Soundborne is the debut album of a side project with Norwegian musicians. Projects like that, with a gettogether of musicians from different bands, is often really a one man project done on the side from the “real” band work, with some friends to help out for the occasion. Therefore it’s sometimes very obvious, that it’s not a homogenous product from a band that played together for a longer time – and when it on top of that is all instrumental, you could have your worries about the outcome.

With Soundborne’s first release this is not at all the case. Sure it’s mostly the guitarist Stian Dahl that seems to be the main force behind it all, and the album is done on extra studio time that couldn’t be used by his primary band Premacy, but neither is audible in the final product.

The album is produced by Stian Dahl together with co producer for Premacy, Jørn-Arild Grefsrud, who also plays some classical guitar on the album and the mixing is the work of Daniel Bergstrand (known for productions of Soilwork, Meshuggah, In Flames and Strapping Young Lad), so the technical side of the project is fully under control and sounds very good.

The musicmanship can’t be questioned, all play very able, and all though they are from different bands, it’s a very homogenous result. Drummer Torkil Riiser is from S.D.’s own band Premacy, bassist Morten Granheim plays in a band called Diabla, and keyboard player Lasse Finbråten comes from the band Circus Maximus. Apart from them, there are guest appearances with female vocals (with some chanting like in a traditional Norwegian folk song and some lalala), violin and cello.

The music is very varied: prog rock (some times with quite a metal attitude, some of it quite heavy in guitar sound, riffs and drums – fx. Creatures of a Fairy Tale and Lava), but there are also very melodic and laid back tracks with classical guitar (fx. Weather and Lullaby), and some good melodies (Funky, Weather and Lullaby among others). Not all tracks are works of genius, but works well for background or listening when relaxing is needed, and the album generally gets better for every spin.