Style: progressive rock, “adventure rock” (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Uriah Heep, Rush, Yes, Genesis, Wishbone Ash, Graveyard
Country: Sweden
Release date: 30 January 2026

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Style’s cyclical. In my thirty-four years, I’ve worn shorts of every conceivable length: I’ve clunked around in the god-awful late ’90s “shorts” that nearly touched my shoes, and recently I’ve run in the resurrected four-inch split shorts of the ‘70s, showing way more thigh than anyone asked to see. Don’t even get me started on the differing tightness of jeans throughout my life. If it were up to Swedish rockers Hällas, though, we’d all be firmly planted in the ‘70s forever—where short shorts and bell-bottoms reigned, as they should.

Without a time machine to take us back to the age of thighs and flares, Hällas feel an existential obligation to bring that decade to the present. But the band’s chosen aesthetic isn’t one of flannel-wearing teenagers smoking brick weed or charismatic sleazeballs saying phrases like alright, alright, alright. Instead, Hällas draw upon the gloriously dorky, often fantastical rock of the era—think Yes, Rush, Genesis, and Uriah Heep. Add a penchant for tight guitar harmonies and an only slightly more modern love of driving, NWOBHM rhythms, and their latest album, Panorama, takes form.

Seeing as the band describe their style as “adventure rock,” it’s no surprise that Panorama is an absolute journey compositionally. On one side of the record is “Above the Continuum,” an evolving epic spanning over twenty minutes and hitting all the ‘70s prog-rock tropes, and on the other are four shorter but still robust tracks flexing a strong variety. “Above the Continuum” could warrant a full review unto itself, as Hällas cover enough compositional ground to make even a musical Magellan envious. From lively synth cheese backed by bouncing bass to emphatic choral hits and bright horns—and from rippin’ dual guitars to a dreamy, narrative bridge—the track adventures forth. While the musicianship is solid across the board, the versatile keyboards of Nicklas Malmqvist deserve special praise—cycling tirelessly between leading the melodies, complementing or matching the guitars, pushing the rhythm, and stepping back to provide ambience. “Above the Continuum” flows in a largely stream-of-consciousness fashion, successfully for the most part, though a few transitions are somewhat jolting. Tommy Alexandersson’s gruff and confident vocal lines help smooth over any rough edges and tie everything together, as his delivery rises and falls in intensity with natural ease. Maybe “Above the Continuum” won’t work its way into the same epic prog-rock echelon as Rush’s “2112,” but it’s incredibly engaging and a hell of a statement coming fifty years later. 

Whew, there’s still a second half to this album. Hällas’s detailed instrumentation and overt ‘70s aesthetic shine on the back just as they do on the front, even if the tracks aren’t as individually compelling. The brief piano-led ballad “Bestiaus” provides a nice, if not so memorable, reprieve in our journey, and “Face of an Angel” features a groovy rhythm section and a catchy, singable chorus to latch onto through its (maybe too) many repetitions. “Face of an Angel” particularly benefits from the record’s wonderfully warm, retro production—the rich sound makes getting stuck into this relatively simple, one-speed song astonishingly easy. Indeed, Panorama has the kind of sound you’d want to put your hands near to thaw after a cold day out. Rounding out the experience are rockers “The Emissary” and “At the Summit,” both wandering tracks sharing a similar adventurousness to the opener but condensed into smaller, slightly heavier packages. The rip-roaring verse of “At the Summit” is a highlight, where galloping guitars and staccato synth combine for the album’s most energetic passage. And it’s hard not to raise your fist during the chorus of “The Emissary,” as guitar harmonies flutter behind Alexandersson’s powerful vocals. Still, as enjoyable as these two tracks are, I can’t help but feel that they aren’t quite distinctive enough to escape the opener’s long shadow. 

On the whole, Hällas’s clear ambition and strong execution, along with the infectious guitar and synth lines that surface in welcome abundance, make Panorama more than just another vapid revivalist release. Sure, any deliberately retro work runs the risk of being gimmicky to some extent, and this one’s no exception. But for the most part, these Swedes’ elevated compositions stand on their own merits, even if stylistically and sonically limited to the past. When the album’s forty-four minutes are up, a paradoxical feeling arises—the scope of the adventure makes it feel like an eternity has passed, yet time has also flown by. Of epic prog rock from any era, it’s hard to ask for more. 

And so, my takeaway from Panorama is simple: if you love the dorky prog rock your cool, Aerosmith-loving, muscle-car-driving parents probably hated, then Panorama is for you. If you don’t, well, at least you might appreciate the musical depth here. Like most, I enjoy the progress that comes with styles waning, evolving, and resurrecting in renewed form. But I’ll never hesitate to let the thighs breathe and take a sonic trip squarely back to the ‘70s—especially one that’s crafted this well.

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Recommended track: Above the Continuum
You may also like: Phantom Spell, Starscape, The Vintage Caravan, Wytch Hazel
Final verdict: 7.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Äventyr Records

Hällas is:
– Tommy Alexandersson (vocals, bass)
– Rickard Swahn (guitars)
– Marcus Petersson (guitars)
– Nicklas Malmqvist (keyboards)
– Kasper Eriksson (drums)