LOST SYMPHONY

Very nice jazzy prog--often sounding like Pat Metheny, sometimes like Mike Post television themes, sometimes like Strunz & Farrah world music, always amazingly melodic and with crystal clear production. The keyboardist, Kalugin, is definitely the show here but all collaborators are good. Amazingly, some of Kalugin's 'keyboards' sound like real woodwinds! (Are they?) And please tell me that's a real accordian! With computer generated music these days it's hard to tell. Anyway, congrats for a imminently listenable and beautiful 'symphony.' Your music will endure! The album is so new to me that I'm not ready to rate it a five star masterpiece but I'm hard pressed to justify why it's not. It is virtually flawless--except that some will miss the vocal/lyrics of this collection of instrumental songs. And some will not like the absence of metal power chords.

social review comments | Review Permalink
Posted Sunday, January 1, 2012 | Review this album | Report (Review #601161)

Antony Kalugin's impressive portfolio of musical projects threaten to position him as a Ukrainian answer to Steven Wilson - a prolific creative force capable of playing progressive and prog-influenced music in a variety of styles. Here, Kalugin - particularly in his keyboard playing - along with his musical collaborators offers a tribute to the symphonic prog of the past. Alongside Kalugin's delicate playing, Alexandr Pavlov also works in some rather enchanting classical guitar passages which remind me of some of Anthony Phillips' material on his Private Parts and Pieces albums.

If the band has a weakness, it's in editing and trimming the fat off their compositions, often allowing particular musical themes or sections of their compositions drag on somewhat longer than necessary to little useful aesthetic effect. Still, it's a competent job and makes me interested to hear other projects by Kalugin.

social review comments | Review Permalink
Posted Sunday, March 10, 2013 | Review this album | Report (Review #927967)

The natural follow up Lost symphony issued in 2011 after the top notch Solitary sandpiper journey, is no less awesome then the predecesor. Keeping the same attitude as before, with splendid passages where Antony Kalugin really shines on every tune, as rest of the musicians involved here. Another long album from Karfagen , over an hour, but is not a problem for me, the album is keeping me conected with every piece. This time all album is instrumental, that is for sure quite great, because the musicnship is excellent as the ideas. Divided in 3 parts, each part aswell divided in small little pieces that flows from one to another very well. The mood is great and is a damn fine captivating journey to my ears. I never though that I'll like so much Karfagen, to me is one of the most acomplished and inventive bands around in prog rock realm. Lots of tempo changes, lots of musical styles combined and melted together, but the result is simply said amazing. For instance the opening part The frog, the beast and the wizard with 6 pieces , really kick ass, going from sections that remind me of Gryphon to symphonic prog a la The Flower Kings (but 100 times more intresting then the sweds) , jazzy passages all with good sense , elegant and inventive. Again recommended, Karfagen , is for sure now, I mean in last years a driving force in prog, that every one intrested in style must check this band because they kick ass all the way. 4 stars easy, nice art work on this digipak.

social review comments | Review Permalink
Posted Saturday, April 20, 2013 | Review this album | Report (Review #946848)

OK, I have to admit that because Anthony Kalugin is the bandleader here, I expected Lost Symphony to sound like Sunchild. And to some degree, some phases of this album certainly could have fit on Messages from Afar: The Division and Illusion of Time, the Sunchild album which was a followup to a Karfagen album titled Messages From Afar: First Contact. (I'm a little confused!)

But Lost Symphony doesn't really sound like Sunchild, and whereas Sunchild is categorized here as "crossover prog," Karfagen is (undoubtedly correctly) considered "symphonic prog." However, just as Sunchild is really AOR with some progressive elements, on Lost Symphony, Karfagen sounds like 2 Cellos or Trans-Siberian Orchestra: they rock hard at times, but there's a commercial sheen throughout. There are also sections of which sound more like world-music-influenced new age, and others which wouldn't sound out of place on smooth-jazz radio.

All of this is done very well, by the way. The longer songs shift seamlessly among these different styles, and the shorter songs segue from one to the other nicely - - kudos to Kalugin's arranging skills.

The performances are superb. My son just observed that Kalugin solos like Jordan Rudess. I thought maybe Rick Wakeman, but I hear Wakeman everywhere. Anyway, Kalugin is obviously a keyboard virtuoso, and he's also an accomplished composer and arranger (he wrote 55 of the 64 minutes here). He and William Mackie produced Lost Symphony, whose sound is excellent.

In addition to Kalugin, the stars here are guitarist Alexandr Pavlov and flautist Vasya Ivanov, who plays on the Canterbury-tinged section of "Journey Through The Looking Glass" (which sounds like Snow Goose-era Camel to me).

So Lost Symphony is played well, and from a technical standpoint, produced and arranged well. From an artistic point of view, though, I don't have the taste for what I perceive as the commercial aspects of the album.

social review comments | Review Permalink
Posted Saturday, March 16, 2019 | Review this album | Report (Review #2166412)

Lost Symphony is a huge success for the Karfagen. It has this jazz rock feeling from the Solitary Sandpiper Journey. It's a mixture of an instrumental "camel" with "happy the man" and "holdthworth - Metheny" mood. Together with special guest Roberto Díaz of Anima Mundi fame , Alexander Pavlov did so ... (read more)

Report this review (#1952217) | Posted by Trinity S | Thursday, July 26, 2018 | Review Permanlink

I must be missing something. This is pleasant enough but hardly compares to the seismic shift that the arrival of "Tubular Bells" created. There is nothing here that couldn't be heard at any time in garden centres all over the UK = new age music to soothe the phalanxes of frenzied pensioners ... (read more)

Report this review (#757218) | Posted by tbstars1 | Wednesday, May 23, 2012 | Review Permanlink

"Lost Symphony" by Karfagen is like an vintage art rock fairytale - something special for those who loves Camel "Snow Goose" and Gryphon "Midnight Mushrumps". It`s an instrumental album that is divided on to three chapters, nearly 22 minutes each. I can clearly imagine it as a sides of a LP. First ... (read more)

Report this review (#661660) | Posted by Retropolis | Saturday, March 17, 2012 | Review Permanlink

Lost Symphony is a huge step forward for the Ukrainian project Karfagen, led by the brilliant Antony Kalugin. The album is completely instrumental and practically every composition on the album is a highlight. You might expect a bombastic and heavy symphonic sound with a title like this, but w ... (read more)

Report this review (#596515) | Posted by Life Line Project | Monday, December 26, 2011 | Review Permanlink

KARFAGEN ? LOST SYMPHONY AKP is BACK to ensure a magnificent finale to 2011 and herald in 2012 with a TRUE MONSTER of a release marking the standard by which all instrumental albums should now be judged. Remember when Tubular Bells challenged and broke all the rules, KALUGIN likewise takes tha ... (read more)

Report this review (#593864) | Posted by CAERLLYSI | Wednesday, December 21, 2011 | Review Permanlink

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).