KEYHOLDER

Actually it should deserve probably another half star or also something more...it's due to a major integration, in comparison to the previous controversial work by Kaipa, concerning all the musicians involved into this new project,which let the present album be appreciated by a wider crowd of fans...well I'm joking now, to me these latter are not so many, but otherwise the whole stuff is a bit less derivative in comparison to the last works by Stolt and it should be fine for these old "prog veterans" if they gained a lot of new fans all over Europe!! The unique defect is the lack of new innovative ideas, but I know that's not easy nowadays...however Morgan Ågren on drums, Jonas Reingold on bass guitar and Aleena on vocals, perform such a good and remarkable job: so cause of this consideration alone, I'm going to regard this album as an excellent addition to any prog collection, being a balanced and melodic symphonic work, without any peek of invention, but at the end it's well arranged and performed in a strong manner!! The "alchemy" is good, which this time works quite well...nevertheless for sure my opinion will change after several listens, especially by regarding their frequent use of the Hammond Organ, becoming tiring and too much "bound" to the seventies, but never mind as I forgive Stolt for his old and always present "ancient" roots!!