Label: Insideout Music
Release date: 7. 11. 2014
Production: Hans Lundin
Album length: 68.58 min
Genre: Progressive Rock
Rating: 8.5/10
Even though Kaipa are among the pioneers of Swedish progressive rock, having put out their debut way back in 1975, they became far better known thanks to their “second birth,” when they released the album »Notes From the Past« on Inside Out Music in 2002. The great response to that “comeback” record convinced them it was worth carrying on, and new albums on Inside Out Music followed almost back to back, even after the departure of Swedish prog rock icon Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings).
All these albums by “modern” Kaipa were mostly well received by fans of symphonic progressive rock, even if some of the ideas, arrangements and male-female vocal acrobatics started to get a bit predictable and not all that thrilling, given how often new records kept coming. Stolt’s exit actually did Kaipa a favor, since it got them out from under the constant comparisons with Roine’s band The Flower Kings.
»Sattyg« is the twelfth album under the leadership of Kaipa’s only original member, keyboardist Hans Lundin. In their “second phase,” Kaipa are defined above all by the male-female vocal combo of Patrik Lundstrom and Aleena Gibson, complex instrumental sections, occasional folk rock arrangements and positivist lyrics that are only a hair less cheerful than those of bands like the aforementioned The Flower Kings or the “Yes-esque” Moon Safari.
Thanks to their mostly positive, optimistic nature and the very specific sound of their two lead singers, Kaipa, whose ranks also include guitarist Per Nilsson, bassist Jonas Reingold (The Flower Kings, Karmakanic) and drummer Morgen Agren (ex-The Flower Kings), are definitely not for every taste. Lundstrom’s voice, with its timbre, is practically made for hard rock, while Gibson is easy to picture in a folk rock or pop rock band.
»A Map of Your Secret World« is a fifteen-minute symphonic prog rock epic that doesn’t give much away with its pop rock-tinged intro, but quickly shows off its experimental and complex side. The long instrumental sections leave the best impression, and you can really hear that the members of Kaipa are outstanding masters of their instruments. There’s no shortage of folk rock moments with “little flutes” either, plus a few almost metal-flavored guitar passages that add extra spice to the chameleon-like nature of this ambitious opener. »World of the Void« sounds like some kind of symphonic prog rock merry-go-round, with a slightly annoying vocal intro but a fun instrumental middle section and plenty of unexpected rhythmic twists and time changes.
»Screwed-Upness«, another song of epic proportions where the dream rhythm duo of Morgan Agren and Jonas Reingold shines, also boasts an outstanding instrumental part that, besides lots of complex symphonic arrangements, contains some more-than-obvious influences from Yes. Per Nilsson’s exceptional guitar talent, better known from his metal work (among other things he plays in the Swedish metal bands Scar Symmetry and Nocturnal Rites), stands out on every single track, while keyboardist Lundin is the driving force throughout and a key ingredient of the recognizable Kaipa sound. The title track is a short, playful instrumental that, with its cheerful folk rock arrangements, sounds less like a moment of personal awakening and more like a dance of garden gnomes.
Next comes the third epic, »A Sky Full of Painters«, which is also one of the album’s highlights. The virtuosity of the individual players fits together harmoniously the whole time with a neat chorus, adventurous time changes and melodic arrangements. »Unique When We Fall« puts a male-female duet up front, backed by tasteful guitar-keyboard harmonies. It all turns out pretty well, though it could easily have done without Lundstrom’s unconvincing (but thankfully brief) Freddie Mercury impression whenever he sings in the higher register. »Sattyg« wraps up with »Without Time-Beyond Time«, which is full of cheerful harmonies but, despite all the merriness and pomp, gradually morphs into a complex and fairly adventurous composition that closes the album on a very satisfying note.
All fans of Kaipa and related bands, especially those coming from the Swedish school of progressive rock, were undoubtedly thrilled with »Sattyg«. If you don’t have a problem with the particular vocal approach of the two lead singers, who sometimes come across as grating and as if they’d missed their favorite genre, you’ll enjoy listening to »Sattyg« too, which, between most of the instrumental sections, is without a doubt a lot of fun. »Sattyg« doesn’t stray far from Kaipa’s established sonic formula, so it’s unlikely the band won over many new fans, especially those who usually swear by other progressive rock subgenres rather than the “Swedish school” of symphonic prog.
Author: Peter “Dr. ProgRock” Podbrežnik
Tracklist:
1. A Map Of Your Secret World (15:02)
2. World Of The Void (7:49)
3. Screwed-Upness (13:06)
4. Sattyg (3:13)
5. A Sky Full Of Painters (14:42)
6. Unique When We Fall (5:17)
7. Without Time – Beyond Time (9:49)
Lineup:
Aleena Gibson – vocals, backing vocals
Patrik Lundström – vocals
Per Nilsson – guitar
Hans Lundin – keyboards, vocals
Jonas Reingold – bass guitar, fretless bass guitar
Morgan Ågren – drums
Guest musicians:
Fredrik Lindqvist – recorders, whistles (tracks 1, 3, 4 and 6)
Elin Rubinsztein – violin on tracks 3 and 5
