ROOM 101

Italian band Karmamoi are back with their fifth album and are to a trio with Alessandro Cefalì (bass) now back as a full member alongside Daniele Giovannoni (drums, keyboards, backing vocals) and Alex Massari (guitars). The line-up is completed with many guests, including Sara Runaldi who is back on lead vocals for her third album yet is still to be credited as a full member of the band. As one may have guessed from the title, this is a concept album based on George Orwell's idea of a room where the prisoner is subjected to their worst nightmare to break them. One might think that this would mean an album full of angst and drama, yet there are huge parts where it is quite dreamy, and in many ways, it feels quite disjointed. I would have much preferred more aggression, as the few times they come through in that manner the album is quite transformed.

Although I did not hear their debut, I have reviewed all their releases since then and it is safe to say that the band has yet to fully resonate with me, and although I felt their last one was a step in the right direction this album feels like there are elements which are simply wonderful and others which just drift too far into the background. Possibly the time is right for the guys to set themselves up as a proper band as opposed to a few people with guests and see what happens when they work consistently in that format. There are definitely parts of this album which are sheer delight, but as a whole it never transcends to the levels I am sure they can reach.