MESSAGES FROM AFAR: SECOND NATURE

A virtually assembly line of symphonic prog, the Ukrainian band KARFAGEN led by the indefatigable Antony Kalugin has now released 19 full-length studio albums since the band debuted with the 2006 "Continuum." Half of these releases have come out since 2019 with three alone in 2020, three more in 2023 and so far in 2024 two! And it's only March! Someone has acquired Buckethead syndrome :/

MESSAGES FROM AFAR: SECOND NATURE is the first release of the year and features nine tracks at about 48 1/2 minutes but bonus tracks are also included on the CD version under the moniker Dmytro Ignatov who happens to be the electric and acoustic guitarist. While Kalugin dominates the soundscape with his fiery keyboard playing, the album features a wide range of guest musicians and singers that up to nine, one for each track! Concept-wise it's a sequel to 2017's "Messages from Afar: First Contact."

This is a band i've checked out periodically over the years to sample but not really kept up with simply because i tend to avoid bands that favor quantity over quality unless they aren't devoted to a single genre and have license to go anywhere they want. In the case of KARGAGEN the entire musical style is crafted within the realms of modern symphonic prog and although not unpleasant, not really a style of modern prog that gets my juices going therefore so many other artists to explore.

Being that this is one of the highest rated album from the KARFAGEN canon out of the band's existence, i figured that this might be the time to drop in, tune in and evaluate if the band had stepped things up a few notches from the monotonous cookie cutter albums of the past to something more dynamic that can keep my interest throughout its entire run. Lo and behold, as i checked this release out i have to admit that KARFAGEN has indeed stepped things up a few notches and went well beyond some of the overly aerie fairy princess prog of the past (sorry, that's what i call squeaky clean prog with no gonads.)

Like all of KARFAGEN's releases that i've experienced, MESSAGES FROM AFAR: SECOND NATURE is drenched in atmosphere and the entire shebang sort of sounds more like a neo-prog release in some ways with instantly catchy pop-flavored hooks, soaring guitar sweeps and nice comfy song structures that adhere to more modern traditional symphonic prog song structures a la Neil Morse or any of those symphonic prog acts that appear on the Colossus Project compilations. Once again KARFAGEN delivers soundtracks to fairytales that are dreamy and dripping with ambience and layered keyboard effects.

What's new, at least to me is the fact that not only did KARFAGEN offer a more diverse array of track styles on MESSAGES FROM AFAR: SECOND NATURE but added the accompanying sounds of jazz, classical guitar and vocal sections including a surprise cameo from Camel's bass player Colin Bass of all people! In other words, this release is a huge step up from the one's i've dabbled in previously however just like prolific artists such as Neal Morse, Buckethead, Alio Die, Brian Eno or The Residents, just to name a few, there is always a lot of filler with the occasional gem to be plucked from the overgrowth therefore careful selection is the key.

Well in this case, i'm actually quite pleased with how this album flows and how it keeps things interesting by offering varying tempos, time signature workouts and guests singers and sounds that weave their way into the overall mainframe. Add to that the songs are all interesting and even though the band has the same basic sound it always has, this one has enough spice to keep a hardcore progger like me entertained! While i wouldn't go as far as to say that i'm going to go back and check out every possible KARFAGEN album at this point but i will definitely be checking out the releases that are receiving the most positive reviews and ratings. A pleasant surprise for a band that i really wanted to write off! Great job, Mr Kalugin!