TRANSMUTATION

Jonas Reingold I have seen perform with the Flower Kings as well as with Steve Hackett and he had me shivering with delight, as he is without any doubt among the top bassists in music today. While I did review the Karmakanic debut and quite enjoyed that one, I only paid slight attention to the follow ups , the tasty 'Who is the Boss in the Factory' and 'Dot' (with which I could not connect -pun intended) . On this stellar release, the material seems to be much stronger , with some memorable pieces and the usual splendid playing and highly enjoyable vocals. The only average detail is the perfunctory cover art which reveals little of the pleasures inside, but Jonas does have a nice face .

With a perfect title like "Bracing for Impact", do not expect an ambient xylophone lullaby , but rather a volatile onslaught of gruesome Andy Tillison organ surges, assassin-based bass guitar meanderings from the maestro and incessant drum bashing of the highest order that last 2 and a half minutes and gets all the juices flowing. Keyboardist Lalle Larsson and Krister Jonsson add impressive details to the opening salvo.

Next up is not only a masterpiece track , on the verge of becoming a classic with more airplay, the mesmerizing beauty of "End of the Road" possesses all the ingredients to be a gourmet prog epic. Absolutely every second has staying power, seduction, and melodic content. Geri Schuller defines the ravishing theme on piano (which will take a bow at the end as well), the platform for Simon Phillips to decorate his syncopating technique, Luke Machin showcasing both acoustic and electric guitars, and a vocal barrage of the highest order : Randy McStine and John Mitchell trading the microphone, expressing the 'days of wonder' of 'the end of the road' with succinct passion. Jonas keeps everything nice and tidy as befits a musician of his stature (the images of his red Rickenbacker will remain forever imprinted on my soul). The acoustic guitar reprise with the piano is two steps from heaven genius as the theme detonates for another, more tectonic recap, Machin swerving madly on his lead guitar showcase. I have been humming this melody even in my sleep. You will too. One of the finest tracks for 2025 and beyond.

Craig Blundell takes over the kit on stunning "Cosmic Love", with John on the vocal, Randy on the guitar with Jonas handling the pulse, layering a great harmony chorus to boot, as once again the melody is immediately engrained into the mind of the listener. A slight hint of Spooky Tooth's classic oldie "The Mirror", which is a major compliment. The next trio of pieces could have been a suite loosely put together , as the overall style is similar. "We Got the World in our Hands" has Simon back on the drum stool, John playing a sensational 12 string acoustic and singing, with Jonas twirling in the background. Easy to follow with a few twists into creative sidebars, an inspirational chorus that sounds most comfortable and Krister peeling off an oblique run on his fretboard.

"All That Glitters Is Not Gold" incorporates old pal Tomas Bodin on keyboards, with addition of guest flute, saxophone and accordion, Jonas whipping out his fretless bass for our pleasure. Another crushingly attractive melody solidifies the chorus , that sonically widens with powerful riffs courtesy of Jonsson's axe technique that give off a darker atmosphere that is most welcome. Rob Townsend plays the sax part with his usual aplomb, with Blundell propelling like a turbo charged speedboat.

Original Karmakanic vocalist Goran Edman handles the bluesy "Gotta Lose this Ball and Chain" with his intricate growly voice supported with plenty of backing vocalisms, the molten riffs and athletic drums (Phillips) verging on Led Zeppelin and once again, lest I repeat myself, a theme that sticks the landing immediately! Guest guitarist Sven Cirnski rips a solo that hits the mark, and the finale is a showstopper. Another delicious chapter of this amazing release.

The title track is the coup de grace (please, it's a French word, its pronounced 'coo de grass') takes the exalted listener on a magical 23-minute progressive rock exploration that seeks the raise even further a most lofty bar. Throughout its length, many guests get to shine: Lalle Larsson, Andy Tillison, Geri Schuler, Tomas Bodin and Roger King show their keyboard skills, Steve Hackett shows up on his patented nylon acoustic for a brief spot, along with Jan-Olof Jonsson on acoustic and Krister taking another lead solo flight, Nick D'Virgilio manning the drum side of things , Rob on sax, and the amazing Dina Hoblinger trading the lead vocal with John, with backing help from Amanda Lehmann. Jonas does his reputation proud with some scintillating interventions on his instrument. Do not worry, this mammoth track flows like a majestic iceberg in glacial waters, at times gleaming, then shimmering, always glimmering, unafraid to boldly veer from prog to symphonics on a dime and a jazzy piano spotlight from Schuler this side of Herbie Hancock. The vocals are spectacular, the lyrics deep and the overall tempo is next level genius. Roine, this is a modern epic!

An extraordinary addition to this year's top of the podium finalists for 2025, one of easiest five-star attributions ever. This finely-tuned Prog automobile needs zero repairs or maintenance.

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