Talisman

Formed in 1988, Talisman came together as a Swedish-American melodic hard rock band launched by bassist Marcel Jacob, who had co-founded Rising Force, and American vocalist/guitarist Jeff Scott Soto, both already prominent figures within the hard rock scene. Jacob and Soto assembled guitarists Christopher Ståhl and Mats Lindfors, drummer Peter Hermansson, and keyboardist Mats Olausson to record the self-titled debut that appeared in 1990 on the Airplay/Vinylmania label. Complications with the label, personnel shifts, and outside commitments postponed the follow-up, Genesis, until 1993, yet by the next year the band had stabilized around its core lineup of Jacob, Soto, guitarist Fredrik Åkesson, and drummer Jamie Borger, releasing the ambitious double-LP Humanimal. Life, issued in 1995, found the members tracking their contributions individually for efficiency, with the first occasion they convened together occurring only at the mixing stage. After a three-year break, Truth arrived in 1998 as the initial Talisman release to feature guitarist Pontus Norgren and to contain covers of songs originally recorded by Madonna, Prince, and Queen. The concert album Live at Sweden Rock Festival surfaced in 2001, and two years later the group signed with Frontiers Records for the sixth studio effort, Cats and Dogs. The double live set Five Men Live followed in 2005, with the next studio album, 7, appearing the year after, again through Frontiers. On July 21, 2009, Marcel Jacob died by suicide at age 45, prompting the band’s breakup. Three years afterward, deluxe reissues of the first four albums included previously unreleased tracks and photos plus fresh liner notes containing Soto’s personal reflections.