KINETIC

An interesting band from Sweden who have a fairly unique sound. That's in part to the fact they have no guitarist and two keyboardists. The vocalist has a modern sound to his singing which i'm not really a fan of. I do like how melancholic this album is, I just wish there was some of that Lifeson style ("Permanent Waves") guitar instead of just keyboards. Still this is a pretty good album that has been getting very good reviews.

"Morning Star" opens with soft sounds as reserved vocals join in. Synths and keyboards only end it in a melancholic manner. "Kinetic" is where we get some energy with drums and synths leading. Vocals a minute in. I like the instrumental section 3 1/2 minutes in. Vocals are back a minute later. A calm after 5 minutes to end it again in a melancholic way. "Torrential Rains" opens with synths before the heaviness takes over followed by vocals. "Night Lights" is a short and sad soundscape with synths and organ.

"Sky Burial" features drums, keyboards and vocals. A laid back and at times dreamy tune. "Subzero" is one of the few tracks where I can hear the bass. Again synths, vocals and drums standout. "Quiet Stalker" is the epic at 18 minutes. It's dark and experimental early. I like it. Drums and vocals after a minute. Not a fan of this though. The instrumental section before 5 minutes is better and more intense. Vocals are back unfortunately. It's heavier after 9 minutes with drums and synths. "Homesick" is the short conclusion. Synths build slowly as soft vocals join in. Kind of cool.

It seems like the critics and fans love this album so take my 3 stars rating with a grain of salt. And why do I have such a hard time saying the band's name ?