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LAND OF GREEN AND GOLD

Karfagen

Symphonic Prog


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4 stars KARFAGEN is the group of multi-instrumentalist Antony KALUGIN who releases albums under this name with two in 2020 and under his, the last in December of this year 2021! Prolific you will understand and their 13th to date. Initially it was stamped neo-prog with hints of MINIMUM VITAL, which is why I came across it in 2007; then, atmospheres from FLOWER KINGS, TRANSATLANTIC, GENESIS, Mike OLDFIELD, UK, CAMEL. From a separate sound. The pandemic has this paradoxical side of increasing their outflows; a journey again in his thoughts of notes to unveil his intimate landscapes and melodies all in 3 chapters, a journey where I hope to be surprised by the novelty.

Chapter 1: Land of Green

"Kingfisher and Dragonflies (Part 3)" with a soft symphonic intro between GENESIS and ELP, maybe a bit of ELOY at the start, in short, it's the bucolic musical intro that gives the cachet. "Land of Green (Part 1)" for the beginning of the sensitive musical journey and wandering in the universe of Antony and his musicians; the sax between KING CRIMSON and RAFFERTY livens up, the aerial percussions allow the electric keyboards and piano to give an even more elaborate meaning, I perceive oldfieldian touches there; the finale descends on bluesy-jazzy guitar solos. "Land of Green (Part 2)" for a bluesy track, padded softness, candlelit meal with accordion in a spleen- melting background, the guitar which leads at the end and gives more character, explodes in a pleasurable way; great to have split the length, I'm putting it back on right away. "Solis Festum" on a classical Crimsonian variation, acoustic guitar, accordion, sounds of birds, an organ on the "Generation 13" of SAGA, in short, apart and singular; a sound Antony forged to give the band its nobility, much more than a simple interlude. "Land of Green (Part 3)" on a jazzy atmosphere with a sound of brass, funky almost disco from the beginnings, a clarinet, the lead guitar brings back to a sanitized rock expression that allows not to get bored, the accordion sends on "Pastoral" with a crystalline guitar arpeggio, an interlude like a "Horizons" closing the 1st page.

Chapter 2: Land of Gold

"Garden of Hope (Part 1)" opens with a cozy, warm atmosphere, a draft of musical research, a more pop-folk sound at first bordering on new age, a mysterious atmosphere also with wind instruments; the first voice appears on this track halfway through, denotes then gives warmth; Antony's synths are wonderful in the sense that there are several keyboards playing at the same time, just divine. "Land of Gold" follows with a sober piano bringing a typical CAMEL sound; Elena's flute does the job and almost forget about the developed jazzy-prog vibe; Max's guitar added fluidity; a vocoder to bring some recent space prog. A finale to listen to, difficult to transcribe into words, a pleasure in fact; always amazed when I chronicle a sound which is not my cup of tea but which I drink avidly.

Chapter 3: Land of Jazz (bonus tracks)

"Garden of Hope (Part 2) for the 2nd sung, it's simple, slightly repetitive; improvised exploration at the end, trumpet, sax, bass à la SERRA for an intimate and shimmering rendering; simple but entertaining. "Land of Jazz" always this bass and a title which seems to leave on an impro under acid?. The image of course not the reality; the sax reminds me a little of the soft PANZERBALLETT, in short a beautiful exercise in style. "Land of Jazz (outro)" and outro jazz cabaret for a nighttime reverie, back to earth.

Well, KARFAGEN has passed his passing exam again; symphonic prog where the instruments are at the party, where the rhythms and tunes are varied which also allows to develop the group, not to confine it in a retro-prog too sectarian. A fresh, varied album that shows the full range of musicians; a vintage album for the proposed climates but young for the richness of the sounds deployed; a musically rich, creative, bewitching and very rich album. There is certainly 70's sound but updated, sound that remains avant-garde, productive, airy and innovative. Symphonic Art Rock!

Report this review (#2655844)
Posted Monday, December 27, 2021 | Review Permalink
5 stars It is hard to believe after working alongside Antony for over 15 years hearing the birth of every track he has ever recorded from continuum onwards, I bloody well still get hugely excited and spellbound by the working process from the initial demo to final masterpiece.

Once again, like a classic storybook which unfolds with endless pages, the emotional journey he takes one on stays with you long after the final note.

The melodies are as memorable and stunning as ever and the live saxophone and flute add a warming Canterbury and even jazz edge to some of the pieces.

His keyboard playing and the endless musical interplays are enriched by some of the finest melodic and flowing guitar solos I have heard in many a year.

Here is the best and only way to start 2022 musically bringing endless bright sunshine into our own creative minds, we are so lucky to be in the court of king Antony a musical genius - so come and visit the 'Land Of Green And Gold' you will not want to leave it!

Will Caerllysi Music

Report this review (#2668221)
Posted Monday, January 3, 2022 | Review Permalink
5 stars Bright, fresh and New. As a big fan of Anton's music and knowing almost all his discography, I was really surprised and delighted by his latest release. "Land of Green and Gold" takes us to the territories of Jazz and very tasty fusion. Of course it has all Karfagen trademarks but this time Anton and his band members delivered even more "Gold" to the listener!) Music and arrangements are not overwhelming, it's so light and breathing. Sometimes (or most of the time) it reminds me sound of the late 70s prog- fusion artists. UK, Finch, weather report! As a main part of prog people, I'm not a fan of a saxophone, but in this particular album it's like a cherry on the top of the cake. Juicy and without any artificial sugar!)) Just amazing to discover "land of Jazz" at the end of the album, with it charming atmosphere- melodies, vocoder and fab sax solos... Musicianship and the production are fabulous as always! Special thank You to Igor Sokolskiy who just compliments Anton's musical soundscapes! Well done - solid work of art!
Report this review (#2671361)
Posted Wednesday, January 12, 2022 | Review Permalink
3 stars Antony Kalugin has released another studio album which, as often happens with other artists who release new releases very often, has led to an unfortunate - at least for me - tendency to repeat itself. If we review his discography both in his solo project and in his band Karfagen, we realize that he has released about eight albums in the last four years. This incredible musical activity has been accompanied by a desire not to leave his comfort zone, in addition to the fact that his latest works no longer have the same creative force as, in my opinion, his best albums: "Echoes from Within Dragon Island" ( 2019) and "Birds of Passage" (2020).

"Land of Green and Gold" is another work that features guitar and keyboards, apparently without much creative input from the other band members, which makes this sound like another one of his solo projects. There is also the nostalgic jazz atmosphere that we are used to and the influences of bands like "Camel" and "The Flower Kings". Perhaps the real problem is that the album lacks memorable moments (there are some good moments on tracks 2 and 7, but the rest is reduced to "pretty melodies") that motivate future listeners.

Perhaps in future works Antony seeks to renew his sound, or perhaps he will continue releasing the same album year after year. The truth is that every time I find his music less interesting.

Report this review (#2673297)
Posted Monday, January 17, 2022 | Review Permalink
5 stars It has been 2 years since the last Karfagen album. Even though we have been fully entertained by Antony Kalugin's 3 solo albums, it is fantastic to see his new album under the Karfagen banner again. It is called The Land of Green and Gold. This time Antony has split the album into 3 chapters. The first chapter contains the first 6 tracks under the title The Land of Green. Of course the cover as always are eye catching and this one is beautifully coloured.

1. Kingfisher and Dragonflies: The first track running for just over two minutes starts with a bright acoustic guitar and synth joining in, then bursting into symphonic pleasantness ending back to that lovely acoustic guitar.

2. Land of Green Part 1: The first long track opens with a feel of mystery. You can feel the Land of Green, the bright sun and the chirping insects. A lovely calmness envelops with Antony's measured synths. The full symphonic sound is soon engaged with the intertwining mix of synth and guitar we are all familiar with. We get interesting drum rhythms interspersed with more light synth and delightful bass lines. This culminates in musicians showcasing their talent and finally winding down back to calmness. 3. Land of Green Part 2: Moving straight into Part 2 we hear our first main piece of jazz played smoothly on guitar by Alexandr Pavlov. This transitions to uplifting rock guitar. Genres crossed but merged fluidly.

4. Solis Festum: A short track with a mixture of synths with more acoustic guitar and accordion. A true blend for such a short piece.

5. Land of Green Part 3: Beginning with a sparkling, almost disco sound and hints of Big Band highlights this track. Containing intricate soloing from Yan Vedaman's sax and Antony's keyboards which brings us to a fitting climax.

6. Pastoral: The final track for the first chapter finishes with the already established theme of acoustic guitar expertly played by Alexandr.

7. Garden of Hope Part 1: The first track for chapter 2 called 'Land of Gold'. This opens with xylophone like synth and short sharp guitar notes engaging us with a new mystery of gold. More sax enters half way through and now we hear our first song with Antony lending his vocals.

8. Land of Gold: This is the longest track running at 13 minutes and 20 seconds. This opens with piano and searching synths. Approaching a solid rock sound and hearing the golden tones of the flute played by the talented and expressive Elena Kushchii. Background vocals filter in bringing an uplifting emotion shaping into full symphonic mode bringing with it a sense of wonder.

9. Garden of Hope Part 2: Final track to finish chapter 2. Antony continues his song of 'hope' with soft music and a step towards completion.

10. Land of Jazz (Bonus Track): The title speaks for itself. Starting with soft saxophone then maneuvering to a faster time signature implementing to a familiar rock background. With guitar played nimbly by Max Velychko and wonderful jazz bass playing by Konstantin Ionenko, we travel to the final track.

11. Land of Jazz (Outro) This exits the album in 44 seconds of saxophone, bass and cymbals.

This new chapter of Karfagen brings the familiar and the new. As always, every Karfagen album differs from each other and yet it sounds truly Karfagen. Take this music to a patch of green and let your ears hear the sound of gold. It comes with the miraculous melody and passion that only Antony Kalugin can create. Which land do you prefer? The Green or the Gold? I have two feet, and I will place a foot in each land. Enjoy more Karfagen magic with this wonderous album.

Report this review (#2675275)
Posted Saturday, January 22, 2022 | Review Permalink
5 stars What a fantastic way to start a new year - a new album by one of my favourite bands! With all that's happening in the world at the moment it is so refreshing to hear some beautiful music! Karfagen have released some amazing music the last few years and Land Of Green And Gold is no exception. Quite simply - progressive perfection!

Track 1 starts off with some very laid back guitar work accompanied by flute, and I can imagine myself relaxing in the bath with this music! Then track 2 sees the band come alive but with some interesting sound effects going on in the background. Birds chirping, then a bluesy solo by guitarist Alexandr Pavlov, then a wonderful dreamy synth melody by Antony Kalugin. Then the pace changes and now its time to start jigging in your seat as we are now treated to some robust drumming by Ivan Goritski. Now come the sounds I mentioned earlier with what sounds like an aeroplane passing overhead. Is that a marimba I hear? Or vibes maybe? Some saxes in there too.

Track 3 is pure jazz! Beautiful guitar by Alexandr, and some accordion by Sergii Kovalov, then suddenly Alexandr finds the volume knob and lets rip with solo that is full of soul. Then finishes on a quiet jazz note. Track 4 sees the return of classical guitar with accordion. Short but sweet!

Track 5 and now we are getting funky and my hips are swinging! Oh yes, now I'm gyrating as this riff has really got hold of me and now another great solo from Alexandr! Some smooth sax playing too by Yan Vedaman. Now some more synth magic from the wizard Antony! Brilliant!

Track 6 has another classical guitar piece played alone and is just beautiful. Track 7 is more jazz with vocals by Antony, with the pace picking up momentum. Great track!! Track 8 has Max Velychko on guitar with Antony using a vocoder and we are going up tempo with this track. Some wah-wah on the guitar as well!

Track 9 is chill out time with subtle bass playing by Konstantin Ionenko. Then comes 2 bonus tracks: Land Of Jazz !&2 I imagine being in a cocktail bar listening to this piece. Bit heavy on the sax but doesn't overdo it. Then Max jumps in with another fine guitar solo. Then we're treated to some very jazzy keys! Final track is a very short piece on piano and sax.

So my personal opinion of this album is - Amazing piece of the best Prog Rock I've heard for a long time! I thoroughly recommend this CD to have in your collection and now we must wait for world events to improve so we can get to see this awesome band play live on tour!! Great album Karfagen!!

Report this review (#2676826)
Posted Thursday, January 27, 2022 | Review Permalink
5 stars So, a new album has been released by Antony Kalugin and his project Karfagen at the very beginning of 2022. Listening or reviewing his albums always takes a while because of a huge quantity of different ideas, movements and themes that develop in a short time. Usually for Antony, he released a great piece of coherent music. Every song is full of great solo, beautiful transitions and delightful chords. Speaking of the album in general one should notice the strict development of the same trend in Antony's music - from symphonic rock to jazz rock and now "rather jazz than rock". Indeed, the majority of what happens in the "Land of Green and Gold" reminds of keyboard-oriented jazz, i.e. Lyle Mays or Pet Metheny Group in general. A lot of saxophone also contributes to this impression. Such a tendency will be great news for those Karfagen fans that wait for the pieces of jazz and jazz-rock music and especially for those who enjoyed recent solo trilogy from Kalugin. However, the same trend also expands the distance between classic Karfagen albums like Magical Mystery Theater or more recent Echoes from within Dragon Islands. So your personal score of the album mostly depends whether you like the transition of Karfagen into more jazz-oriented sound or not. Though I consider this album as a perfect one and am passionate to congratulate Antony with the release, I also can't wait to hear new Sunchind or maybe even see some old staff live as soon as it will be possible. It is obvious from the new album, that these classic pieces of Antony's music are not forgotten, both from the names, lyrics and sound of the compositions of the "Land of Green and Gold". Kingfisher and Dragonflies pt. 3 refers to the first parts from "The key to perception" and "Solitary Sandpiper Journey" rather by its intermediate function than by the sound. The song, however, refers to the Karfagen and Sunchild staff from early 2010s. The next album is divided into a four [rather themes than] songs that are divided into pieces. "Land of Green" is the most intensive and dynamic of the whole album, is includes the main theme of the album (which variations are presented almost in every song), a great saxophone solo and a piece of slightly anxious drums-and-keys oriented part that finishes with a set of dynamic transition. The second part of the song includes a well-composed and confident guitar solo (many thanks to Alexander Pavlov for that one) and calmly leads to the second intermediate part - "Solis festrum". This small composition contains a number of short movements that are intended to balance the album and bring a piece of fresh apart from "Land of Green". The latter returns, however, in a "sparkling" and bright way, finalizing the themes that were announced in the first parts of the song. The second part, "Land of Gold" follows the transitional composition called "Pastoral" (which name perfectly reflects the music inside). The first song of this part, "Garden of Hope" is the only album composition, accompanied by the lyrics. Its structure somehow refers to the "Last Horizon" from Hoggwash. The themes of the lines are doing it as well. This is the most symphonic part of the album - it is calm and nice and introduces something between "Land of Green" general sound and a mood of "Echoes from within Dragon Island" (which is good news for me). The "Land of Gold" itself is much more confident and sometimes solemn than the first half of the album. It does not really contain any kind of anxious music and not problematizes any kind of emotional strike (once again, this corresponds to the general jazzy mood of the album, though I miss the emotional dynamics of early Karfagen and Sunchild albums). And once again, the music introduces a great piece of jazz-oriented music. Finally, the bonus track "Land of Jazz" reminds us the genre features of the album once again. Indeed, it combines the average mood of "The Land of Green and Gold" with even more typical jazz sound and once more - perfect saxophone solo, presented by Yan Vedaman. In one word, the album should be in your mind if you search for a bright jazz-rock and jazz-oriented music or is you are a fan of Karfagen's music. But if not, I suggest listening to it anyway - the composer's talent of Antony Kalugin produced a great album once again.
Report this review (#2690385)
Posted Monday, February 7, 2022 | Review Permalink
Matti
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars This new offering from the very prolific Ukrainian prog maestro Antony Kalugin has already gained a lot of praise in this site, so it's a bit surprising to note that mine will the first collaborator review. I found KARFAGEN a few years back and was especially charmed by Echoes from Within Dragon Island (2019). My fondness for Kalugin's CAMEL- influenced, melodic mellow-symph style remained very strong for the subsequent albums, considering also Karfagen's Birds of Passage and his solo album Marshmallow Moondust (both released in 2020) five-star delights. Perhaps new albums kept coming in a slightly too fast pace, those albums being also relatively similar with each other, and eventually my "honeymoon" era as a listener of Kalugin's music was gradually left behind. I felt appropriate to start my review this off-topic way, revealing my overall background as a listener, because I find it difficult to decide whether to give Land of Green and Gold five stars simply because I consider it among Antony Kalugin's finest albums, or should my slightly reduced enthusiasm amidst the fast chain of albums reflect my rating and round 4½ down to four. At this very moment I frankly don't know -- so unfair that the rest of you reading this already know!

With his recent solo albums Antony Kalugin has proved very capable of performing his grand-scale symphonic prog entirely by himself. Returning now to the Karfagen camp he lets his wonderful fellow musicians play the guitars, basses, drums and reeds, concentrating on his main instrument, keyboards. Surely for example guitar solos are more gorgeous because of that collaboration. Antony does the few vocal parts here as well; I would have enjoyed some female vocals thrown in too, but that's not a big deal because this is an instrumentally oriented album. As for the instrumentation, there are saxophones much more than flute, whereas I personally would have preferred it to be the other way round. Also I'm not very fond of accordion in general, although its appearance on two tracks is a fine addition to the sonic palette.

I won't go through the tracks in detail since there are as many as eleven of them, as opposed to several recent albums consisting mainly of two epics. That's actually a positive thing here, and it doesn't prevent the album structure to feel very symphonic. The overall mood is happily dreamy, rather mellow and relaxed despite the child- like adventurous spirit. Some parts are pastoral in a lovely way. 'Pastoral' is a 1½-minute piece for acoustic guitar that may make one think of ANTHONY PHILLIPS. The two 'Garden of Hope' pieces featuring vocals are sandwiching the 13-minute album highlight 'Land of Gold' (thus forming Chapter 2 : Land of Gold). One reason for it being a highlight is the flute -- which unfortunately doesn't appear elsewhere on the album. But sadly the use of vocoder is a minus in this otherwise wonderful piece. A strong Camel vibe is heard in the soaring melodies.

Chapter 3 : Land of Jazz is marked as a bonus. Not surprisingly the flexible jazz/ fusion element often present on Kalugin's compositions is given here more space, and the tenor sax of Sergii Kovalov has a central role. The separate 44-second Outro is very delicate in mood. Now, after writing this review I am better equipped to decide on my rating. As I said, I'd like to give the same full rating as to three other albums, but let's be honest, that was then and this is now. By just a few things more up to my preferences (more flute, some female voice accompanying Antony's, and not that irritating vocoder) I'd give the five stars! In short, a wonderful and highly pleasant album for all fans of Antony Kalugin, and a perfect place to get into his melodic and easy-on-the-ears symphonic and fusion-flavored prog in the vein of CAMEL, FOCUS, HAPPY THE MAN and WILLOWGLASS if you're not yet familiar with it.

Report this review (#2694672)
Posted Tuesday, February 22, 2022 | Review Permalink
BrufordFreak
COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
4 stars The first time Maestro Antony Kalugin has been able to work with his Karfagan collaborators in a couple years, they team up here to produce some top-level prog, mostly instrumental, and more jazz- and blues-influenced than we've heard in a while.

"Chapter 1: Land of Green" 1. "Kingfisher and Dragonflies (Part 3)" (2:11) beautiful instrumental with classical guitar and synths. Very ANTHONY PHILLIPS-like. Absolutely gorgeous melodies and themes. What a start! (5/5)

2. "Land of Green (Part 1)" (11:00) sounds/feels to me like a modernized, watered-down take on Miles Davis' Sketches from Spain--a SYNERGY, TONY BANKS, or Smooth Jazz approach to such a theme. (17/20)

3. "Land of Green (Part 2)" (3:30) instrumental jazz and blues prog. (8.75/10)

4. "Solis Festum" (1:39) Fender Rhodes play joined by others in the second half and then finishing with classical guitar and accordion-led European street feel. (4.25/5)

5. "Land of Green (Part 3)" (4:58) cheesy keys and jazz sound palate gives this one a rather dated, Adult Contemporary feel--until Alexander Pavlov's high class guitar solo in the second minute. Soprano and tenor sax solos in the third minute only add the Smooth Jazz feel. Alexander's next solo in the fifth minute brings us almost into the New Age jazz category. (8.25/10)

6. "Pastoral" (1:34) solo classical guitar. (4.25/5)

"Chapter 2: Land of Gold" 7."Garden of Hope (Part 1)" (7:49) Smooth Jazz artists like Joe Sample, Ronnie & Hubert Laws, and Najee/Kenny G come to mind as I listen to this--and then Spock's Beard as I hear the vocal section. (13/15)

8. "Land of Gold" (13:20) piano and electric guitar(s) open this one. I love the pace, the solos and sounds, the bass play, and even the vocoder. My favorite song on the album. (27/30)

9. "Garden of Hope" (Part 2) (4:31) sounds like the Devonshire Canterbury band MAGIC BUS. Like the fretless bass and peaceful, pastoral keyboard and electric guitar riffing. Nice song. (8.75/10)

Bonus tracks: Chapter 3: Land of Jazz (bonus tracks) 10. "Land of Jazz" (6:37) another venture into the proggy-fusion world of the late 70s jazz artists as listed above for the "Garden of Hope (Part 1)" song--especially Hubert Laws--with the addition of Narada Michael Walden and even some of the later RTF/Chick Corea stuff--which I loved. (9/10) 11. Land of Jazz (outro) (0:44)

Total Time 57:53

Other reviewers have mentioned a CAMEL-like sound or influence to the music here, I'm not as sold on that angle though I do hear it--I do get it--especially some of the guitar sounds chosen. There are just too many disjointed motifs present here for me to endorse that perspective. I really like the contributions of Antony's two guitarists--both with very distinctive styles--as well as his bass player. Nice work, guys!

B/solid four stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection.

Report this review (#2712463)
Posted Tuesday, March 22, 2022 | Review Permalink
4 stars I love the feel of this album. This is a type of music that is right up my alley.

Karfagan produced an album that is mostly instrumental. Focusing on what you can do best is a choice I can respect. Often laid back, sometimes really jazzy. This album brings many great listening experiences. The instrumentation is top-notch, and the music is welcoming and engaging. I understand that people link this to Focus. The guitar sometimes has that same vibe. And of course, the flute part is.

Rating always is a struggle. Because I wish to give this album the praise for being what it is and rate it with the maximum score. Also because I believe it deserves to be higher on the list than other albums is see there. But I'm not going to grant this 5 stars. Because that is reserved for - what consider - absolute classics only. Regardless of when it was created.

I rate it 4 stars.

Report this review (#2769940)
Posted Friday, June 10, 2022 | Review Permalink
5 stars Land of Green and Gold is the latest (13th) release by the Ukrainian band Karfagen. The music here is very positive and optimistic so this album is a real pleasure to listen to. This record is divided into three chapters, each chapter consists of tracks binded thematically. Each track flows naturally (the cohesion is just next-level, very tight performances) and at the same time has its own distinct flavour. Some fantastic passages are present throughout this album, we get truly virtuoso playing by these musicians and jazzy improvisation moments are even more prominent here (especially in Chapter 3: Land of Jazz) in comparison to their previous works. My favourite compositions are: Land of Green (Part 2) (10/10), Garden of Hope (Part 1) (9/10) and Land of Jazz (9/10), though each track is great in its own special way.

4,5 stars rounded up. One of the strongest works of Karfagen to date. For me it's up there with the Echoes from Within Dragon Island. Highly recommended to symphonic prog and rock fans and those in search of something melodic and adventurous.

Report this review (#2871905)
Posted Friday, December 30, 2022 | Review Permalink
5 stars The only thing I can complain is : how i wish to have this album and "Land of Green" bonus disk as a Double CD release. Land of Green and Gold reaches jazz rock bounderies so nice and organic that it makes me eager to listen to it again and again. Alex Pavlos guitar playing and sound (ala Allan Holdsworth) compliments the album so much. Of course Max Velychko did a great job on a Land of Gold epic as well! Not a big fan of a saxophone - here it works so organically well. Konstantin Ionenko on bass and on double bass - well done! (just listen to the Land of Green part 2 where double bass is just tenderly guiding you through the pastoral landscapes). The "second" cd has 2 parts of Horizons that are absolutely fantastic!! "The Blossom" is a charming mellow short ballad that reminds me "The Key" from Antony Kalugin "Chameleon Shapeshifter". I`ve talked to Antony and he said that there will be a Vinyl LP release of "Land of Green and Gold". So, fingers cross - let`s hope it will be available in some nearest future as we all know how expensive LP production is and how "popular" art rock in general... But despite of what`s happening, Antony prooves that he`s strong and brave enough to carry on. (i`m listening to the Land of Green Pt,2 witing this words... 1:50 wow, fantastic culmination and great "background" for words: BRAVE ENOUGH TO CARRY ON! ps. Very memorable artwork!! (I have a newly designed T-Shirt with a Dragon Fly, check Antonys bandcamp merch page.) Highly recommended to all prog rock lovers (or even Fusion and Jazz rock)!
Report this review (#2882393)
Posted Wednesday, February 15, 2023 | Review Permalink
4 stars I am familiar with the Ukrainian multi-instrumentalist Antony Kalugin and his musical project Karfagen (which means Carthago) from the very beginning, with their debut album entitled Continium, from 2006. I was delighted with the dual keyboard work. Since then Kalugin has turned into a very prolific musician: he has released many albums with Karfagen, but also founded other musical projects, from Hoggwash and Sunchild to AKKO and AKP. In April 2023 I was lucky to witness a Karfagen gig, in the Dutch prog temple De Boerderij, it was awesome! Here is a review of a 2022 album.

We can enjoy the trademarks of Karfagen: melodic and harmonic, mainly instrumental compositions, alternating between symphonic rock and Neo-Prog, with wonderful work on keyboards and guitar, and flowing shifting moods. My highlights.

Land Of Green (part 1): It starts dreamy with soaring keyboards, sounds of nature, then a slow rhythm with sensitive electric guitar (Andy Latimer inspired) and spacey Minimoog-like synthesizer flights. Gradually the music turns into more bombastic and dynamic, with a tight beat, fiery guitar and pleasant keyboards (organ and synthesizer). Halfway the propulsive percussion and sound of the saxophone evoke a sultry Middle-Eastern climate, followed by a saxophone solo. In the second part lots of shifting moods, with fine work on keyboards and guitar.

Land Of Green (part 2): A mellow piece with a jazzy climate, topped with electric piano, fragile electric guitar and spacey synthesizer. Halfway a sumptuous outburst, then a moving and howling guitar solo in slow rhythm, goose bumps. The final part is again jazzy and mellow. During this track Dutch master Focus comes to my mind.

Solis Festum: A short, mellow track, with fine guitar play and cheerful accordion.

Land Of Green (part 3): This one contains a swinging rhythm with fat synthesizer runs and brass, a good example of Karfagen, its pleasant variety.

Pastoral: A very short track featuring classical guitar in the vein of Steve Hackett, simply wonderful.

Garden Of Hope (part 1): Another jazzy oriented composition, between a slow swinging rhythm and bombastic eruptions, embellished with electric piano, saxophone, warm vocals, mellow organ and finally a flashy synthesizer solo and fiery guitar runs, wow.

Land Of Gold: This epic composition is my favourite one featuring lots of strong moments. From dreamy with spacey Minimoog-like synthesizer flights to a mid-tempo with tight beat and delicate work on the flute. From use of the distinctive vocoder sound to a fiery guitar solo. From a sensational pitchbend driven synthesizer solo to wah wah drenched guitar leads. And from a Latimer-like guitar solo to a flashy synthesizer solo with pitchbend and a mellow saxophone solo.

Finally Land Of Jazz: This is one of the 2 bonus tracks, it sounds dreamy with soft saxophone, a freaky synthesizer solo and finally tender piano.

A wonderful, very melodic and harmonic effort, a bit more towards jazz, with strong and pleasant work on keyboards, guitar and saxophone.

Report this review (#2961478)
Posted Saturday, October 14, 2023 | Review Permalink

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