD-ian intro, "Welcome To The Machine" or "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" coming to mind. It goes out with a bang, riding atop Engebretsen dexterous soloing. "Remember" goes into lovely Power Ballad territory, filled with emotional soloing and soaring vocals. Its coda is a thing of beauty, Engebretsen finishes the track on a melancholic note with a vulnerable piano piece, perfectly accentuated by cello.

Rounding up this reissue is a live version of "Cry No More", a fun track that shows FATAL FUSION's live energy and chemistry. There isn't much to add as the live version is a very by the numbers take on the song.

"Land Of The Sun" benefits a little bit of this reissue, even if the original sound was more than adequate. The production sounds very crisp, but still not entirely clean, its rougher edges hint at an age gone past. It seems FATAL FUSION were still unsure to fully embrace their proggy side during their debut record, thankfully it seems they started moving on that with their next album, as they not only have the chops but also the creative songwriting to really delve into that side of their sound. The rockers are fun and add momentum, but the album could have been a bit shorter focusing on the Prog elements. Still, this is one hell of a good debut album.