SPIRITUAL BEGGARS

This is probably the album I had been waiting for all of 2005. Soft and hard in one, combining the finest fragments of rock history, filled with meaning, measured poise, and mastery — such is "Demons," the new disc from SPIRITUAL BEGGARS. Accessible, gently rocking the cradle of the listener's ear, its melodicism is draped in the kimono of traditional rock — this is how the "flower children" understood and performed music before the first harvest that transformed hippie culture into a superconductor of political opposition. Those who value technical prowess will be interested by the involvement of Mike Amott (ARCH ENEMY) and Sharlee D'Angelo (MERCYFUL FATE, WITCHERY). Those seeking depth and feeling will undoubtedly be captivated by the vocals of Janne "JB" Christoffersson. Niklas Sundin, who designed the cover and booklet, departed from his usual style for the sake of art: his trademark celebration of detail gave way to an understated childlike simplicity of line, as if to say — demons don't come tumbling out of a hellish fiery cesspit brandishing pitchforks; demons live within us. And in such demons, it's very easy to believe...