Artist: Sahara CD Title: "Sahara" Reviewed by: Nick Martinelli Reviewed: 8/1/2003

     SAHARA is a brand new rock act hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden. Behind their name stands the combined musical talents of guitar pro Peter Lidstrom and vocalist Ulrick Lonnqvist, who are two familiar figures on the Gothenburg rock scene.  Sahara brings new life to the world of rock music with their self titled release.  They are a very well put together act with lots of talent.  The musicianship is nothing sort of top notch!  Peter's guitar playing is phenomenal, very crisp, catchy, and clean.  Ulrick's voice will get your girlfriends pants hot that's for sure!  He has a very controlled voice, great range and pitch.  He sounds a lot like Jon Bon Jovi, NO JOKE!  They fuse together hard rock, power ballad elements and wonderful melodies for a wonderful listening experience.  Peter Lindstrom's guitar playing is awesome, he's a great player that has put so much soul into his playing it shows.  Every song on this album is destined to be a major hit on any radio station, anywhere.  The music is catchy, fun, and leaves you with a warm feeling.  This would be have the favorite Hard rock album of the year that's for sure.  I can't begin to express to you how awesome this album is, so please go buy it immediately!  So let's move on to reviewing this masterpiece!

     Track one "Stranger" is a real smooth number with some beautifully put together keyboard lines and melodies.  The lyrics and vocal are of the best features of the song, their very catchy and you'll singing along right away.  The coolest thing is that you get hammered with a HUGE sing along chorus.  Lidstrom's guitar playing works as an accent to the songs already huge atmosphere. The rhythm parts are very easy and they flow perfectly with the song.  Wait till you hear his solo, talking about soul, his guitar weeps of it.  It's a medium paced one win which he tosses in lots of cool licks and finishes it off with a tasty bend.  This song sets the stage for the rest of the CD, with it's great musical content and melodies.

     "Time is a Healer" song two, is a slow paced number with lots of keyboards, and lowly distorted guitar work.  The lyrics are great, and so are the vocals.  Ulrick Lonnqvist's vocal abilities rock!  You can tell from the first moment that this guys is a pro!  These songs are so well put together it sounds like they have been writing together for years.  This song is superb, and just wait till you get to Lidstrom's guitar solo.  It's so melodic and soulful.  Peter doesn't over bear the song with a million note per second solo.  He keeps it happy sounding, using lots of bends and note accents, and his use of the pentatonic scale just floored me.

     Track three "Over and Over" is a very emotional song, the lyrics just swept me away.  Keyboards and vocals play a big part in this song.  They seem to flow and lock together.  Peter's guitar lines add a huge presence to the choruses and bridges.  His main lead is a real slow one, he accents some cool notes, and does a killer quick melodic climb at the end of it.  This solo is very upbeat, defiantly major sounding.  Lindstrom, is a killer guitar player and his playing fits this music so well.

     "Dreams," song four is a real smooth number that opens with a great clean chordy intro that leads into a great opening lead.  The leads consists of some very well selected bends and holds.  Peter has a great sense of note selection.  I can't get over Lidstrom's ear for a melody, it's a sharp one for sure.  This song has a very cool groove to it and the guitar lines are very ear pleasing.  Some of Ulrick Lonnqvist's best vocal work is in this song in my opinion.  Also check out the mini lead sections from Lidstrom as well there very cool.  another highlight of this song is the big chorus lines, again more sing along lyrics.  The main lead line just soars with soul and a upbeat happy sound.

     Track five "The Fire" opens with a smooth bass line that gets joined by some mellow distorted guitar.  This is another radio friendly song for sure.  This song has a huge chorus section so get ready to sing along.  The one thing that I really like about his band is that they don't over do anything.  All instruments are blended together nicely.  These guys are truly gifted song writers and musicians.  Check out the lead section in this song it's a massive one with a lot of power.

     Track six "Never Say Never" is one of my personal favorites from the cd.  The main guitar line is so pleasant, being a clean guitar tone, with a bit of distorted guitar to accompany it.  The lyrics in this song just rock!  Again this is another huge sing along number.  Lidstrom's guitar playing is priceless in this track, his chops will send shivers down your spine.  It's very melodic to say the least.  The bass playing in this song really stands out, it has a very low tuned sound to it, so it just pounds away.

     "Silent Rain" track seven opens with a blend of acoustic and electric guitar then a melodic keyboard section takes over and brings the song though the man chorus.  The whole rhythm section including drums, bass and guitar really come together and form a solid foundation on this song.  I also love the harmony vocals lines throughout the song as well, goes to show that everyone can sing well too.  The main lead section in this song is gigantic it features some great speedy licks and as well as melodic phrasing.  I can't begin to describe it, you'll just have to buy the CD and check it out.

     Track eight "Dream of you" was the long awaited mega ballad on the CD.   It consists of a nice blend of acoustic, electric guitars, and keyboards.  The bass line by Magnus Eliasson is very upbeat and bops along locking in with the great drum playing of Fredrik Winero.  This song has a very atmospheric feeling to it, making it into a killer music video would be a great idea.  I could totally seeing this song being played on the TOP 10.  I hope that this CD gets major radio station air play, because I truly believe people will eat this stuff up like crazy, because it's music for everyone.  Musicians and fans of upbeat rock music, YES you to ladies!  Listrom's lead is so alive in this song.  He cuts loose with some great melodic groupings and then steps up to the plate and shreds out some super fast runs.  This song really put Peter Lidstrom's chops to the test and he put together a excellent guitar solo.  The lyrics in this track are very well written and I find myself singing along with it all the time.  This is one of the songs that I put on repeat for a few times.  Remember to give your girl friend or boyfriend a huge hug after hearing it, the song is very emotional and will make you thank you stars for having someone so close to you.

     "Deep Inside" track nine is a huge rock pop number, that will knock your socks off.  Dealing with the subject of a person losing a great love.  This song sends chills down my spine every time I hear it.  The piece is so well written, it's not even funny.  Sahara have superior knack for composing heart felt melodies and hook lines.  Peter Lidstrom again floored me with another major sounding upbeat solo.  I don't think Peter could write a bad solo , even if he tried.  It's rare that you find a guitarist that plays in major keys and with such emotion.  He literally gives his guitar a voice.  The lead lines actually sound like they are talking to you in smooth and sweet tone.  Check out the ending leads, Lidstrom hits with again with some super melodic passages as the song resolves.

     Song ten, "What Is Love" is a slower number that will take you off into power ballad land.  My favorite part is the harmony vocals in the verse.   The chorus line just smokes, so get ready to sing along with Ulrick.  Sahara's song writing skills really shine through on this superb number.  They have an amazing ability to create huge hook lines and melodies, and this is a key part to the bands sound.  Lindstrom's guitar solo is yet another slower paced melodic number with nothing but feel and excitement.  I think Peter diverse fits the description of a "happy" sounding guitar player.  This song has a very cool vibe to it and will defiantly become a favorite to anyone who lays ears upon it.

     Lastly song eleven "The Night" opens with acoustic guitar and keyboards.  Then in come the vocals that give the song a softer feel.  The coolest thing about this song is that the acoustic guitars reign the whole time.  Not distorted eclectic guitar accept for in the one in the main guitar solo that will just rip the heart of your chest with it's beautiful melody line.  The lyrics in this song are very warm and fuzzy, again focusing on a relationship between lovers.

     All in all this was the BEST hard rock release of 2001, without a doubt.  This CD has it all, great vocals, soulful guitar playing, upbeat bass lines and tight drumming, and melodic keyboards.  Their style of music is very refreshing in an age of MTV fed crap music.  It's great to hear from bands that have a positive outlook on life and bring that into their music.  They write songs that everyone can enjoy.  Ladies will love the song lyrics and vocals from Ulrick Lonnqvist, and guitar players will the the intensely melodic guitar playing of Peter Lidstrom.  Lidstrom is a well known guitarist from Gothenburg, Sweden and after hearing this album I can see why.  Something I didn't mention earlier was that Lidstrom has an amazing guitar tone.  His lead tone is simply perfect, he blends just enough effects in to give his leads that extra something that will please all ears.  His playing style is something that all guitar players should aspire to meet.  He has a very melodic and "happy" sound to his playing and his riffs and licks are never dark and dreary, their always uplifting and pleasant.

     I can't begin to thank my lucky starts for being able to review an album that has so much to offer.   It has a class and style of it's own.  They draw their influences from the 80's rock scene, but fuse in modern hard rock elements for a simply refreshing musical experience.  So if I had to pick the best new artist of 2001 Sahara would win without a doubt for their superior song writing, catchiness, and melodies.  Please drop by the official website of Sahara at:  http://www.saharaweb.org . Also click here to buy it online: Buy the new SAHARA album online.