Lars Eric Mattsson & Chris Poland
Lars Eric "Lasse" Mattsson is a Finnish guitarist, songwriter, and producer known for his contributions to the neoclassical metal genre. He was heavily influenced by classic hard rock bands like Jimi Hendrix and Richie Blackmore as well as guitar virtuosos like Al Di Meola. In 1985, he was discovered by Mike Varney of Guitar Player Magazine and Shrapnel Records. After playing with several local hard rock bands, Mattsson released his first EP, Can't Go On Without Your Love, in 1987. He then signed with Black Dragon Records and released three albums: Eternity (1988), No Surrender (1989), and Electric Voodoo (1991).
In 1992, Mattsson formed the band Vision with Swedish singer Conny Lind, recording the album Lars Eric Mattsson's Vision. However, the label's bankruptcy prevented the release of their follow-up album, and the band eventually split up. Mattsson briefly quit music, but in 1996 he recorded Till the End of Time with Vision, which received positive reviews. In 2000, he formed the progressive band Condition Red, and in 2003, he released Power Games, an album featuring ex-Balance of Power singer Lance King. That same year, Condition Red released their second album, II.
Mattsson continued to release albums throughout the 2000s, including Book of Reflections (2004), a progressive metal concept album/metal opera titled War (2005), and Dream Child (2008), which featured a new female vocalist, Adrienn Antal. He also re-released a remastered version of No Surrender + Live (2009) with bonus live tracks. Mattsson's music is influenced by classical music, classic hard rock, heavy metal, and progressive rock/metal.
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