01	Waltz of the Dark Riddle						04:31
	02	The Tree						08:40
	03	Pray for Me Now						07:55
	04	Song from Kallsedet						06:08
	05	No More White Horses						06:59
	06	You and I						06:05
	07	Lonely Land						10:28

Landberk is:
Andreas Dahlback - drums
Stefan Dimle - bass guitar
Reine Fiske - lead guitar, acoustic guitar
Patric Helje - vocals, rhythm guitar
Simon Nordberg - mellotron, hammond organ, piano, accordion

Riktig Akta (92)
Lonely Land (92, English language CD version of Riktig Akta)
One Man Tells Another (94)
Unaffected (95, Live)
Indian Summer (96)

This is a Swedish band that sounds firmly planted in the 70's, with lush symphonic arrangements, Mellotrons, and an overall feel that may remind of the Italian scene or Van Der Graaf. Really good, but requires a few listens. Two versions exist, one has Swedish lyrics and is available only on vinyl. The CD version has English lyrics and a couple tracks of bonus material.

Lonely Land was released by The Laser's Edge, one of the two premier prog rock labels in the US (Syn-phonic is the other), and is the debut recording by a Swedish band who recreate the sound of the seventies, complete with the ubiquitous mellotron. However, the guitarist is significantly featured, and, with his electric lead style, helps modernize the sound. The combination of quiet, melodic keyboard passages and aggressive solo breaks lends a variety to the music that recalls some of the classic Italian prog rock groups of the seventies.

Imagine a Winter night of bitter cold, the wind howling and screaming across the frost-bitten land. Inside a tavern, dozens of lit candles on tables and counters provide ambient illumination. The sweet scent of Cannabis wafts serenely through the air. A small audience of quiet and appreciate folk sit mesmerized, entranced by the aura of a dark, quiet music. Creating this atmosphere is Landberk. The first thing that caught my attention about Lonely Land was that it very successfully captured the feel of 1970s Scandanavian Prog in 1992. Usually, I attributed part of the "unpolished" feel of early Scandanavian Prog (Wigwam, Supersister, etc.) to the recording process. This album, however, is recorded very well yet it still exudes an aura of 1974. The music is instrumentally dark and darkly powerful. There is a sublime intensity to the music that really grabs me. English vocals (on the CD version) are sung against washes of haunting mellotron on most songs. Some songs, such as "Waltz of the Dark Riddle" intertwine mellotron, piano and subdued guitar. Some songs features accordion (e.g., "The Tree") but mellotron and guitar rule the day. Rather than a burning flame of aggression, Landberk's music has a smoldering intensity underpinning all the songs that occasionally bursts forth in brilliance, as in "Pray for Me Now" and the cover of T2's "No More White Horses." It's hard for me to believe this was recorded in 1992. The LP version, Riktig Akta, has Swedish vocals, lacks the cover song, and a different mix (no sitar) on the title track. I have the CD and strongly recommend it to fans of the Scandanavian scene. Not everyone will agree. I think I'm one of a core group of people in the US who really like this album. I mean, *REALLY* likes this album. Maybe it helps to have a good imagination.
With One Man Tells Another, the wind has grown colder and more bitter, the music darker and more painful. Real pain comes across in Patric Helje's vocals -- with a voice not unlike U2's Bono -- whether it is the introspective "Mirror Man," the letting go of "Rememberance" or the loneliness of "Valentinsong." There are several references to ice, cold or winter, such as the opening line of "Kontiki," which reads "Pain fills my soul, I am turning cold." This line sets the dark and somber tone of the lyrics throughout the album. Nowhere has the mellotron sounded so melancholy, its mournful tone sometimes felt more than heard, other times wailing forth in morose agony. The bleak cold of the lyrics is offset by the warmth of Reine Fiske's electric guitar, which tone I simply adored. Whether it was the chunky chords of "Mirror Man" or the rounded, bluesy tone heard in most songs, Fiske's tone was gloriously analog; you could practically hear the springs in the reverb and the amp tube that was close to blowing, as his solos swirled back and forth between the speakers. Fiske's guitar is dominant throughout, while Simon Nordberg spent most of his time on mellotron and organ, and, occasionally, piano. Stefan Dimle's bass was solid underneath without calling attention to itself, and Jonas Lidholm's relaxed (but hardly slack) drumming helped keep the music easy-going, despite the darkness of it all. Of those who heard Lonely Land, if you did not like it, One Man Tells Another will probably not change your mind. If, like me, you liked their debut, then you'll probably like this album equally as much, maybe even more. Like Lonely Land, this is an album that touches on a personal level. I can't wholesale recommend it to just anyone because not everyone will get into the painful lyrics or dark, but not complex, music. But once again, Landberk has put together an album works wonderfully for me. If you did get into their debut release, then you will, in all probability, get into this release as well. -- Mike Taylor

Just got Lanberk's new One Man Tells Another. It's good. Rather different from their debut though. They no longer sound convincingly "70s. The lyrics on "Remembrance" seem to be either pretty bad or have lost something in the translation! Overall, it's much more modern sounding ... the guitars keep this from getting in the way though as they are still firmly in the '70s They still have the magic and when the mellotron starts, it's great although it could have been mixed up a bit. "Kontiki" has a really heavy riff ... a bit of a suprise! "Valentinsong" is superb and quite beautiful. Well worth the money ... buy it.

Riktigt akta is their outstanding best album IMO. Sadly it is sold out, what a shame! The English lyrics on Lonely Land was written three days before they went into studio, so they have not the same depth and feelings as the Swedish lyrics have. The differences between Riktigt akta and Lonely Land are very huge. Riktigt akta is an absolute brilliant album, Lonely Land is just a not so good remix with not so good lyrics. The guitarist Reine Fiske is an excellent musician. His way of playing guitar can be so despaired, tortured and full of grief. He is actually the only guitarist I have heard that are able to make me cry. -- Gunnar Creutz

Lonely Land was the first release from these five young Swedish musicians on vocals (in English), keyboards, guitar, bass and drums. The style is straight out from the '70s with a natural (live) sound that relies on gloomy atmospheres rather than technique and production. The arrangements are simple and the use of keyboards is limited to organ, mellotron and piano. The tracks usually include obscure introspective texts and are developed in acoustic as well as electric contexts. This quality production is rather simple, in a style that certainly evokes the early '70s. -- Paul Charbonneau