Talisman
Cats and Dogs

October 2003
Released: 2003, Frontiers/Distribution Fusion III
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Rick

Former Yngwie Malmsteen vocal belter Jeff Scott is back together with his band Talisman and they have released their latest disc on Frontiers Records. Joining Soto is original Talisman member Marcel Jacob (Yngwie Malmsteen, Norum) along with long time members Fredrik Akesson: guitars and Jamie Borger: drums. Talisman released their first self titled CD in 1990 and followed that up with GENESIS in 1993, FIVE OUT OF FIVE: LIVE IN JAPAN (1994), HUMANIMAL (1994) and TRUTH (1998).



CATS AN DOGS is an interesting name for a release and the cover artwork for the disc is equally as interesting/strange depending on your feelings at the moment. A cat riding a dog on wheels is always an interesting sight but I don’t know if this cover ranks up there with the best ever. No matter how many times I hear Jeff Scott Soto I recall his memorable stint in Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force. His voice was powerful and instantly made me a sit up and take notice of his talent. On CATS AND DOGS Soto is in fine form. “Skin on Skin” opens the CD with a funky melodic tune that focuses on the fretboard work of Akesson. “Sorry” is an almost Journeyesque ballad while “Lost in the Wasteland” ups the heaviness factor and helps add a biting edge to the CD which is missing in many of today’s melodic metal bands. Highlights of the CD are the closer “Hell in Paradise” and “Outta My Way”. The tempo is jacked way up on the latter track as Soto delivers his best vocal performance on CATS AND DOGS yet leaves everyone with some space to stretch their musical wings.



Silly album name and cover aside, CATS AND DOGS is a surprisingly solid disc. I guess I shouldn’t have expected anything less from the veteran band. Talisman play melodic metal very long on the melody yet with the ability to heavy their sound up when the situation calls for it. Lets hope that it doesn’t take another 5 years for Talisman to lay music to plastic.

Talisman
Cats and Dogs

August 2003
Released: 2003, Frontiers
Rating: 4.0/5
Reviewer: JP

Good ol’ Soto and Jacob are back at again showing the world that classic melodic metal has never gone away and will never go out of style. Big release number ten, (seventh studio) since 1990 for the gang as they are now found on the Frontiers label.



Like their brethren (Takara, Ten, Glory) Talisman, have waved the flag of this style for ages and have offered up yet another great disc. It has been five long years since TRUTH so it is good to hear the band is back in action.



Track five ’Outta My Way’ by far the heaviest and catchiest on the disc should have been the lead off track and seems to be the first single. All twelve tracks are a very comfortable brand of classy and classic melodic metal. The solos never get too frantic, the vocals never get too screechy or yelpy and the song arrangements are fun and familiar. Most of the twelve cuts are in the radio friendly three to four minute zone.



The songs are so well done that it is not surprising that a band like this performing in a style that is not commercially popular (in North America, anyway) still have what it takes to make yet another great CD. From the soulful bluesy vocal touches on the semi-ballad ‘Love Will Come Again’ to the fun riff-rockery of the opening cut ‘Skin on Skin’ to Jacobs regular bass flourishes, this CD is a winner.



Produced by the ex-Yngwie men themselves, Jacob and Soto KNOW how an album should sound after years and years in the music biz in at least half a dozen bands each.

The guitar shines on every track as Akesson has rejoined the band, his tone clear and bright.



Check out this disc, watch for an entire catalogue re-issue with bonus tracks in the near future and start to explore the rich and diverse band histories of the members involved.

http://www.frontiers.it Note the Japanese version on King comes with two additional tracks one of them oddly enough being ‘Cats And Dogs’ and an alternate track sequence.