Stephen Talisman was founded in the 80s by Marcel Jacob, a legendary Swedish bassist in the melodic rock realm, and most of the materials he wrote in this album at first was meant to be appeared in John Norum's second solo album with Goran Edman as the singer, but Norum didn't like it and Edman finally joined Yngwie Malmsteen. Jacob contacted Jeff Scott Soto, an old friend he met when both of them played with Yngwie in 1985's "Marching Out" to fill in the singer shoes, Soto agreed, and eventually this debut was released in the dawn of 1990 and the rest is history.

Talisman's style is something you want to hear if you like Europe's early heavy-metal edge sound smoothed out with the melodic hard rock harmonies. You can never go wrong with Soto's prowling voice but the real mastermind of this record is the great songwriting and musicianship of Marcel Jacob. "Break Your Chains" is an explosive opening track and "Standin' on Fire" continues the blast before they amaze you with the best track of the album, "I'll Be Waiting", the single that shot their name to the sky. Not to forget with two other incredible tracks which also easily became my favourites, "Day By Day" and "Just Between Us", basically this whole album offered a complete solid composition from start to finish. A great purchase which worth every penny you spent!

If only Marcel Jacob didn't trade place with John Leven, he's probably stuck with Europe to this day, enjoyed tremendous success, and still live strongly today. Even though Marcel Jacob has gone after committed suicide in 2009, his remarkable legacy will live on and on, and you can hear his playing in other great acts such as Last Autumn Dream and Human Clay. This debut was also reissued in 1993 with extra 6 raw live bonus tracks and featured "Scream of Anger', one of Europe's hit which was originally written by Jacob and Tempest.

ovidiu TALISMAN will remain definitely one of the most talented and,unfortunately,UNDERRATED bands in the history of rock!Even if in their home country SWEDEN they were quite big...and in JAPAN-a country which appreciate true values in music-this amazing band never reached the deserved success!The mastermind and motor of this band was the dearly missed MARCEL JACOB-a monster bass player-one of the most impressive bass players ever!He had a sound almost similar to the BILLY SHEEHAN!JACOB commited suicide in 2009 and it's almost sure thet this was the end for TALISMAN!On this debut album we have all the ingredients of what this band will became-a solid hard rock band,very melodic and punchy with the proeminent bass sound of JACOB and the superbe voice of JEFF SCOTT SOTO-one of the most exceptional vocalists in rock!After this album there will be some important changes of the line up -new drummer and new guitar player and this will be the magical formula for TALISMAN!GENESIS and HUMANIMAL were true bombs in hard rock music and the latest 2 studio albums - CATS AND DOGS and 7...are truly fantastic,with perfect compositions and unbelieveble musicianship displayed!!TALISMAN were better and better album after album,SOTO was unleashed and delivered some sensational vocal lessons ,AKESSON some blistering guitar solos and MARCEL his bass wizzardry at 200 %!It's such a shame that this band was and will remain underrated-but,where is justice in music?5 STARS for a future classic!

1967/ 1976 Difficult to assign a correct genre: this album present Traditional Heavy Metal with songs similar to those produced by the first Bon Jovi. But this music is not AOR. Pomp Metal? Maybe. In my opinion this album is an album of Traditional heavy Metal also if AOR is as correct as a genre. Borderline case, it is!!!

In fact the songs are very melodic but with extreme power. Not because "Standing On Fire" present a pure Trad Metal solo this song is puire Trad Metal and not because "Break Your Chains" is AOR in sound and structure this song is AOR. This is due because of a production and a mix that places heavy emphasis on power, which I like very much. This album was good in Class Metal, I think, because I see strong connection with Magnum. But at the end one song as "I'll Be Waiting" is a great song in 80's way of Class Metal. But Class Metal is not proper a genre. So Trad Metal is good and appropriate genre for me. In a great substance if you insert Blues this album sound as a melodic version of Whitesnake's "Saints An' Sinners", at least in my head.

Speaking of music: aggressive guitar with parts written for feeling and emotions in first plan. Extremely AOR vocal parts (with great refrains and bluesy vocal timbral), tons of synths/ keyboards (great for this type of Heavy Metal, in general, but in this case great use of this instrument). Great ballad, extremely close to AOR (because power ballads) as in the case of "Just Between Us".

When I put this album I sweat cold to assign the correct genre. Another point of discussuion in my mind are the songs as "System Of Power" or "Women, Whiskey & Song", bluesy song... Hard Rock songs. And in Wikipedia this is the genre assigned to Talisman. For me Talisman is a full Heavy Metal band (but I've only this album... Also I heard other Talismn songs). Also "Queen" is in the same way (but this for me is synonymous with Class Metal due to aggressive guitar and elevate speed of song rhythm in a bluesy style writing).

In a great substance: If you love Hard Rock alisman is your band (and album). If you love AOR (and Class metal) Talisman is your band (and album) and if you love Trad Metal Talisman is your band (and album).