KAMA SUTRA

Syndone's "Kama Sutra" is not only a masterpiece of progressive rock, but a masterpiece of music in general that addresses a very taboo yet incredibly important topic that is rarely so openly discussed in any form of popular music, let alone progressive rock: sex. Sex is an incredibly natural, important, and beautiful part of life, and yet it has become such a sensitive thing to talk about in our society. Syndone completely discards our usual reservations and dives right into the topic, using the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text as the foundation of the album's narrative, as well as its title.

I've never quite agreed with Syndone's RPI classification, especially as their more recent albums have moved towards having more English lyrics than Italian, with Kama Sutra being sung entirely in English. Their last album, Mysoginia, I feel fits better into the Eclectic Prog category, as it weaves together styles and influences such as Symphonic Prog, RIO, Canterbury, and contemporary chamber music. Kama Sutra continues to experiment with different styles, incorporating hard rock, opera, jazz, cabaret, and more. The album overall has a very modern prog sound with a lot of avant-prog influences, but the band's approach to these styles is so unique that I'd hesitate to pin them into either category.

As is fairly evident from the band's wide variety of influences, "Kama Sutra" is a very wild ride. I would usually do a track by track breakdown, but quite frankly, the album speaks so strongly for itself that I hesitate to do so. Some highlights, though, include the very theatrical "Nirvana" and "Carousel" pair, which flow into each other; the beautifully written "You Still Shine"; "Sex Toys R Us", which is a rapid mood shift immediately after "You Still Shine" into one of the wildest songs on the album; "Sacred & Profane", which is the longest track on the record, but takes the listener on such a journey that it feels much longer; and the gorgeous closer "Peace on Earth", which, save for the very ending, is a beautiful piano-vocal track with a supporting string arrangement.

Easily one of the best prog albums of the modern era, "Kama Sutra" is an incredibly bold statement that Syndone makes with utmost confidence. 5/5, an absolute work of art.