Freak Kitchen - Land of the Freaks

Holy shit, guitar lovers, Matthias Eklundh is a monster. Or should I have said "freak"?You never quite get used to the idea that there are some really amazing musicians in the world that most people will never hear of, simply because they're not in some high profile gig with a major pop star or tearing up the charts of some country's music industry. Of course, this is a terrible injustice, because I am a huge fan of amazing guitar and the kind of music that only the most talented artists are capable of creating outside the confines of the kind of musical supercomputer that substitutes for actual talent in the music business these days.

Such is the case with Swedish prodigies Matthias Eklundh, Christer Örtefors and Björn Fryklund, who collectively form Freak Kitchen. Relatively unknown outside of Europe, they have made some truly impressive music in the last few years. Their album Land of the Freaks was actually released in 2009, but has gotten re-released in late May this year so that others Americans may discover their talent.

The real star is Matthias, whose boyish looks and mannerisms onstage belie his musical sophistication. The man's a fucking monster on guitar, folks. And Land of the Freaks is a great showcase for these guys and their tongue in cheek metal. Matthias sings as well, ably delivering subversive lyrics over the satisfying metallic crunch with a Dave Mustaine growl - the album as a whole reminds me of Chris Poland's work on Damn the Machine or Return to Metalopolis only with the guitar taken to a higher level.

The Bottom Line: Matthias and company deliver a great metal album that comes a bit across as Frank Zappa meets Megadeth; virtuosic guitar driven metal that kicks ass without taking itself too seriously.

Tracks to Make You Start Searching YouTube for Live Freak Kitchen Footage: God Save the Spleen, Teargass Jazz, Honey, You're A Nazi, The Smell of Time

- Genghis just wishes there was any chance of this band playing here in Houston...