KEYHOLDER

'Keyholder' is a really, really good symphonic prog album by the Swedish band Kaipa, the country's first major prog act, known for a couple of very well-received 70s albums in the vein of Yes and Genesis. The band's 21st century resurgence is the deed of keyboardist and vocalist Hand Lundin and guitarist Roine Stolt (who played with them in the 70s, when he was just a teenage guitar prodigy) - and normally, while the music reminisces the symphonic explorations of the old Kaipa, it also strongly resembles another major act from Sweden - Roine Stolt's very own The Flower Kings (this should come as no surprise, since Jonas Reingold has been handling the bass duties in Kaipa ever since their reunion).

Released in 2003, on Inside Out Music, 'Keyholder' is a very interesting case, and a good example of the present-day album length phenomenon, when a single-disc record can have the length of a classic 70s double album. With just some seconds over the seventy-eight-minute mark, this very intricate, exhaustive, and often mind-blowing collection of songs is, in fact, equaling the playtime of records like 'Third' by Soft Machine or 'Tales From Topographic Oceans' by Yes, just to give an example of how long this one really is.

The all-star line-up and the wacky, almost comical, album art are two prerogatives indicating that 'Keyholder' is going to be an interesting undertaking for the curious listener, who unfortunately might end up slightly disappointed, tired and even confused. This last statement comes after the realization that if we split the album into two halves (with each half being represented by the first and the final four songs respectively), we will get one pretty excellent almost-forty-minute ride of prog extravaganza, with the first four compositions, and one more repetitive, overplayed and less engaging-and-entertaining side, represented by the latter four songs on the track list.

Opener 'Lifetime of a Journey' has some otherworldly instrumentation that could easily rival the most technical of moments we may hear on a Yes or on an ELP album - simply mind-blowing, intense, and cathartic playing from Lundin, Stolt, and Reingold. The next track 'A Complex Work of Art' continues to impress with the fabulous harmonies and chemistry between the bass, the drums, and all the keyboards. The vocals, however, are not necessarily compelling, and ruin what could have otherwise been a prog classic. 'The Weed of All Mankind' is another energetic composition, full of astonishing keys and gorgeous guitars - so far, the instrumental sections on the album are above sublime, with everyone in the band playing 'at the top of their game'. 'Sonic Pearls' is a little bit more relaxing and slower, compared to the previous musical fiesta. Once again, Stolt impresses quite a lot. Then comes 'End of the Rope', a great song that had the potential to be even more enjoyable had it not been overlong (and dare I say, overplayed). 'Across the Big Uncertain' is not very interesting, feels like a bit of a drag, and put against the rest of the album, is plain filler. Same concern goes for the final track, 'Otherworldly Brights', while the 13-minute 'Distant Voices' is a much better offering, as Kaipa go back to tremendous playing.

A good album, an enjoyable listen for the most part, and full of fantastic ideas (some of which get washed out by the occasional overplaying and over-symphonization), 'Keyholder' will thrill some and frighten others (let's not forget how long the record is, with its whopping seventy-eight minutes). There are tons of phenomenal keyboard and guitar moments, lovely interplay between the bass and the drums, and it seems the vocals and the songwriting (on specific tracks) are the only lows of what is certainly a crazy album by a band full of incredibly skilled musicians.