Karmakanic - Entering The Spectra
2003 - Regain Records
By Philip Whitehouse
Go to the Regain Records website
The symphonic progressive rock scene has been enjoying something of a revival in recent years, with bands such as Porcupine Tree and The Flower Kings heading the pack. Now, Jonas Reingold of the latter band has seen fit to unleash some of his own progressive rock stylings on the world, and he's managed to rope in a veritable 'who's who' of the prog rock world to help him along the way. This album features Jonas himself on bass, Thomas Bodin and Robert Engstrand on keyboards, Jamie Salazar and Zoltan Csorsz both contributing drums, Goran Edman and Roine Stolt both contributing lead vocals (and the latter playing guitar too), and Johan Glossner on guitar. So, with members and former members of The Flower Kings, Atlantica, Majestic, Time Requiem and Yngwie Malmsteen's band on board, you can bet this is going to be a musically impressive, professional effort.
And so it proves. A concept piece about a scientist 3,000 years in the future discovering documents relating the life of a 'little man' who lives his life through the internet, Entering The Spectra is an impressively constructed platter of symphonic, progressive rock with metallic elements and a colouring of 70's prog tendencies. Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Yes and Marillion influences can be heard throughout, and there's an interesting level of diversity in the songwriting - see the second 'proper' track 'The Spirit Remains The Same' which switches from aggressive, growling metallic guitars to jangly, acoustic major-chord sections without skipping a beat, or the vaguely gothic sounding 'Space Race No. 3', with it's languid piano melodies coupled with chunky riffage and mid-tempo pace.
The production is clear without sounding thin, and the many layers of the music are all given equal space to breathe. When things get heavier, there's sufficient punch to the bottom end to get heads banging, and when there's a more mellow or contemplative section, the spacious nature of the mix conveys a more ambient feel, suiting the music perfectly. The vocal performances are excellent too, being melodious without dissolving into Dream Theater esque exercises in helium-inhaling warm-up technique.
Overall, this is an excellent example of the style, and well worth looking for if the technique-over-tune stylings of most modern prog-metallers is leaving you cold.
7.5/10
2003 - Regain Records
By Philip Whitehouse
Go to the Regain Records website
The symphonic progressive rock scene has been enjoying something of a revival in recent years, with bands such as Porcupine Tree and The Flower Kings heading the pack. Now, Jonas Reingold of the latter band has seen fit to unleash some of his own progressive rock stylings on the world, and he's managed to rope in a veritable 'who's who' of the prog rock world to help him along the way. This album features Jonas himself on bass, Thomas Bodin and Robert Engstrand on keyboards, Jamie Salazar and Zoltan Csorsz both contributing drums, Goran Edman and Roine Stolt both contributing lead vocals (and the latter playing guitar too), and Johan Glossner on guitar. So, with members and former members of The Flower Kings, Atlantica, Majestic, Time Requiem and Yngwie Malmsteen's band on board, you can bet this is going to be a musically impressive, professional effort.
And so it proves. A concept piece about a scientist 3,000 years in the future discovering documents relating the life of a 'little man' who lives his life through the internet, Entering The Spectra is an impressively constructed platter of symphonic, progressive rock with metallic elements and a colouring of 70's prog tendencies. Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Yes and Marillion influences can be heard throughout, and there's an interesting level of diversity in the songwriting - see the second 'proper' track 'The Spirit Remains The Same' which switches from aggressive, growling metallic guitars to jangly, acoustic major-chord sections without skipping a beat, or the vaguely gothic sounding 'Space Race No. 3', with it's languid piano melodies coupled with chunky riffage and mid-tempo pace.
The production is clear without sounding thin, and the many layers of the music are all given equal space to breathe. When things get heavier, there's sufficient punch to the bottom end to get heads banging, and when there's a more mellow or contemplative section, the spacious nature of the mix conveys a more ambient feel, suiting the music perfectly. The vocal performances are excellent too, being melodious without dissolving into Dream Theater esque exercises in helium-inhaling warm-up technique.
Overall, this is an excellent example of the style, and well worth looking for if the technique-over-tune stylings of most modern prog-metallers is leaving you cold.
7.5/10
