Review: The Excellent Hard Rock Album Called "Humanimal" Japanese Version by Swedish Band Talisman

Talisman was a heavy hard rock band but these guys were awesome! What follows is a review of their great 1994 album called Humanimal. It is the words human and animal combined to make the band’s name. Talisman was a Swedish and American hard rock band that featured the vocals of Jeff Scott Soto. Those of you familiar with the talents of this man will remember that he was the main vocalist for Yngwie J. Malmsteen during the 1980’s. His voice has improved considerably since that time having passion, power, and range. Also in this band are Marcel Jacob (1964-2009) on bass guitar, Jamie Borger (drums) and Fredrik Akesson on guitar. Akesson spent time with the Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy. This is a review of the Japanese version of the album Humanimal which has a different track listing than the European version. But both versions are really awesome!

1. "Hypocrite"
2. "Humanimal"
3. "You Cannot Escape the Revelation of the Identical by Seeking Refuge in the Illusion of the Multiple"
4. "Animal Ritual"
5. "Wasting R Time"
6. "TV Reality"
7. "Since You’ve Gone"
8. "My Best Friend’s Girl"
9. "Dear God"
10. "Blissful Garden"
11. "Lonely World"
12. "Delusions of Grandeur"
13. "3233 + Colour My XTC"
14. "Fabricated War"

The album opens up with the solid hard rocker "Hypocrite." We have all dealt with people like these before.

One song on this version that we did not discuss that has a really long title is called “You Cannot Escape the Revelation of the Identical By Seeking Refuge in the Illusion of the Multiple.” The beginning of the song is hard rock format as it slows down with an acoustic part. Jeff Scott Soto sings only two lines as the song ends with a noticeable bass line that can be clearly heard.

In this version of the album, the title track is near the beginning of the album having come after the high energy song that was before that one. It depends what you prefer. Some of us love to have the title track at the beginning of the album and others love to have it at the end of the album. Either way, the order of the song in the track listing does not affect the score of the album. As of 2021, the song “Animal Ritual” is actually quite a pleasant blues influenced rock song as Jeff Scott Soto says that “satisfaction’s always guaranteed.” When your body gets into that groove, you might as well dance to the music.

As the second half of the album begins, we are treated to the very good song "My Best Friend’s Girl." He feels that he is in love with his best friend’s girl although he knows what the dangers of that kind of love are. Sometimes we want what we cannot have. Love can be hard for many to find. “Dear God” is a song about questioning some of the injustices that occur in the world. The person asks God what is going on because he cannot understand certain things. The song advocates being strong, showing love and putting an end to racism and hate.

Overall, Humanimal is a very enjoyable listen for the avid hard rock fan. Soto’s powerful passionate vocals, great songwriting, and terrific guitar work make this album worth it. The only really substandard song on this album is "Wasting R Time." Dear God and Blissful Garden are good but not great. This writer gives Humanimal an 82 out 100 points because there are so many solid tracks.That is the score for the Japanese version. Some of you may be asking how this version compares to the European version of the album. As of 2018, this writer prefers the European version of the album.