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Hällas () are a Swedish hard rock band formed in 2011 in Jönköping, Småland, by Jesper Nodbrant, Tommy Alexandersson and Kasper Eriksson. They play a blend of progressive rock, hard rock and heavy metal inspired by 1970s bands, resulting in a genre that they call "adventure rock". The band is named after the main character of the stories they tell in their lyrics; Hällas is a knight living in parallel, medieval universe in which "religion similarly, albeit not necessarily the ones we recognize from here, are very prevalent and where treacherous tyrants reign lands on the verge of the apocalypse and where seers have gained so much strength that they can dictate the future and the past". In late 2025, Hällas announced their fourth studio album, Panorama, which was released on 30 January 2026. The album was met with positive critical reception; Prog Magazine praised its retro-influenced sound, describing Panorama as a "mesmerising modern masterpiece" and suggesting that, had it been released between 1972 and 1975, the band "would likely have become superstars".
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Panorama is a 1970s inspired prog rock album by Hällas. As a critic wrote "if this album was released in 1972 or 1975". That is the problem. This album fits all the requirements for a very good prog rock album from the 1970s, but it's not the 1970s anymore. It's like a copy of a classical painting from centuries ago. At least The Darkness (doing something similar) does not take itself serious while this band seems to do with incredible cheesy lyrics. This is a fast food product, not a good meal.
A neat modern take on 70s prog rock. I enjoyed this more than I was expecting. And for the commentator who heard Horse With No Name. Yeah I hear it too. My personal rating: 3/5 My rating relative to the list: 4/5 Should this have been included on the original list? No
Well this felt retro and apparently that was part of the goal. Those Swedes do a good job!
Throwback to 70s arena rock
This one was fine, but nothing too special
A fun romp through the prog rock days of old but then like also like Imagine Dragons or something
For better or for worse, this sounds exactly like a prog rock album from the late 1970s. It's a fine tribute but I do kinda wish there was more to it than that. Also is it just me or does "Face of an Angel" sounds almost suspiciously like "Horse With No Name".
Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Face of an angel
Progressive rock, hard rock, heavy metal. Ni fu ni fa.
Progressive rock, hard rock, heavy metal. Ni fu ni fa.
Severe stylistic whiplash within the first five minutes. I don't know quite what to make of this. All kinds of metal, operatic rock, baroque pop angles stuck together. Didn't quite cohere for me but it wasn't dull anyway.
Automatic -1 star for an album released in the past year – no way to know the impact or staying power of an LP when it’s still this fresh. That being said, I don’t see tired, uninspired King Crimson re-runs doing much for this project’s memorability. The album is produced and executed well, and it’s not a bad listen per se, but it’s ultimately music that’s been done before without much to say.
Panorama isn't for me though it's not without its moments. It just touches too many of prog's negative traits for me to like it and it's terribly cheesy, but The Emissary has some great moments in particularly, there are some really good melodic bits, but overall it drags and I don't enjoy it as much. Pretty skilled overall, just a high 2/5.