Marauding into earshot like a rock'n'roll Viking invasion, even a cursory listen to Origin begs the question: Why wasn't this the soundtrack to many more lives in 2004?

This mighty longboat of an LP barely blipped on critical radars, despite being a formidable follow-up to 2001's psychedelic tour-de-force, Behind The Music. This talented Swedish six-piece appear to have everything going for them. Live they're incendiary and frontman Ebbot Lundberg looks a bit like wrestling legend Giant Haystacks. Now Ebbot must be weighing up the rape and pillage route to world domination after insanely catchy heavyweight anthems Transcendental Suicide, Mother One Track Mind and Believe I've Found failed to grip record-buyers in a Full Nelson. Maybe it's the curse of Sven, but here's something Swedish worth getting passionate about. Don't believe the lack of hype.

Updated: 09:00 Thursday, January 06, 2005