SURPASSING ALL KINGS

Russian space rock cosmonauts offer up their second studio album in the form of Surpassing All Kings, which incorporates aspects of trance-inducing zeuhl and krautrock repetition to offer an offbeat musical journey. Natalya Tujrina offers a grand vocal performance and Arkady Fedotov's contributions on bass and synthesiser guide the bands through territories ranging from cosmic krautrock to jazz. The various compositions by and large are crammed with ideas, never outstaying their welcome even when they extend to over 10 minutes. With an energetic, twitchy atmosphere, Surpassing All Kings ties a rocket onto Vespero's sound and launches it into the stratosphere, taking it to new heights.