From ASTRAL DOORS to WUTHERING HEIGHTS and even providing guest backing vocals for ANGRA, NILS PATRIK JOHANSSON has a grand career as a singer and performer, now releasing his sophomore album "The Great Conspiracy" - a detailed look into the unresolved 1986 murder of the Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme. A work of great detail and grand construction, perhaps even a magnum opus, the album explores several different avenues of the mystery ranging from suspicion to outright indictment.

"The Agitator", a solemn look onto the principles and drive of Olof Palme set to heavy laden passages whilst the proceeding song, "One Night At The Cinema" covers the passage of the night's event revolving around the cinema along with foreshadowing the assassination that would come thereafter following the movie's dismissal. "The Baseball League" is a look upon another theory isolating a political group or gang who had members that were witnessed as being at the murder scene. The song, in part, reminds me of the movie and the novel, 'The Warriors'. "Freakshow Superstar" one of the albums music videos details the suspicion drawn to Christer Petersson, who was not only suspected of murdering the Prime Minister but also having his confession redacted in lieu of sufficient evidence or any real solemnity in his admittance, his posthumous confession suggesting that he'd intended to kill a drug dealer who looked similar to Olof Palme. "The March Of The Tin Foil Hats" is an anthem like jab at the disingenuous surmounting investigation and interviews which also works as a satire to highlight the burgeoning conspiracy theories that followed which is a greater discourse within the title track "The Great Conspiracy". The song is an exploration into the rationalization of a greater conspiracy behind the reasoning for the murder opining that such an action would cause a stir that foreign governing bodies would hold great interest in.

As a greater digression from the polemical exploration of the album the music is well defined, performed, and recorded incorporating a slew of different styles and themes to provide the foundation for each song and idea. A good number of the tracks upon the album are composed as almost anthems in their own rights, such as the chorus of "One Night At The Cinema", "The Baseball League", "Freakshow Superstar" and "March Of The Tin Foil Hats". The guitars and bass are exceptionally well balanced in reference to one another with each being easily defined from one another and doing their part to paint the soundscape brought into emphasis by the pounding drums, and finally every piece is strung together by the masterful delivery of each vocal line.

From the torrents of polemical conspiracy and a murder cover up to the anthemic and inspiring musical constructions "The Great Conspiracy" has a lot to offer listeners whereupon it surrenders little of its themes to those who forsake history; this album is as informative as it is musically adept constantly inspiring the listener to read more into the case and listen deeper to the meanings behind the songs.