Karmakanic - Entering The Spectra

Year of Release: 2002
Label: Regain Records
Catalog Number: RR0209-013
Format: CD
Total Time: 54:09:00

Bearing in mind the distinctive sound of his guitar, I wasn't sure whether the inclusion of Roine Stolt in the Jonas Reingold side project Karmakanic would be a good move. Knowing the fact that Jonas was already surrounded by the likes of bandmates Tomas Bodin and Zoltan Cs?rz, all Flower Kings buddies but Hasse Fr?berg would be part of his solo venture. You can say whatever you like but the result is pretty much a Flower Kings album, even when at times a more hard rock approach is imminent. To enhance that metal effect, Reingold has enlisted G?ran Edman as the singer for his project. Having worked with Yngwie Malmsteen between '90 and '92 Edman is acclaimed as one of the leading rock singers in Sweden and beyond. Still, by introducing a fair number of acoustic intervals Entering The Spectra is by no means a heavy metal album. In the title track "Entering The Spectra" for instance you can find a heavy slice of pure jazz improvisation when fretless bass, piano and guitar battle it out.

The album is a concept album based on our world no less than three thousand years from now, yet although the subject is about the future, this doesn't mean you get a space rock album in the style of Hawkwind. On the contrary, as there are no ambient or spacey sections to be found here! Listening to "The Spirit Remains The Same" is like you're listening to an unreleased Kansas outtake, but that's before Jonas invites you to share some of his ingenious bass playing. Having the promo album as my guide, I don't have the detailed info as to who does what, but if my ears don't fool me, I guess "Cyberdust From Mars" is sung by Roine Stolt, which enhances the FK feel even more. Should I be mistaken here, please don't send the firing squad just yet!

The uptempo "Space Race No 3" has Edman sing in the style of Gino Vannelli, a timbre which I also encounter during the commercial sounding "The Man In The Moon Cries," a pure daytime radio favourite if ever I heard one. Jonas really shines in the pure fusion which is "One Whole Half," enabling Zoltan to illustrate his versatile talents as well. The track "Is This The End" consists of three parts nicely fused together. The opening section "The End" is a wonderful ballad sung ever so emotional by G?ran. The second part "The Light" opens with a distorted, crackled sound as if you're listening to a battered vinyl album. This gimmick can also be found on the latest Tomas Bodin solo album. The song then evolves by means of a wonderful guitar solo by Roine into a more uplifting ballad ending in pure symphonic beauty with "The Question." Jonas Reingold gets his solo spot during "Cello Suite No 1 In G Major" by Bach where he proves to be one of the most outstanding bass players around these days. Jeff Berlin, Tony Levin, Chris Squire: you have ALL be warned! The album closes with "Welcome To Paradise" whose chorus kind of reminds me of Styx although the backing sounds much rougher, much harder. The singing evolves into kind of a theatrical approach which I don't like very much whilst at the end the keyboards slightly evoke "Flight Of The Bumble Bee" before coming to an end.

As you can imagine this is by no means a bad album but being a Jonas Reingold solo effort, personally I would have loved to hear more of his bass antics. In that respect the new Flower Kings double album Unfold The Future holds more Reingold highlights than Karmakanic has on offer. Maybe the songs will shed a different light once they are performed live because that's what's currently being planned for the summer of 2003, when material from Karmakanic, solo stuff from Tomas Bodin and material from a new Bodin/Reingold/Cs?rz/Gildenl?w project will be taken on the road.

Tracklisting:
The Little Man (1:29) / Entering The Spectra (12:20) / The Spirit Remains The Same (6:01) / Cyberdust From Mars (3:34) / Space Race No 3 (4:36) / The Man In The Moon Cries / One Whole Half (5:17) / Is This The End ? (7:12) / Cello Suite No 1 In G Major (1:02) / Welcome To Paradise (9:19) / Bonus Track: Loser's Game (4:12)

Musicians:
Jonas Reingold - fretless and fretted basses, keyboards, and backing vocals
Roine Stolt - electric and acoustic guitars, vocals (2, 4)
G?ran Edman - vocals (3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11)
Jaime Salazar - drums and percussion (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10)
Zoltan Cs?rz - drums and percussion (2)
Tomas Bodin - keyboards (2, 4, 6, 10)
Johan Gl?ssner - electric and acoustic guitars (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10)
Robert Engstrand - keyboards (5, 8, 10), grand piano (5, 8)

Guests:

Diana Nunez - The story teller (1)
Thomas Nyberg - backing vocals
Inger Ohl?n - backing vocals (2), psychedelic voice (5)
Zapata Joy - tales from the bush
Chris Palm - electric guitars (7)
Richard Anderson - keyboard solo

Discography:
Entering The Spectra (2002)
Wheel Of Life (2004)
Who's The Boss In The Factory (2008)
The Power Of Two (w/Agents Of Mercy) (2010)
In A Perfect World (2011)
Live In The USA (2014)
Dot (2016)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin SE

Added: October 20th 2002
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: reingoldrecords.se
Hits: 2515
Language: english