“Worlds Apart” is the first album from a new collaboration between singers Russell Allen and Anette Olzon and it was released on 6th March via Frontiers Music. Another key element in the package is multi instrumentalist and producer Magnus Karlsson (who was my guest on the Show last October). Together those three have delivered a great melodic metal album – hardly surprising really, given the calibre of the artists involved. The album’s title track was included on the Friday NI Rocks Show during January and the track “Never Die” the following month.

 

 

 

 

American singer Russell Allen will be best known as the frontman of Symphony X since its formation in 1994, as well as for performing with Adrenaline Mob and Trans-Siberian Orchestra. He also released an album called “Chapter One” in 2015 as part of Level 10, alongside Mat Sinner and four albums alongside Jorn Lande as Allen/Lande. The first three Allen/Lande albums released between 2005 and 2010 saw the two singers collaborating with Magnus Karlsson; whilst “The Great Divide” in 2014 saw them working with Timo Tolkki.

 

Swedish singer Anette Olzon fronted Nightwish from 2007 to 2012, releasing two studio albums with the band. Since then she has released a solo album, called “Shine” in 2014 and two albums with The Dark Element – a self titled debut in 2017 and “Songs The Night Sings” in 2019. The Dark Element is a collaboration with former Sonata Arctica guitarist Jani Liimatainen.


Swedish musician and producer Magnus Karlsson was my guest on the Friday NI Rocks Show last October to coincide with the release of the second album from The Ferrymen – a collaboration with Ronnie Romero. (http://www.rockradioni.co.uk/interviews/3674-ni-rocks-interview-with-magnus-karlsson.html ). However, many will know him as a long-time member of Primal Fear, or for his involvement in the first three Allen/Lande albums, the Kiske/Somerville albums or the Starbreaker albums. This year will see the release of the third album from Magnus Karlsson’s Free Fall.

 

Karlsson plays guitars, bass and keyboards on the album, whilst the drummer is Anders Köllerfors.

 

About “NI Rocks Recommends”

This is purely a personal recommendation and some information about the artist and the album; not a traditional ‘review’. Most of the recommendations posted are for albums that have been sent to us digitally by the record label or promoter. Quite often I’ve also bought the album on CD or vinyl as well and sometimes I just feel the need to post a recommendation for an album that I’ve bought myself. Essentially these are albums that I like and which I’ve played some tracks from on the Shows on Rock Radio NI!