One of the best guitarists, producers, and songwriters in Denmark when it comes to a multitude of heavy rock/metal genres, Soren Andersen released his last instrumental record Guilty Pleasures back in 2019. Obviously staying away from stages due to the pandemic for a few years, he was able to get 100 shows under his belt once the live scene opened up again – for which one date in his hometown of Fredericia would be captured on May 28,2021 for this effort Live in the Homeland. Backed by bassist Michael Gersdorff (Michael Catton) and drummer Allan Tschicaja (Pretty Maids), you’ll enjoy an eleven-song extravaganza as well as special spotlight solos from each musician, a fun-filled night of talent taking elements of bluesy-based melodic hard rock and metal to intricate, progressive heights.
Certain songs contain heavier main components where the transitions feature blazing breaks from Andersen as Gersdorff and Tschicaja support his work while also getting the opportunity to flex their seasoned proficiency at their instruments. Aspects of everyone from Joe Satriani and Steve Vai to Deep Purple, Rainbow, or even great players outside the heavy world like Steve Lukather come to mind when listening to the Soren chord progression to virtuoso techniques that fly out of his fingers on the fretboard track by track. Wah-wah accents next exotic measures infiltrate “The Kid”, while harder 70s influences make “Bad Weather” another standout, the rhythm section laying into a slower, swanky groove as the fiery guitars see saw next to some smoother, main melodic hooks. Beyond originals, you can expect an almost nine-minute extended tribute to the greatness of Ritchie Blackmore for “The Man in Black”, where you get to hear portions of “Burn”, “Mistreated”, and a few other classic licks/riffs before returning to a tremendous, bombastic “Burn” ending. Allan’s drum solo contains a portion of Mr. Big’s “Addicted to that Rush” where Michael mirrors the one-of-a-kind Billy Sheehan, while Michael’s bass foray alone contains plenty of classical components next to his progressive, jazz-like free form motions.
Over an hour of material in front of an appreciative audience, Live in the Homeland showcases Soren’s love for the guitar – and instrumental music around the hard rock/heavy genres – in a digestible way. It’s never easy to attract both the musician, schooled populace and the normal fans, but this release should achieve that goal.