BIRDS OF PASSAGE

It is the album that deserve to be heard for sure! Antony told me that it`ll be special but I didn`t even realize how much! From the very beginning it`s like a bit of fresh air. Of course the artwork is fabulous , like always and i`ll agree, this time it`s even "warmer" , you may think about "Alice in Wonderland" looking on it and it`s true - it`s really magical album, that has powerful, melodic main theme... "This Time, This Place"... So catchy! I don`t think you should compare this album to the "Echoes from within Dragon Island" - they are two different stories. With "Birds of Passage" Antony and his team did an album worth of being released on Vinyl - No "long" passages and fillers... Two Parts of Suite , like a 2 sides of a Vinyl.. How I wish they can bring it on a Vinyl one day... This Time , Antonys good friend Mathieu Speater has recorded guitars and they are awsome. Don`t get me wrong, I`m a huge fan of Max Velychko guitars ,but Mat did his job as good as he did on " Magicians Theater" in 2014. What a gorgeous Nylon guitar by Alex Pavlov in the beginning of the second part - breath taking - fantastic sound without any doubts! I like the format of LP where there`s no place for some sound filler that just ruins the conception of the "Message". What an emotional ending of both parts.. Wow.. "Camel", "Manfred Mann" in it`s best and I`ll agree with Matti, soon there`ll be the time when no comparison will needed, as Karfagen with it`s 11th! album stands bright in Symphonic Prog liague. As for bonus tracks - Lovely flute in "Sunrise" and almost Peter Gabriel - Weather Report "Birds Delight" - both tracks are pleasent to the ear and just compliment the album. 5 stars for sure!