What a silly name for a fantastic album! Maybe this is Sweden's most valuable 'hidden treasure' in the ranks of Hard & Heavy music. No questions asked, Electric Stalker is one of the reasons why some of us occasionally cry out for the lack of powerful, high-energy songwriting in our days. This album's track listing is 80% written in the late 80s, now 'polished' to aim fire to today's 'struggling' market.
Just a strange 'link': Swedish Doom monks Candlemass' Chapter IV (199x?) featured some new vocalist replacing Messiah Marcolin, by the name of Thomas Vikstrom. This powerful voice is the same singing in this one. Cooperating with AOR/Melodic Rock (now) 'guru' Tommy Denander, the duo called Talisman/ex-Malmsteen mainman Marcel Jacob to handle the bass. Daniel Flores (Mind's Eye) completed the lineup and eight songs were crafted for an album that never saw the light of day...till now, 15 whole years later! Thank you Metal Heaven!
To cut a long story short: Electric Stalker features the eight original songs plus four more contemporary tunes. I don't know which each ones are, but who cares? All of them are killers, some of them in the 'melodic Rock' songwriting formula while the others are keen on a 'classic' Metal-isque syndrome. Whenever the band decides to be melodic, passionate and sentimental, then the likes of Journey, Shy, Night Ranger, AOR (in general) and guitar-driven Hard Rock bands come to mind. The Swedish way, you know. On the other hand, 'rough' times apply to Judas Priest of the mid-to-late 80s, Riot at times plus - for the juveniles - some of the Primal Fear discography.
The most interesting thing in Speedy Gonzales is the atmosphere surrounding the songs. It's actually 100% spirited. How can you describe the hooks, the harmonies in the guitar themes, the powerful voice of Vikstrom, the exchange of hardness and emotion? Electric Stalker should have come out in 1990. It's a shame this collection of songs will not achieve the desired recognition. Really a shame...80s Hard & Heavy fans should proceed, no questions allowed. The newest ones - especially the Frontiers-friendly clan - raise your hands and drink the elixir of 'classic' music. Phew...an amazing album! Not a single mediocre tune (if only the cover was not that 'shitty'...).