Scott's Song by Song #53: Johan Steensland - Duality
Welcome to issue #53 of Scott’s Song By Song (#scottssongbysong).For more information about this series, click here:
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Johan Steensland is no stranger to the Swedish prog-rock scene in the city of Uppsala. Uppsala has given us, among others, Kaipa and The Flower Kings. A multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Steensland was a major part of that scene in the 1980s, first with the band Sheik Ahmeed, then the band Position Melker. Along the way he worked as a recording engineer at a studio called Studio Pärla, before building his own 8-track studio. In 1988, he even completed a prog rock opera called “Crossfade” that he had worked on for several years. However, in 1990, Johan chose to pursue studies in scientific computing, eventually earning his PhD in 2002. Between 2003 and 2008, he moved his family to California to pursue a career in the field. After returning to Sweden, he returned to music, gradually. He studied vocal techniques (listing over 5,000 hours of lessons), and honed his instrumental skills. By 2021 he had re-recorded the music of his late 80s band, Position Melker, and released it as an album. In 2024, he finally recorded and released “Crossfade” which brought him new found recognition in the prog community. That takes us to the album at hand today.
His second proper solo album, “Duality” has been out since September of this year (2025). It is also a rock opera based on a writer who suffers from amnesia after a car crash, and the relationship he develops with the hospital nurse who is looking after him. While Steensland plays all of the main instrumental parts himself, along with the male lead vocals, he has a few guests along the way:
Johan Steensland / All instruments and Vocals except as noted below
Portrays the character of “Eddie”.
- Aleena Gibson / vocals
(From Kaipa)
Portrays the character of “Lydia”.
- Per Nilsson / guitar (4-6,10)
(From Kaipa, Scar Symmetry, along with representing the Strandberg guitar company.)
- Ingemar Brandt / piano (3)
- Owe Eriksson / fretless bass (9), vocals (2)
(From Slowman, Tomas Bodin)
Portrays the character of “The Fridge”
- Ture Trygger / flute (3,12)
Disclaimer: This album review was requested by Anne-Claire of Bad Dog Promotions. I receive no compensation outside of the music files she sends me. I am always free to “call it like I hear it”.
As usual, this is a cold listen, outside of the brief teaser video on YouTube.
Without any further ado, let's take a deep dive into “Duality”.
Track 1 - Fragments (Instrumental) (2:06)
It begins with a gentle melody line with a mixture of guitar and synth. The rhythm section joins in and gives us a grand prelude to what is to come. The music quiets back down before it ends. A wonderful opening!
Track 2 - They Believe that I am Kind (5:21)
Owe Eriksson is a guest vocalist as “The Fridge”. A soft melody with a blend of keyboards and guitar start us off here. Ominous harmonized vocals singing a refrain of “wake up” starts us off and lead vocals sing lines between. I believe it is “The Fridge” saying the lines “Take your pills,” etc. Steensland’s beautiful tenor vocals come next. All those hours of vocal practice paid off! At around 1:50 the “band” kicks in strongly with a powerful 6-8 groove. After a guitar solo, the next verse changes the harmony vocals to “welcome”. The “Fridge” once again admonishes “Eddie” to take his pills, etc. Steensland takes back over following that. Steensland is a fine guitarist as well. I believe these are actual drums (also Steensland), and not a machine. The vocals at 4:45 are insanely good in the high range! A quiet piano part links us to the next track. An incredibly dynamic track!
Track 3 - Only Good Men (4:50)
The piano plays beautiful arpeggios as Ingemar Brandt is the guest pianist. Ture Trygger also joins in on the flute. Clean guitar arpeggios accompany Steensland’s vocals, with piano joining on the next verse. Synth choir vocals do some backing as well. Aleena Gibson joins in with some harmonies, before her charming voice takes over the lead. This one falls into the category of hauntingly beautiful. Once again, the dynamics of the music are very expressive. Steensland has written some beautiful melodies. Wonderful song!
Track 4 - The Shredded Suit (5:05)
Per Nilsson guests on this and the following two tracks on guitar. A synth chord fades in before the full ensemble kicks in with Nilsson’s great guitar work on display. This is a moderately slow song, with a descending chord progression backing the vocals. Steensland and Gibson share vocals again. After a quick transitional bit, the music goes into an odd meter for the next vocal segment; in 7-8 I believe. There is a nice vocal effect as we return to 4-4. Nilsson plays guitar fills between lines on the next verse, then the 7-8 returns. This is the most overtly “prog” track, thus far. Nilson takes a stunningly good, if brief, guitar solo next. The next section builds in intensity. The intro melody returns to close the song. I would say this is my favorite track, thus far.
Track 5 - A Perfect Lie (4:00)
Steensland’s vocals and piano arpeggios start this one. As Gibson takes over the vocals, the eerie chord progression begins to remind me a bit of Queensryche’s “Anybody Listening?” on the “Empire” album. I believe it is an electric 12-string guitar playing here. The “band” joins in at around the one-minute mark. Nilsson plays another fantastic guitar solo on this one. Another terrific track!
Track 6 - An Ordinary Man (4:53)
A capella vocals commence the festivities here, singing “I don’t…remember anything” in a syncopated manner. The bass & drums lay down a funky groove, with some subtle synth backing as the first verse sung by Steensland progresses. At 50 seconds there is a huge set of accented chords, then it settles back into the groove. A funky guitar riff joins in as well, with some lead fills. The big chords lead to the chorus, this time. This is a truly interesting song, structurally. Nilsson delivers yet another amazing guitar solo. The final verse brings the song to a close. Awesome track.
Track 7 - Let Me In! (6:53)
A combination of clean guitar, keys and flutes starts us off here. Steensland sings a verse, and there is a brief interlude between verses. Gibson returns on vocals at around 1:30. The chorus is like a power-ballad duet. In the next verse, the tone becomes more ominous. A nice warm organ joins into the soundscape on the next chorus. The drum part is well-executed. Gibson holds a long note in grand style just before the 5 minute mark. Nice drum fill at 5:50. Gibson has some nice ad-lib vocals as the song begins to come to a conclusion as does Seensland. I love the arrangement in this song. Wow! Great track!
Track 8 - Walking in a Straight Line (4:47)
This one has a big accented intro, with electric piano prominent in the mix. The first verse has a variation of the funky groove from before. The chorus emerges dramatically. Lots of contrast between quieter verses and more powerful choruses. Nice guitar solo at around 3:45. Yet another cool track.
Track 9 - Black Sea (3:57)
Piano and Gibson’s lovely soprano starts this one off. Owe Ericsson’s fretless bass lines are a nice touch here. Steensland’s vocals join in next. As with much of the album, the two singers alternate lines. This is essentially a ballad duet between the two. The two singers are so fantastic that they really carry the song, with the instruments in a supporting role, albeit nicely done. Dynamics, once again, are the key here. Beautiful song.
Track 10 - The Dr. Dorian Dance (6:09)
The title of this one is certainly intriguing. Per Nilsson returns on guitar for the last time. Melancholy guitar lines, backed with a synth wash start us off here. A syncopated, fusion groove accompanies the vocal entrance by Steensland. The lead guitar interlude transitions to the next verse, sung by Gibson. At around 2 minutes, an ascending chord progression takes over as the vocalists alternate. The guitar-led transitional parts seem to be in 7-4, as does the chorus. Nilsson once again impresses with his guitar skills. The guitar run at 5 minutes is amazing. Another very unique track; well done!
Track 11 - What Would You Give? (5:02)
Dissonant piano chords lead-in Gibson’s voice. Steensland is back on lead guitar here, and does a nice job. There are some interesting shimmering sounds in the mix as he takes over the vocals. Another verse from Gibson and verse from Steensland follows. On occasion, when Steensland is in his higher register, he reminds me of Hasse Fröberg. Good track.
Track 12: Here and Now (10:02)
The closing epic has an ominous beginning, and the flute returns. Steensland soon joins in on vocals. Gibson comes in at just after 1:30. The melodies are wonderful. The “band” kicks in at around 2:30, but the music comes back down soon after. At 3 minutes there is a guitar solo that reminds me of Steve Lukather in Toto’s “I Can’t Hold You Back Now”. As has been the case, the two singers alternate in beautiful style. This is something of a grand finale to the story, of course. Lead guitar plays along with the vocals starting around 7:40. The song begins a slow fade in the final minute with dynamic vocals and shredding guitar over the slow beat. Beautiful.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:
Steensland shows many strengths here as a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. But his biggest strength is in his compositional and arrangement skills! The melodies are engaging, and the use of dynamics is masterful. Both Steensland and Gibson are absolutely inspired vocalists. Per Nilsdon’s appearances are jaw-dropping. Fans of melodic rock operas with wonderful performances will surely love this. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Prog On!
Scott
Links for Listening and Buying:
There are a few things up on YouTube:
Album Teaser:
Walking in a Straight Line:
A Perfect Lie:
https://youtu.be/5zwUFWPl6-4?si=VtMdicsLf5QSLTro
And here is the Bandcamp page where you can buy it:
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