I have been releasing albums since 1988 and playing in bands since the stone age. Making music feels better than ever though I have stopped touring.
I have released 5 solo albums as "Lars Eric Mattsson" and 5 albums as "Mattsson" as well as a bunch of albums with bands such as Eli, Condition Red, Book of Reflections, Vision, Astral Groove etc.
The new MATTSSON album is called "TANGO"(release March 19, 2010) and is made up of 11 tracks that might be descibed as melodic progessive metal/rock/symphonic metal. (I find it hard to a) put a label on my music, b) limit myself to a narrow field within the world of music) My current line up features singers Adrienn Antal (AdryA) and Markku Kuikka (Status Minor) and drummer Eddie Sledgehammer.
I released my previous MATTSSON album on March 21, 2008, "Dream Child" featuring singer Adrienn Antal (AdryA). Dream Child is the home of 12 tracks of symphonic metal with gothic and progressive metal spiced up with ethnic sounds. We have created a separate myspace page for this release.
I also produced and composed ELI's debut album "Darkness Will Fall" (released December 2008 on Lion Music)
My previous albums include the concept album "WAR" (2005) which features artists such as Vitalij Kuprij, Mark Boals, Andre Vuurboom (Sphere of Souls/Sun Caged),Lance King, Irene Janssen (Ayreon) Björn Jansson (Tears of Anger) etc. This is a progressive rock opera that deals with the current situation in the Middle East, my all instrumental solo album "Earthbound" (November 2005)and "Book of Reflections: Chapter II - Unfold the Future"
BIOGRAPHY
A guitarist of the classic metal/hard rock school Lars was first discovered by Mike Varney (Guitar Player Magazine and Shrapnel Records ) in 1985. After playing and touring with various local hard rock bands Lars recorded and released the 4 track vinyl EP Cant Go On Without Your Love in 1987. Soon after this Lars signed to Black Dragon Records, a French indie label for which he recorded 3 albums Eternity (1988), No Surrender(1989) and the all instrumental Electric Voodoo (1991). Eternity and No Surrender were released in Japan by FEMS , while the instrumental Electric Voodoo was picked up by Leviathan Records in USA and released under the Title The Exciterin 1992, and then in 1995 it was released in Asia by SKC.
In 1992 Lars teamed up with Swedish singer Conny Lind who had been in Los Angeles working with Alex Masi and together with Drummer Tony Mattsson and Bass player Michael Ahlskog they formed the band VISION and recorded 1992 s album Lars Eric Mattssons VISION which went down very well specially in Japan where it was once again released by FEMS and in Europe by Roadrunner. The year after VISION recorded a follow up album, which were never released due to contractual problems and the band eventually split up. Around 1994 when Lars was found playing in cover bands doing blues classics and Hendrix covers Lars got in contact with another Swedish singer Bjorn Lodin, who had made 4 albums with his own band Baltimore. As guitarist Nikolo Kotzev left Baltimore Bjorn joined forces with Lars And recorded 1995s album ASTRAL GROOVE, which was blues based and quite Different from Lars previous releases. More or less ASTRAL GROOVE came out Of Jamming ideas but the band split up very soon.
In 1996 Lars wanted to give VISION a second chance and recorded the VISION Album Till the End of Time which was his most laid back melodic almost AOR release ever. The album got very good reactions and was a living proof that melodic hard rock still had an audience. Singer Randolph Reymers made his debut as lead singer after having sung backing vocals on several albums before VISION.
As VISION was taking a break from recording Lars went into in studio at the end of august 1997 with a bunch of new songs which definitely will show that hard work pays off. This new album was Lars finest hour with his best guitar playing ever as well as some of his better compositions. Add to that singer Bjorn Lodin who never sounded this good before!
The reviews of Obsession were excellent, Progression magazine of USA called the album 1998s best Guitar album and it was clear to everyone that Lars had taken a major step forward, but Lars felt it was jsut the beginning of a new era.
In the autumn of 1999 Lars begun writing for another album and just to make things more interesting Lars invited some friends and well known musicians to guest on the project. These included : Patrick Rondat (Jean Michel Jarre) Rob Johnson (Magnitude 9), Erik Norlander (Lana Lane, Rocket Scientists) Pär Lindh (Pär Lindh Project) Esa Pietilä and more The new 70+ minute long opus consists of 14 new compositions jam packed with Intense musical ideas influenced by classical music, classic hard rock, heavy metal, progressive rock/metal with lots of virtuso performances from Lars and his guests. Soft melodic ballads and super tight odd meter riffing its all here!
In the year of 2000 Lars put together a progressive band called CONDITION RED, the debut album features keyboard maestro Derek Sherinian (ex- Alice Cooper/Dream Theater) and Lars friend Alex Masi (on additional guitars). Lars next project was to record a new MATTSSON album, this time with ex-Balance of Power singer Lance King, and the result, Power Games was released in 2003 and received fantastic reviews all over the world. In 2003 CONDITION RED reformed to record and release their second album of progressive rock titled II, Not too long after this Lars band from the 90-ies made a short comeback in 2004 with a new album On the Edge, however Lars major work in 2004 was the new super group BOOK OF REFLECTION which include singer Andy Engberg (ex-Lions Share/Section A etc), Vitalij Kuprij etcbut Lars biggest challenge this far was the progressive metal concept album/metal opera WAR which was released in 2005 and which features: Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen), Vitalij Kuprij, Lance King, Rene Janssen(Ayreon), Benny Jansson (Tears of Anger/Beyond Twilight) etc. Lars has also just finished an all instrumental guitar album Earthbound and he is involved in several exciting projects to be completed in 2006 and 2007.
DISCOGRAPHY:
LARS ERIC MATTSSON:
Lars Eric Mattsson - Eternity 1988 - (re-released 2001)
Lars Eric Mattsson - No Surrender 1989 + Live - re-released 2009
Lars Eric Mattsson - Electric Voodoo 1991 - re-released 2001
Lars Eric Mattsson - Obsession (1998)
Lars Eric Mattsson - Earthbound (2005)
MATTSSON:
Mattsson - Another Dimension (2000)
Mattsson - Power Games (2003
Mattsson - War (2005)
Mattsson - Dream Child (2008)
MATTSSON - Tango (2010)
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PROJECTS:
ELI:
Eli - Darkness Will Fall (2008)
VISION:
Lars Eric Mattssons Vision (1992)
Vision - Till the End of Time 1997)
Vision - The Best of (2000)
Vision - On the Edge (2004)
BOOK OF REFLECTIONS:
Book of Reflections Book of Reflections (2004)
Book of Reflections - Chapter II: Unfold the Future (2006)
CONDITION RED:
Condition Red - Condition Red (2000)
Condition Red - II (2003)
ASTRAL GROOVE:
Astral Groove - Astral Groove (1995)
COMPILATIONS:
Beyond Inspiration - Uli Jon Roth Tribute (one song, 2003)
Blackmores Castle - A Tribute to Deep Purple and Rainbow (3 songs, 2003)
The Spirit Lives On Jimi Hendrix Tribute vol I (2 songs, 2004)
The Spirit Lives On Jimi Hendrix Tribute vol II (3 songs, 2004)
Shawn Lane Remembered (one track, 2004)
Give us Moore! Gary Moore Tribute (one song, 2004)
WEBSITE:
www.LarsEricMattsson.com
and
www.LionMusic.com
