The name of the Danish guitarist Søren Andersen is widely known for his playing with the band of Glenn Hughes and having played with Mike Tramp, Marco Mendoza, Joe Lynn Turner, Dave Mustaine and others, and for his busy schedule as producer as well. But in the middle of many works, he found time for a new release of his solo career, a live album called “Live in the Homeland”. It's clear that everyone remembers that on 2019 he released “Guilty Pleasures”, one of the best guitar-orientated albums of the past years due its spontaneous and melodic appeal, with intense shredding being packaged by excellent melodies and an eclectic insight.

Here, as fruit of the tour for promotion of the album, and having with him the drummer Allan Tschicaja (of PRETTY MAIDS) and the Grammy award winner bassist Michael Gersdorff (who plays with Michael Catton), “Live…” is really an amazing live release, full of energy and with the songs working perfectly alive, so be prepared for some surprises from Søren’s sleeve (and they are many). The album was recorded on Friday, May 28, 2021 at 8:00 PM, on Søren’s hometown, Fredericia, in front of a packed hall in Eksercerhuset. It’s obvious that Søren made the mixing and mastering of the songs (I hope that everyone knows that a live release is mixed and mastered, and if not, things can sound fuzzy), giving “Live…” a clean and defined sonority, but without listenable corrections or overdubs. It sounds spontaneous, free of conceptions and compromises, so it’s a great sonority that make things even better to be heard.

Running away from the rigid conceptions that rules the musical market, the album presents a concert with excellent and virtuous guitar playing (but with everything sounding spontaneous and catching), charming bass parts and solid (and heavy) drumming. Again: all that is forbidden today on live shows (again: rules of the musical market) happens, with individual guitar, bass and drums solos (features usual on the past). And it’s impossible to not surrender when hearing to “City of Angels”, “Agent Wells”, “Satori”, “The Kid”, “Skybar”, “Bad Weather”, “Beirut”, “Birdfeeder”, “1983”, “Bipolar”, and “The Man in Black”. Of course, the solos of the guitars, bass and drums (all of them are excellent) serves as refreshing for the other musicians, but they’re not something sounding ‘forced’, but spontaneous and full of energy and virtuoso playing. And the public applauses and praises the band. Oh, don’t forget that this release isn’t for guitar players, but for every music fan with good musical taste.

Søren Andersen deserves applauses for one more inspiring and mandatory release. Yes, you have to listen to “Live in the Homeland” as your homework, and surely you won’t complain for such an experience.