@new_dawn_of_prog

Feather Mountain – To Exit a Maelstrom, 2022, 🇩🇰 Feather Mountain is a band that comes to us from Copenhagen, Denmark. The band was founded by two brothers Andreas (bass and growl/backing vocal) and Christian (drums) alongside Mikkel (vocals) in 2017 while Jens (guitar and backing vocal) completed the line-up in 2018. After completing the lineup of the band in 2019, they released their first album "Nidus", which presented progressive mix of hard rock and modern metal as well as fresh alternative rock. Interesting and excellent debut. After being contacted by the band, I was given the great honor to present to you their new work ‘To Exit a Maelstrom’ , which will see the light of day in about a month. The album is very different from its predecessor. During the writing and recording of this work, the father of the band's founders unfortunately fell ill with Alzheimer's disease, and this fact made the band change its style and release a thematic album that relates to, as the band wrote: "‘To Exit A Maelstrom’ thematizes the loss of a close family member to a disease, which as Alzheimers slowly dissolves a human being, its personality, memories and language and ultimately transforms the familiar into something alien. As the album title suggests, the illness can be perceived as being caught in a maelstrom, where one is swallowed by unrejectable, external incoming circumstances beyond personal control finally leading you to drown and be devoured by the chaos.” So it's not an easy topic at all, but in addition to what is written above, the band wants to show the side of relatives who also deal with it through their lyrics and music. The music breathes darkness into the soundscape , and throughout the album the atmosphere is really tense. The musical concept goes from fragile, “sensitive” pieces to intense, highly rhythmic choruses. Big part of the album are the vocals and they are fantastic, they really convey every emotion perfectly, moments of melancholy accompanied by clean vocals, and moments of anger and I can say disbelief with harsh vocals. In fact, in every moment the emotion is conveyed in a way that shakes or disturbs you.

Gösta Berlings Saga - Sersophane, 2016, 🇸🇪 The basic quartet on this album is still the same, but compared to the previous one "Glue Works" there are no guest musicians on "Sersophane", except for Olsson, who contributes one or two percussive interludes. A bit simpler than on the predecessor and without chamber rock sections, "Sersophane" is “lighter in sounds”, but no less powerful and complex. Even if the bass growls very menacingly at times, the Zeuhl references have largely disappeared (apart from one or the other passage in "Channeling the Sixth Extinction"). A very dynamic and colorful, symphonic-voluminous, intricate and edgy prog can be heard on "Sersophane", determined by keys and electric guitar. But the very versatile active rhythm section has a lot to say here. The band is rather raw and direct, extremely rousing and sometimes almost wild, at the same time warm and round, almost elegant. "Deconstruction", bubbles out of the speakers completely electronic and in a repetitively growling manner. In the long "Channeling the Sixth Extinction" (certainly the highlight of the album) it gets tense, growling bass lines, jazzy e-piano patterns, various playful to excessive guitar escapades, the massive drums often connect in the foreground and all sorts of other key and electronic boosts to an extremely entertaining, lively and colorful long number. Einar Baldursson's guitars are distorted and heavy, busy and indefinite in their wandering, while David Lundberg's keyboards, when they are present, appear distant and hazy with a final effect of overlapping and confusion of sounds. The music gradually twists into a kind of spiral in which we have repetitions, continuous flows of sounds. All in all the tune is expanding every idea to the maximum. The title track, is introspective and mysterious, at least in the opening, with a thread of suspense that however preludes more stormy solutions with sounds that begin to roll gradually, increasing their power. Gabriel Tapper's bass proves to be an essential support in this type of sonic scaffolding. The music, however, finds, with the right pace, the logical leitmotif of the melody, creating film scenarios.

Accordo dei Contrari – Kublai, 2011, 🇮🇹 "Kublai" is the second album from Accordo dei Contrari and it offers a symphonic jazz rock that is clearly reminiscent of the 70s, but the whole thing is very varied, round and independent. There are still a few clear references to the past, but otherwise the music is quite original and offers a powerful to subtle, key-dominated, varied and very interestingly instrumented jazz rock. Guitarist Marco Marzo also contributes two compositions here (the first two). Marzo often puts himself in the limelight in other ways as well. Nevertheless, the keys (organ, piano, e-piano, synthesizer) are the defining, but quite varied sound element (especially the expansive jazz piano solos) on this album. Occasionally, the jazz rock/retro mix is ​​expanded to include other ingredients. First, there is the clear influence of Arabic music on “Arabesque”, by far the longest track on the album. In addition to the Arabic-inspired melody, it is above all the sound of the oud, an Arabic lute, that provides exotic timbres, especially in the first half of the piece. Another surprising splash of color is the singing, even if it's only used on one track. This is produced by none other than Canterbury veteran Richard Sinclair! Appropriately, L'ombra di un sogno (despite the Italian title, the song is sung in English) shows clear Canterbury borrowings, which manifest themselves above all in the typical, sparkling entrances of the e-piano. The Italians continue where they left off with their strong debut. Intelligently composed and perfectly crafted fusion jazz rock. #accordodeicontrari #accordodeicontrariband #progrock #progressiverockmusic #progressiverock #progressiverockcommunity #progrockforever #progrockmusic #progrockcommunity #albumreview #albumreviews #progreviews #musicreview #musicreviews #progalbum #progband #jazzprog #progjazz #jazz

Mysteries Of The Revolution - Longing for the Dawn, 2022, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 London-based prog/jazz-rock band Mysteries of the Revolution is keyboardist / programmer Daniel Biro and drummer / flautist BB Davis. For this album, the band is completed by Vincenzo Lamagna (guitar), Andy Alexander on bass, Don Stuart (alto flute) and Russ Parker (guitar). The organ/synth with a floating feeling that can be said to be directly related to Canterbury music, heavy guitars and brisk flutes are colorfully arranged. Developing composition-oriented jazz rock with a catchy main melody. In addition to that, the electronic ambient/experimental color that reflects the musicality of Daniel's own solo activities is mixed in, and it has a smooth and unique sound that gives you a feeling of sophistication. This is quite a powerful album in which keyboards, especially Rhodes electric piano, Hammond organ and analogue synths carry a sound that exudes pure 70's vintage jazz-rock. In addition to the keyboards, it is impossible not to mention the fantastic work on the guitar, which definitely takes the music into the realms of space. The rhythm section completes this sonic journey into beautiful musical landscapes from which you neither want nor can leave. In addition to all this, moments of experimentation are definitely emphasized throughout the album, as well as moments of psychedelia that grace us with their presence from time to time. An album that is incredibly melodic and listenable, but if you want to fully enter the world of this mix of prog and jazz and create a beautiful environment for yourself, I recommend that you put on headphones and slowly immerse yourself in this beautiful story. #mysteriesoftherevolution #prog #progrock #progressiverockmusic #progressiverock #progressiverockcommunity #progrockforever #progrockmusic #progrockcommunity #albumreview #albumreviews #progreviews #musicreview #progjazz #jazzprog #progband #progalbum #progrockplanet #progrockworld #2022prog

Slivovitz - All you can eat, 2015, 🇮🇹 The Italian band Slivovitz was formed in September 2001 and they make music that borders on ethnic jazz rock. This group from Naples released their debut in 2005. Then another album followed in 2007, and 'Hubris' came out in 2009. On their previous album 'Bani Ahead' they pushed modern jazz across its borders. On "All you can eat" this fantastic band includes Derek Di Pierri (harmonica), Marcello Giannini (guitars), Vincenzo Lamagna (bass), Salvatore Rainone (drums), Ciro Riccardi (trumpet), Pietro Santangelo (sax), and Riccardo Villari (violin). Besides jazz-rock Slivovitz's sound art also contains influences from (oriental-tinged) folk music, and classically inspired chamber music and jazzy avant- prog rock. Slivovitz confirm themselves as masters of music that quivers and struggles under a smooth surface in the harmonies of jazz, prodded in the rhythms by prog, reflected with a thousand mood changes. In this All You Can Eat-episode in focus and perhaps even more concrete than the previous album is a logical thread that is always traceable, despite the sharp curves of the melodies and arrangements. As the title indicates, the musicians, both individually and collectively, advance at full speed into the realm of excess, mixing together, in a varied palette, brilliant examples of the finest sonic cuisine. Mitigating complex arrangements and drastic compositional variations with grace and technical agility, the group shows - on staggered levels - clarity, inventiveness and unity through a banquet that is lavish for the ears. The group offers interesting music: On the one hand, there are typical prog elements such as synth sounds and distorted guitars, changing themes and sounds, interesting rhythms, and wind instruments. So is it jazz or prog? What we are offered here is pure progressive jazz. And you will be in amazed if you listen to the seven musicians on the eight instrumental tracks. #slivovitz #slivovitzband #prog #progrock #progressiverockmusic #progressiverock #progressiverockcommunity #progrockforever #progrockmusic #progrockcommunity #albumreview #albumreviews #progreviews #musicreview #musicreviews

On The Raw – Big City Awakes, 2017, 🇪🇸 Barcelona is the basis of musical operations for the band formed by Alex Ojea on drums, Jordi Amela on keyboards, Jordi Prats on guitars, Pep Espasa on saxophones and flutes and Toni Sánchez on bass. The album contains a lot of what prog is, but blends jazz structures with distinctive elements in terms of electronics. Amela's Korg and Novation keyboards are a perfect link between Prats' guitar riffs and the pace of Espasa's solos. What I liked about this album is that it is full, but it is never “overplayed” everything is in its place, every single detachment, every single instrument, every single idea is where it needs to be, all supported with great taste by Ojea. Beautiful melodies, harmonic progressions that are rather immediate and pleasant even for a not particularly trained ear. The ten-minute title track kicks things off, a very nice jazz rock number. On this album they prove that they can not only be fast, but can also score with calm songs. The best example of this is the beautiful song 'On The Raw', in which Espasa puts his stamp on with his excellent flute playing. The final title shows the band from another side. A female vocal quartet ("Les Fourchettes"), supported by AppleSmellColour musician Uri Mas, plays an important role here - and that works very well for them too. The progressive quintet from Barcelona enchants their listeners with keyboards, guitars, basses, drums, saxophone and flute, with the two wind instruments in particular, playing a very important role and creating a global, progressive jazz-rock atmosphere. Progressive instrumental music of a special, very impressive kind! @ontherawband #ontherawband #prog #progrock #progressiverockmusic #progressiverock #progressiverockcommunity #progrockforever #progrockmusic #progrockcommunity #albumreview #albumreviews #progreviews #musicreview #musicreviews #progalbum #progband #jazzprog #progjazz #progalbum

Accordo dei Contrari – Kinesis, 2007, 🇮🇹 The Italian label AltrOck is simply brilliant at releasing albums and finding bands. When something comes out of theirs, you know with a good deal of certainty that this is challenging but interesting material. It's the same with the Accordo Dei Contrari, a sextet from Bologna, founded in 2001, that doesn't primarily focus on emotional RPI, but is more at home in the border area between 70s Prog and Jazz Rock. Above all, since in addition to the traditional line-up of guitar - bass - drums - keyboards there are also violins and saxophones, this ensures a very differentiated and extremely complex sound image. Accordo dei Contrari basically make symphonic-progressive jazz rock with classical inspiration, which clearly leans towards the 70s and is therefore enriched with classic eclectic prog elements, some Canterbury reminiscences and a dash of jazz fusion. The keys determine the sound (all pieces were written by the keyboarder Giovanni Parmeggiani) , supplemented by Marco Marzo on the electric guitar. In addition, there is the driving rhythm section and a few sparse guest appearances on violin and sax. The whole thing is performed in a virtuoso manner and comes out of the speakers powerful and fresh. Amazingly, "Kinesis" was recorded almost live in the studio with minimal overdubs in just two days. The album breathes an extremely agile, live feeling, the changes between grooving jazz rock and expressive prog are fluent, but without the band getting lost in self-absorbed solos. Rather, it is a powerful, compact band sound, which is repeatedly broken through by fragile nuances, which gives this album its irrepressible momentum and, above all, many moments of tension. Fantastic album. #accordodeicontrari #accordodeicontrariband #prog #progrock #progressiverockmusic #progressiverock #progressiverockcommunity #progrockforever #progrockmusic #progrockcommunity #albumreview #albumreviews #progreviews #musicreview #progband #progalbum #progrockplanet #progrockworld #progrockvinyl #jazzprog #progjazz

Troot - Constance And The Waiting, 2018, 🇺🇲 Troot is a project led by Seattle-based pianist Tim Root. Next to Tim we find Julie Slick and Alessandro Inolti, Marco Machera, Steve Ball, Beth Fleenor , Amy Denio, Nora Germain, Alex Anthony Faide and Bill Horist. What we have here is an album of 6 compositions of exciting electric and eclectic chamber prog. The music is almost constantly on brilliant rhythms, even clownish at times, but without ever losing sight of the cleanliness of the sounds, without too many distortions. The solo moments are not very many, preferring a full orchestration of the instruments, with beautiful virtuosity. Everyone is obviously guided by the piano which, however, does not have a clearly predominant role. The moods are very varied, and the music moves from intense and solemn moments, with dramatic tones, to lighter digressions, but following logical consequential threads even when the music seems to make sudden jumps from one situation to another. A sharp and heavy guitar, sharp and tight rhythm section, chamber-flavored clarinet and a saxophone that screams, and in all of this a fine and neat piano by leader Tim who adds a classical feel to all of this. It has a stylish sound with a refined elegance while being high-tensioned. While showing off avant-garde parts reminiscent of modern and contemporary classical music, dramatic song development is also noteworthy. It is a high-level masterpiece that attracts listeners with its elaborate and dynamistic performances. #troot #trootband #prog #progrock #progressiverockmusic #progressiverock #progressiverockcommunity #progrockforever #progrockmusic #progrockcommunity #albumreview #albumreviews #progreviews #avantprog #rio #eclecticprog #progband #progrockplanet #progrockworld #progrockvinyl

Gösta Berlings Saga - Glue Works, 2011, 🇸🇪 First I will say that this is a collection of instrumental landscapes, the band glued the various parts together and carefully mixed sounds, ideas and musical references in such a way that they form a compact and pleasant whole. The Gösta Berlings Saga love to linger on musical themes, gradually expand them, wrap them in loops and build them little by little. In addition to the instruments of the basic quartet, formed by Gabriel Hermansson on bass, Einar Baldursson on guitar, Alexander Skepp on drums and David Lundberg with his keyboards (Fender Rhodes, Mellotron and various other synthesizers), there are many others played by a well-assorted group of guests: Fredrik Carlzon on French horn and trumpet, Cecilia Linné on cello, Leo Svensson on musical saw and Ulf Åkerstedt on tuba, trumpet (bass and double bass) and harmonica. This instrumental enrichment leads to a much more varied sound panel than in the past, with a clearly superior choice of timbres which translates into a decidedly more intriguing and effective sound. “Glue Works" draw an immense attraction from the combination of these components: scratchy to brutal guitars between twang and weirdness, again and again crooked beat action from the drums, a lot of pressure from the sometimes grumbling, sometimes buzzing bass, subtle sounds from the e-piano and just eerie moods as well as variety through keyboards and guest musician. In addition, of course, always polyphony, polyrhythmics and generally very, very, very much tension and dynamics. The two long tracks "Island" and "Sorterargatan 1" form the core of the album. These impressive compositions are dominated by dark chamber prog with a rowdy, rumbling bass, partly screeching interludes from the electric guitar and "singing saw", driving drumming and nimble runs on the electric piano, Rhodes and a swelling mellotron. The guest musicians emphasize the whole thing. However, "Sorterargatan 1" then goes through an almost curious metamorphosis and offers the restrained-symphonic, lyrical coda from half-time, which ends almost kitschy with jingle-bell-jingle (in the truest sense, so to speak).

Taal - Mister Green, 2000, 🇫🇷 This band came from France and with this album they gave us modern variety of contemporary music with clear progressive rock characteristics. In many elements, Taal are heavier than your classic prog rock band, especially as far as the guitar is concerned, and stylistically they aren't quite as jazzy, but are by no means one-dimensional. "Mister Green" is orchestral in concept and, with the exception of a choirs on one song, is completely instrumental, the ideas often seem voluminous, bombastic, but also classically complex. The French succeed in combining classic inspiration with powerful hard rock and light R.I.O. Taal is essentially a quartet in the classic progressive rock setup (guitar, bass, keyboards, drums), but the album features a number of guests playing all kinds of wind instruments (flutes, saxophones, clarinets) and strings. Thanks to this, the sound is not only powerful, but also extremely rich, and the melodic and rhythmic complication is accompanied by a variety of arrangements. The album contains over 68 minutes of music, divided into nine tracks. The songs are arranged in an extremely complex and varied way, there is a lot to hear and to discover, whereby the listener experiences a real musical rollercoaster ride through lively changes in tempo and mood. It is precisely the extremes of hardness and softness, melody and absurdity that give the album its very own character. This album represents musical earthquake in the “new prog” musical panorama and it stands as both traditional and original in form. What is most striking about it is the confidence with which these guys play. Taal’s debut album is somewhat hidden in its shadow, and I must say it’s a sad thing, because the album is extremely strong and mature, very professional and strongly recommended. #taal #taalband #prog #progrock #progressiverockmusic #progressiverock #progressiverockcommunity #progrockforever #progrockmusic #progrockcommunity #albumreview #albumreviews #progreviews #musicreview #progband #progalbum #progrockplanet #progrockworld #progrockvinyl

Disorder assembly - Combustion fossil, 2021, 🇺🇸 One album that unfortunately escaped under my radar in 2021 in the sea of new releases is a masterful work by a group called Disorder assembly, and the name of the album is "Combustion fossil". Disorder Assembly is a jazz outfit headquartered in North Carolina, and consists of eight musicians including Between the Buried and Me bassist Dan Briggs, who particularly caught my attention with his work on Nova Collective's 2017 masterpiece "The further side". In addition to the mentioned bass player who also shows his knowledge on synthesizers, this very interesting album also features Casey Cranford: alto saxophone, EWI, Walter Fancourt: tenor saxophone, synthesizer, flute, Eli Fribush: soprano/baritone/tenor saxophone, Sam Fribush: organ, synthesizer, Scott Johnson: drums, percussion, Jared Mankoff: tuba, electronics, percussion, Daniel Yount: drums, percussion. From the set of instruments presented at the beginning of the review, one can already assume that we have a very ambitious story ahead of us. I must admit that this album is very difficult to describe because many sounds and many styles are mixed in it. The closest characterization would be a very fresh approach to jazz and RIO, but the album is much more than that. "Spirit of the Dinosaurs" is the first composition on the album and it represents definite madness and I mean that in the most positive sense. The saxophone introduces us to the composition followed by Hammond, the slow walk of the bass guitar with the melancholic sounds of the synthesizer creates a truly psychedelic atmosphere. This really strange intro introduces us to a powerful riff, not in heaviness but in the feeling it creates. An excellently assembled and presented package with a sea of sounds really creates a very good atmosphere. The riff has been and gone, it's time to soak in the incredible sounds. The composition really holds the tension, where a new energy rises from the melancholic eclectic silence, which after a few moments descends us into the abyss. Avant-grade at its best.

Bubblemath - Turf Ascension, 2022, 🇺🇸 Three albums in twenty years: not exactly a speed record, but this has its advantages, the band is able to follow their own pace - especially in a territory like progressive rock. A demanding genre not only for its known propensity for contortionism, but also for the objective difficulty of creating something new, "progressive" in the proper sense of the term and not only in stylistic references. Turf Ascension, the latest release from the Minneapolis Bubblemath quintet, certainly sounds unlike any other prog album you've heard so far. Unless you are already familiar with Bubblemath's music. Bubblemath is still Bubblemath. They play idiosyncratic songs full of weird elements from jazz, avant-rock, and aloof prog, with selective or passage-wise vintage touches. Original, creative, with a love of detail. What's new is that there aren't any short songs anymore (even the shortest is just under the ten-minute mark). With this album, the five exceptionally allowed themselves to develop themes. On "Turf Ascension" Bubblemath stay longer with their ideas and motives and work out the individual themes. The band succeeds in putting the numerous breaks and twists into a musical flow, in designing the pieces as organic units, as songs, despite the long playing times. Nothing seems superimposed or artificially drawn out, the music develops quite naturally. As on Edit Peptide, the band never loses their sense of melody despite all their love for weird interludes, which is not least due to the - often polyphonic - singing. The stakes are raised with every transformation: the instrumental constructions become more daring, the melodic lines more tortuous, and the starting point is lost in the distance, until it is impossible to remember where it all began. Even the lyrics, written by keyboardist Kai Esbensen, participate in the acrobatic unraveling of the songs: emblematic in this sense is the title track, "Surface Tension", which begins as a tale of school boredom and, mutation after mutation, takes on a form epic, post-apocalyptic and sci-fi.

Draw the Sky – Humanity, 2017, 🇫🇷 Here is another band that accidentally appeared on my radar and simply blew me away. Draw the Sky is a French band that was founded in 2015 and so far they have recorded only one album called "Humanity". The album is phenomenal and the music presented can be defined as a kind of jazz prog with many elements of the classic styles of this genre. The album is mostly instrumental, only two compositions have vocals. The album shows unity and masterful music making. All band members equally participate in this very melodic but complex piece of music. Although the melodies are beautiful, a large dose of complexity comes out of them and the listener is in constant anticipation of what will follow. The very beginning of the album with bass and mellotron, which are gently caressed by saxophone and guitar, already drags you into a vortex from which you will not want to get out. The constant change of leaders or soloists gives additional tension to this work. With its rock and later jazz soloing, the guitar gives way to saxophone and vice versa. The rhythm section is phenomenal and plays a big role in sustaining these solo parts. The album is literally a musical journey through beautiful musical landscapes. The already mentioned guitar and sax solo presentations are joined from time to time by a large range of vintage keyboards. The groove is fantastically dictated with a lot of time changes announced by the bass and drums. The Canterbury element is present but with a dose of eclectic moments that simply hold the album throughout its duration. Moments of melancholy are present just enough to be broken by beautiful melodies. Enjoyment from start to finish, simply an album for all fans of prog music. #drawthesky #drawtheskyband #prog #progrock #progressiverockmusic #progressiverock #progressiverockcommunity #progrockforever #progrockmusic #progrockcommunity #albumreview #albumreviews #progreviews #musicreview #jazzprog #jazz #progband #progalbum #progrockplanet #progrockworld #progrockvinyl

Onségen Ensemble – Awalaï, 2016,🇫🇮 Onségen Ensemble is a band from northern Finland. Their self-description states "multilevel and experimental fusion of postrock, jazz and stoner, mixed with touches of cinematic and flamboyant overtones".In 2005 and 2007 the Finnish Onségen Ensemble had released two short EPs and from them two songs made it onto this release. There are also four new songs. The result is quite guitar-heavy and oscillates in the field of tension between space rock, post rock and every now and then a hint of RIO - sometimes more in one direction, sometimes more in the other. On this album the band has found unique ways to explore the outer realms of the space, psychedelic and progressive rock genres. The group makes every effort to serve a supreme goal: the opening of horizons. This quest emerges from a fundamentally spiritual or mystical imprint, but beyond this evocation Awalaï really draws its strength and its power of attraction from its mysterious, elusive power. Essentially instrumental, built on rock or metal riffs as well as choirs, Awalaï is particularly atmospheric, exotic and visual; this music has an undeniably progressive aspect, each title serves an idea, a predefined line. The compositions are nice and floaty and every now and then an anchor is thrown out to give some more weight to the riffs. However, it is only with the second track, Kuuhanka, that an unusual element comes to the fore. What at first seems like a fairly standard combination of raw vocals and harder riffs, eventually results in a mesmerizing mantra, which, together with folky melodies, becomes a cosmic whole. The proggy space rock is provided with many effects, which provide a nice layering in the music. A remarkable album, to say the least. The diverse influences, which are also not often heard together, are perhaps not equally attentively interwoven everywhere, but nevertheless go together very well. Awalaï has his own personality and he manages the feat of creating a truly personal, mystical, intriguing and strange universe.

Dewa Budjana – Mahandini, 2018, 🇮🇩 For his eleventh album (and his sixth with Moonjune Records), the Indonesian prog fusion guitarist Dewa Budjana has been able to engage some well-known musicians (among music lovers). Among them are Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), the drummer Marco Minnemann (there is hardly anyone he hasn't played with), the guitarist John Frusciante (ex Red Hot Chilli Peppers), the guitarist Mike Stern (ex- Miles Davis Band), as well as an excellent Indian bassist Mohini Mey. Mahandini represents a meeting not just of progressive rock, jazz and metal, but also of western and eastern musical traditions. The powerful and basic quartet guarantees, a right mix between elegance and corporeality of the sound, with results in several compelling points, as in Queen Kanja, with a penetrating guitar solo and the final sparkling performance of the bassist's fantastic virtuosity; and in the subsequent Hyang Giri, with the vocal of Soimah Pancawati to characterize the piece with a non-fashion exoticism, while managing to fully integrate with the piano gusts of Jordan Rudess and the rhythmic pulsation, where it is still Mohini who shows off excellent groove and already superfine technique. The music has its own style and character. Reflectively gentle moments give you a short time to pause, then the hypnotic title line breaks out again and again and the collected combo leaves no doubt right at the start that fusion can also be equipped with very rocky attitudes. A certain catchy character cannot be denied with the beautiful and catchy hooks. The album "Mahandini" offers rousingly composed songs and of course lives from the unique virtuosity and competence of an ensemble, which plays together for the first time and casually dissolves the borders between fusion and progressive to a coherent independent concept, in which ethnic influences with playful ease merge in western culture. Musical integration in its purest form, which by the way also sounds really good. A parable of the beauty of the world and its culture when in harmony. Very successful and recommendable ethno-fusion-prog.