Talisman is no more since Marcel Jacob passed away in 2009. The former members of Talisman wanted Marcel’s legacy to live on and as a tribute to him and all he did for Talisman, they released a 2 CD compilation called ‘Vaults’. The album features demos from every person Marcel used to record demos for songs that wound up in Talisman. It includes Jeff Scott Soto, of course, but also has demos from Matti Alfonzetti (Jagged Edge, Skin, Skintrade), Thomas Vikstrom (Candelmass, Brazen Abbot, Stormwind), Stefan Berggren (Company Of Snakes) and Goran Edman (Malmsteen, John Norum, Kharma).
As we discussed earlier, Talisman stems from when Marcel was working with John Norum and as Marcel was prepping songs for that album, he had Goran Edman record the demos. Goran was also in John Norum’s band. Norum rejected the songs, Goran was offered a gig with Yngwie Malmsteen and now Marcel was left with all these songs and no singer. That is when Jeff Scott Soto was brought into the picture. Jeff was with the band Eyes and came and did the songs with Talisman as a favor to Marcel. After the album cycle was done, he was back in Eyes.
Then shortly thereafter, Marcel ran in to an old grade school pal, Matti Alfonzetti, who would join as the singer. They wrote and put some demos together for the label. However, there was some management change at the label and they didn’t care about the success of the debut album as it wasn’t their baby so Marcel packed shop and left. They shopped the album around and after six months of nothing, Matti decided to leave and pursue other things. Marcel was not deterred and kept shopping the demo around without a singer. Finally Dino Records was interested in the band with one big catch. They wanted Jeff back on vocals. They knew about the success of their debut with Jeff and they loved that sound. That wasn’t a terrible thing for Marcel. Marcel decided to reach out to Jeff and catch up. And within 3 weeks of that call, the two were together again in the studio to record the next Talisman album.
As far as Thomas Vikstrom goes, Thomas was the keyboard player for Talisman from 1990-1992. I am assuming that during this time, Marcel was working on songs and Thomas do the vocals. These songs never appeared on any Talisman album with any other singer so not sure if they were ever used anywhere else prior to this release.
Stefan Berggren had worked with Fredrik Akesson in a band called One Cent, but they never amounted to anything. Fredrik joined Talisman in 1992 and would work on three albums with the band starting with ‘Genesis’. The couple of songs on ‘Vaults’ that are from Stefan are demos from the ‘Genesis’ album so it looks like Marcel worked with him along with Matti on some demos. We have Fredrik to thank for this connection.
And that is all the history I can put together of this release so we might as well talk though all the songs as there are a lot. The album was released in 2015 from Sun Hill Productions and this type of release is a hardcore Talisman fan’s wet dream. We eat this stuff up and for good reason. So, I hope you are hungry as we dive into these 2 courses of this delicious Meal.
CD 1:
“Time After Time” kicks off the album and it was a song developed during a sound check while on tour for the debut album. Marcel was playing around with it and took it back to the hotel and turned it in to a song with Jeff adding lyrics and vocals later. The song kicks off with some finger picking and then a funky bass groove and then BAM!! It explodes in to a heavy rock track that blows your head off as your mind tries to wrap around the greatness. Jacob’s bass is front and center laying down a nasty funked up groove and the riffs by this 19 year old virtuoso player a recipe for a masterpiece. Soto’s vocals are powerful and yet so melodic and the chorus is catchy and slick and pure bliss. This version is the single version so a little bit of time has been shaved off.
“U Done Me Wrong” still has the bass solo opener, but the bass drum is weak and awful, probably a cheap drum machine place holder. Once the song kicks in it is back to what you know.
“Give Me A Sign” is next and wasn’t my favorite song on the album, and still not here either. It still not a bad song, but weaker in comparison. It was originally a Matti song that they tweaked the lyrics so Jeff could make it his own and he did. Not as heavy as prior songs, still a rocker though. Bumped up against the other songs on the first half of the ‘Genesis’ album shows the song is still good, but not as strong as the first half songs. Jeff’s vocals are melodic and powerful, but the song itself is a little dull compared to the others. The saving grace is the guitar work by this kid at the end. It is stellar. But I still wouldn’t skip it.
Then we get “Comin’ Home” which again, not finished so a little rougher around the edges but you can hear the magic of this one. This stadium sized anthem is loud and features metal riffs while maintaining that melodic sound with Sotos smooth vocals. Check out the solo as Akesson shows what he is made of with this one. You do get Jakob Samuels on the backing vocals I believe, which is cool.
“Wastin ‘R’ Time” brings a little funk back and we get some soulful vocals from Soto and a few speaking ad libs. Catchy Chorus, great harmonies and a wonderful melody, you get another solid rocker. This one is from the ‘Humanimal Sessions’.
“All + All” was converted to a Spanish Version called “Todo y Todo” to help expand their reach in the South American market. And it worked. Jeff goes all emotive on the vocals and sings in a slightly higher register. You could say it is very Terrence Trent D’Arbyesque in the English version, but here he is nailing the Spanish and it is basically Jeff.
“To Know Someone Deeply (Is To Know Someone Softly)” is an acoustic ballad with some angelic backing vocals. It is pure and utter cheesy with the over dramatic softness and high notes in Jeff’s vocals. However, it is a sweet song and quite lovely at times and Jeff hits some notes that could shatter glass. This too was from the ‘Humanimal Sessions’.
The first Matti Alfonzetti sung song is “Angel” which Talisman never actually recorded for a studio album because it was written by only Matti. It was released on a Bam Bam Boys album and a Matti solo album I believe. It is a cool song, but this is a demo and really rough around the edges. Sounds a little hollow and like it was taken from a worn out tape and cleaned up. Still cool though.
Then we get Matti’s version of “Time After Time” and I think it sounds great. Basically same song with re-worked lyrics as again, no Matti writing credit on the final version like there is with this one. I’m guessing he didn’t write the chorus cause that is no different.
“Give Me A Sign” is back again and this time with Matti. Again, same song with reworked lyrics. All these Matti demos have a similar hollow sound so all taken from same source I presume. Still thoroughly enjoyable.
Fighting For Your Life” is the original title of “All or Nothing”. Matti has a great voice and I do like this early version of the song. They completely redid the lyrics and Matti’s song writing credit with the studio album. Musically it is basically the same. This is a very rough demo and not produced very well (thus a demo I guess). It does have the energy of the final version though. Cool track though I see why the label wanted Jeff.
“Lovechild” which is like the others, rough with different lyrics. More funky goodness comes with Marcel laying down some magic with those bass lines. This one is a slower rocker with as not as much power, but more power than a ballad.
“Rainbow’s End” is a rare Talisman holy grail type song. It was recorded with Thomas Vikstrom on vocals and uncredited is Tommy Denander on guitar (Alice Cooper, Paul Stanley, Michael Jackson). Thomas was lead singer of a band called Horny Strings. He recorded some demos with Marcel, but little interest was ever gained on them. The song is a great hard rock song with a great solo by Denander. Marcel’s bass work is prominent as you’d expect. This is a cool treasure.
“NJBBWD” is a bass solo by Marcel Jacob. Starts off rather slow and then you get the fast fret action as he shows off his skill. It is short and sweet and everything we loved about Marcel. Still a tragic loss with is death. He has been missed.
CD 2:
“Master of Patience” is another Thomas Vikstrom song and I don’t think was released either. It starts off like a raging bull, ready to charge. Musically, it is Talisman. Vocally, a much darker tone. The chorus is not over-the-top with lots of harmony. Real simple and short. There are some great backing vocals and a simple, effective guitar solo that is all speed.
“Riding on the Wind” comes at you a like a bullet. Marcel’s bass and the drums are fast and furious. Tommy Denander is the lead guitar and Thomas is on vocals and this one has Thomas going higher on the vocals. If I’m not mistaken, I believe this would wind up as “U Done Me Wrong” but only the music. Lyrics are totally different. A lot of similarities between the two.
“Live For Our Dreams” is the last Thomas song with his vocals. This one is a ballad and sees Thomas go all emotive. The chorus picks up the pace and is a classic sounding Talisman chorus. It has a nice, reserved solo that fits the song perfectly thanks to Tommy Denander again. A real treat of a song.
This “Comin’ Home” has Stefan Berggren on vocals and this one sounds close to the final version except not Jeff on vocals. It has the energy, the Marcel bass and it is all there…except the perfection of Soto’s lyrics. There are a few moments you miss what Jeff can do.
Another Stefan demo is “Time After Time” and like the last one, it is pretty close to being finished. I hear hints of Joey Tempest in his delivery. Some of his phrasing screams Europe. And that isn’t a bad thing. It makes the song feel a little different and a nice separation from the original.
“Girl of Mine” is a pure rocker with a great opening riff, a drum barrage and then Matti on vocals. A definite demo as production not that great. Lyrics are a little cheesy, but I like it. The only issue i have is that it is a weird placement of the song as it seems it would have worked better with the other Matti songs not placed between a Thomas and a Stefan song.
The first of the Goran Edman demos is “Day By Day” and musically is no different than what ended up on the debut. It is a very Bon Jovi style song. Goran’s vocals are higher than Jeff’s but I’m not sure they have the power Jeff’s have. Regardless, it is still a stellar version of the song.
“Dangerous” is up next for Goran and like I mentioned with Stefan, Goran can give off a Joey Tempest vibe as well. Maybe it is the fact they are all Swedish, who knows. I get a whole Europe vibe for this version of the song. Again, not a bad thing. This was seems to be a little slower, more groove to it.
“If You Need Somebody” was the title before it became one of their biggest hits, “I’ll Be Waiting”. Jeff’s harmonies on the final track are so much more stronger and powerful. Better harmonies, but Goran is no slouch. Jeff captured the energy Goran had and turned it up a notch. The demo has a killer solo too!! A fun version.
“Under Fire” is another great track from Goran. This would become “Standin’ On Fire” on the debut album. The opening riff isn’t as strong and effective as the final version. But this version is really cool as it is an early incarnation and I love exploring those. The song is lacking the punch of the final version, but some sensational subtle differences here that make it still enjoyable.
“Lightning Strikes” seems a little more raw than the final Soto version, but all the elements are there. The chorus has some great harmonies and layers of vocals. Jeff sings it in this same style as Goran did here. I’m not sure which one I like better. The rawness of this one adds a little to it.
“Break Your Chains” is one of their best songs and I think anyone can sing this one and still make it sound great. Goran nails it. Jeff had big shoes to fill here. He matched his intensity and style well on the final version. With Goran, there is still more of a Europe sound, but that is fine with me.
“Open Your Eyes” has a swagger to it and so does Goran. He struts through the lyrics and song has a slow groove to it that chugs along. It is a demo and doesn’t quite have the finishing touches to take it over the top. A good song, but needs a little more work to make it better.
The final track is “Oceans” and this is a stellar version of the song “Just Between Us” from the debut. It still has a Marcel groove, but lyrics are completely different. That chorus is almost there. Needs a little more power for this ballad. This version is a little slower and Goran does a great job to lay the foundation for the final version we later get.
And there you have it. A great collection of rare tracks with multiple singers that we hadn’t necessarily heard before. Most songs are demos with some final versions and single mixes, but all are really great. Now, to be fair, a good portion of these songs have been released before on Deluxe Editions of the Talisman albums and with some on the “Best of” release. But you can’t get them all. Jeff songs are great and we’ve talked about those before. I really liked the Thomas Vikstrom songs and both Stefan Berggren and Goran Edman have a cool Joey Tempest thing going on at times with their vocals which gives the songs a Europe vibe. Matti Alfonzetti songs are super cool as we get to hear the birth of the songs for the ‘Genesis’ album and what they could’ve sounded like without Jeff. I definitely prefer Jeff or we wouldn’t be writing this book now, would we. A great collection for the diehard fan…which I am.
THE JEFF SCOTT SOTO SERIES:
- Panther – ‘Panther’ (1986) – recorded in 1984
- Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force – ‘Rising Force’ (1984)
- Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force – ‘Marching Out’ (1985)
- Kuni – ‘Lookin’ For Action’ (1988)
- Kryst the Conqueror – ‘Deliver Us From Evil’ (1989) / ‘Soldiers of Light: The Complete Recordings (2019)
- Eyes – ‘Eyes’ (1990)
- Eyes – “Nobody Said It Was Easy” (1990) – 7″ Single – Bonus Edition
- Talisman – ‘Talisman’ (1990)
- Talisman – “I’ll Be Waiting” (1990) – 7″ Single – Bonus Edition
- Skrapp Mettle – ‘Sensitive’ (1991)
- Axel Rudi Pell – ‘Eternal Prisoner’ (1992)
- Bakteria – ‘Deficate! Suffocate! Mutilate! Masturbate!’ (1992 / 2009)
- Eyes – ‘Windows of the Soul’ (1993)
- Talisman – ‘Genesis’ (1993)
- Axel Rudi Pell – ‘The Ballads’ (1993)
- Biker Mice From Mars – ‘Biker Mice From Mars (Soundtrack)’ (1993)
- Takara – ‘Eternal Faith’ (1993)
- Talisman – ‘5 Out Of 5 (Live in Japan)’ (1994)
- Talisman – ‘Humanimal’ (1994)
- Axel Rudi Pell – ‘Between the Walls’ (1994)
- Gary Schutt – ‘Sentimetal’ (1994)
- Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Love Parade’ (1994)
- Eyes – ‘November Mass / Full Moon’ (1994)
- Axel Rudi Pell – ‘Made in Germany (Live)’ (1995)
- Takara – ‘Taste of Heaven’ (1995)
- Talisman – ‘Life’ (1995)
- Jeff Scott Soto, Gary Schutt, Michael Voss, Neal Grusky – ’24th of June: Alive ‘N Kissing’ (1995)
- Axel Rudi Pell – ‘Black Moon Pyramid’ (1996)
- Human Clay – ‘Human Clay’ (1996)
- Talisman – ‘Besterious’ (1996)
- Talisman – ‘Best of’ (1996)
- Yngwie Malmsteen – ‘Inspiration’ (1996)
- Axel Rudi Pell – ‘Magic’ (1997)
- Human Clay – ‘U4IA’ (1997)
- Boogie Knights – ‘Welcome to the Jungle Boogie’ (1997)
- Takara – ‘Blind in Paradise’ (1998)
- Talisman – ‘Truth’ (1998)
- Takara – ‘Eternity: The Best of 93-98’ (1998)
- ‘Rock Star: Music from the Motion Picture (Soundtrack)’ – Various Artists (2001)
- Humanimal – ‘Humanimal’ (2002)
- Humanimal – Find My Way Home: Limited Edition E.P. (2002)
- Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Holding On E.P.’ (2002)
- Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Prism’ (2002)
- Talisman – ‘Live at Sweden Rock Festival’ (2002)
- Jeff Scott Soto – ‘JSS Live at the Gods 2002’ (2003)
- Talisman – ‘Cats & Dogs’ (2003)
- Jeff Scott Soto – The Queen Sessions (2003)
- Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Believe in Me E.P.’ (2004)
- Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Lost in the Translation’ (2004)
- Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Live at the Queen Convention 2003’ (2004)
- Soul SirkUS – ‘World Play’ (2004/2005)
- Talisman – ‘Five Men Live’ (2005)
- Talisman – ‘World’s Best Kept Secret DVD (2005)
- Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Essential Ballads’ (2006)
- Journey – ‘Live from Atlanta (Bootleg)’ (2006)
- Talisman – ‘7’ (2006)
- Talisman – The Albums Ranked Worst to First
- Jeff Scott Soto – ‘B-Sides’ (2006)
- Redlist – ‘Ignorance’ (2007)
- Jeff Scott Soto – LA Rocks Demo / Vinnie Vincent Demo 1988 (2008)
- Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Beautiful Mess’ (2009)
- Jeff Scott Soto – “21st Century” / “Gin & Tonic Sky” CD Single (2009) – Bonus Edition
- Jeff Scott Soto – ‘One Night in Madrid’ (2009)
- Trans-Siberian Orchestra – ‘Night Castle’ (2009)
- W.E.T. – ‘W.E.T.’ (2009)
- Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Live at Firefest 2008’ (2010)
- Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Damage Control’ (2012)
- W.E.T. – ‘Rise Up’ (2013)
- W.E.T. – ‘One Live in Stockholm’ (2014)
- Jeff Scott Soto – The Authorized Biography (2014)
- SOTO – ‘Inside the Vertigo’ (2015)
- Joel Hoekstra’s 13 – Dying to Live (2015)
- Talisman – ‘Live in Stockholm’ (2015)
- Talisman – ‘Vaults’ (2015)
- SOTO – ‘Divak’ (2016)
- Sons of Apollo – ‘Psychotic Symphony’ (2017)
- Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Retribution’ (2017)
- W.E.T. – ‘Earthrage’ (2018)
- SOTO – ‘Origami’ (2019)
- Sons of Apollo – ‘Live With the Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony’ (2019)
- Sons of Apollo – ‘MMXX’ (2020)
- Talisman – “Never Die (A Song For Marcel)” – 7″ Single (2020)
- Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Live and Loud in Milan 2019’ (2020)
- Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Wide Awake (In My Dreamland)’ (2020)
- SOTO – ‘Revision’ (2020)
- Octavision – ‘Coexist’ (2020)
- W.E.T. – ‘Retransmission’ (2021)
- Jeff Scott Soto – ‘The Duets Collection, Vol. 1’ (2021)
- Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Complicated’ (2022)
- Jeff Scott Soto – The Solo Albums Ranked Worst to First
- Ellefson-Soto – ‘Vacation in the Underworld’ (2022)
- Slam – Slam (2023)
- Art of Anarchy – ‘Let There Be Anarchy’ (2024)
- D’Luna – ‘Monster’ (2024)
- W.E.T. – ‘Apex’ (2025)
- Ellefson-Soto – ‘Unbreakable’ (2025)
- Jeff Scott Soto – ALL THE ALBUMS Ranked Worst to First
- Jeff Scott Soto / Jason Bieler – Live In Concert (2022) – Bonus Edition
- Jeff Scotto Soto / Jason Bieler – Live in Concert (2023) – Bonus Edition
2 Loud 2 Old Music 