Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Karnataka
Label: Immrama Records
Release: 2015
Length: 58:49
Rating: 4/5
Over the past fifteen years, Britain’s Karnataka have earned a good deal of respect from fans of melodic prog folk rock with a Celtic flavor, thanks to albums like »The Storm« (2000), »Delicate Flame of Desire« (2003) and »The Gathering Light« (2011), and that’s despite all the instability within the band. You could say that when they showed up in the late nineties, Karnataka rode the new romantic-Celtic wave pretty successfully. It was a trend kicked off within prog folk by bands led by Mostly Autumn, and it was defined by mighty symphonic arrangements on the level of a Hollywood film score, folk sound elements, melodic song structures, technical polish from the instrumentalists and passionate female vocals. That last ingredient was of course the centerpiece, and in many ways it decided the character of each Karnataka album.
»Secrets of Angels« is their fifth studio album, ending a long wait during which the band, where bassist Ian Jones is the only original member left, went through some big shake-ups. The most important of them was definitely the arrival of the excellent singer Hayley Griffiths (ex-Riverdance, Lord of the Dance), whose classically trained soprano revitalized the band quite a bit on »Secrets of Angels« and, thanks to the velvety tone of her voice, made them a little more commercial too, though not overly so.
The new Karnataka are in great form, which they prove right on the opening adventure »Road to Cairo«. It hits harder than is usual for this band, and it may well be the best piece on the album. Between the central melody and the triumphant chorus, Karnataka deftly weave in even a slight Oriental motif that quickly makes sense of the song’s title. »Because of You« is likewise packed with unusually combative guitar passages, softened a little by a subtle piano melody, while Hayley convincingly shows off her vocal flexibility in the middle of an epic atmosphere. »Poison Ivy« is a melodramatic, high-energy number that fits her voice and her presence like a glove, as anyone who follows Batman’s adventures a bit more closely will know.
»Forbidden Dreams« is another fairly atypical creation for this band, and with its relatively sharpened guitar-and-keyboard passages and fiery chorus it even flirts a little with symphonic gothic metal in the vein of Within Temptation. You could say something similar about the similarly structured »Borderline«, if only it didn’t have such a distinctly cheerful chorus. The slightly saccharine ballad »Fairytale Tales« once again features excellent vocal harmonies under the baton of the red-haired beauty, but it’s too formulaic to count among the better moments on »Secrets of Angels«.
Some of the arrangements, paired with Hayley’s ‘angelic’ singing, sound pretty cinematic, as if borrowed from some Disney animated feature à la ‘Frozen’, which goes especially for the ballad »Feels Like Home«. Enrico Pinna is a superb guitarist, and his lengthy and often inventive solos flow beautifully through Karnataka’s trademark Celtic melodies. Anyone who isn’t bothered by the positivist pomp of most of the symphonic arrangements, sitting right on the border of Disney fairytale ambience, will have no problem enjoying the gorgeous multi-part harmonies and Celtic-tinged passages ruled over by Hayley’s unusually sensual soprano.
Of everything on »Secrets of Angels«, it’s the closing title epic, a whopping twenty minutes long, that has the most in common with symphonic prog and traditional Celtic music. The intro features a guest whistle played over the keyboards that blends brilliantly with Hayley’s ethereal singing, creating a romantic-melancholic atmosphere as a result. The transition into the epic, symphonic-heavy section is very well done, and the passionate tempo changes aren’t spoiled even by the elegiac moments in between, so this is the best-arranged and most atmospherically intense piece on the album. Keyboardist Cagri Tozluoglu even lays down some typical neo-prog textures on the synth, while guitarist Pinna serves up a spectacular solo for the triumphant, ‘cinematic’ finale, where Griffiths once again enchants with her magical singing.
»Secrets of Angels« is a hugely welcome and much-needed shot of fresh blood for modern prog folk, and it might just win Karnataka a somewhat wider audience. This is not an album for uptight prog purists or the assorted grumpy technical ‘nitpickers’, since it will most likely sound too ‘Disney’-sweet, good-natured and not experimental enough to them at times. They’ll also figure out pretty quickly that most of the compositions have more in common with symphonic pop than symphonic prog. That’s true as can be, but it doesn’t spoil the fact that »Secrets of Angels« offers a really pleasant listening experience, one that will quickly carry every romantic dreamer off in spirit, far across green meadows, misty peaks and stone circles toward hidden worlds.
Lineup
Hayley Griffiths – vocals
Ian Jones – bass guitar, keyboards, guitar
Enrico Pinna – guitar, vocals
Cagri Tozluoglu – keyboards
Jimmy Pallagrosi – drums
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Troy Donockley (Nightwish) – whistles, pipes
Seana Davey – Irish harp
Rachel van der Tang – cello
Clive Howard – viola
Production
Joe Gibb
Track list
1. Road To Cairo (5:27)
2. Because Of You (4:53)
3. Poison Ivy (4:14)
4. Forbidden Dreams (5:48)
5. Borderline (6:19)
6. Fairytale Lies (4:58)
7. Feels Like Home (7:06)
8. Secrets Of Angels (20:04)
