DOT

Somewhat of a spin-off of The Flower Kings, Karmakanic has been one of the main creative outlets of TFK's very own bassist extraordinaire Jonas Reingold, and their fifth studio album 'Dot', released in 2016 on Inside Out, is a record that many would describe as depicting the traditional modern symphonic prog sound, as developed by novel acts like Spock's Beard, the aforementioned Flower Kings, and Echolyn (among others) during the late 90s/early 2000s, with keyboard-heavy compositions with tons of graceful melodies and catchy hooks, as well as an overall strong influence from traditional prog acts like Kansas, Yes, ELP, and Genesis. And throughout the years Karmakanic have rarely deviated from that well-known formula, echoing the classic era of the progressive rock apogee through their long-form compositions that explore intricate melodies, fascinating riffs and lush arrangements with lots and lots of excellent keyboard leads.

All of this is perfectly valid with 2016's lovely 'Dot' album, a record that features five (or depending on how you see them, just four) main compositions and a short instrumental introduction, based around the 24-minute-long centerpiece called 'God the Universe and Everything Else No One Really Cares About', a gargantuan suite that navigates the entirety of this record and introduces a string of excellent and compelling ideas, some virtuosic playing (considering all departments of the band) as well as an overall uplifting, celebratory feel that is very typical of many symphonic prog acts of the 21st century. This is a lush excursion into the masterful musical mind of Jonas Reingold, the main composer of Karmakanic's music, that echoes some of the classic TFK records yet manages to sound vigorous and quirky. Nevertheless, even this epic piece does not shy away from a few corny moments, and these can be a real patience test even for the most dedicated symphonic rock enjoyers - the "choral" interludes and the occasional banality of some of the lyrics can be a challenging aspect of this song, naturally counterbalanced by the exceptional musicianship and gorgeous instrumental final section. Then comes another interesting piece, the 10-minute 'Higher Ground', which is a more melancholic, nostalgic mini-suite that once again offers some delightful instrumental bits and lovely vocal work. The rest of the album does tend to be a bit meandering - 'Steer by the Stars' is indeed very catchy but it can also be slightly predictable, while 'Travelling Minds' is too mellow and uneventful to be on par with the rest of the record. The final song on here does not contribute all too much either, especially considering it being the second part of the big epic suite.

And all of this goes to show just how divisive a really good symphonic prog album can be - some of it might be excellent and inspiring, even joyous, lush and sophisticated, while other parts of it can sound tediously repetitive and familiar. For what concerns 'Dot' in particular, it is a very solid release, the majority of which is really worth the listen, especially the 24-minute suite.

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