SONGS FROM THE RAVEN'S NEST

One of the most extreme examples of delayed gratification in finally releasing albums has to belong to the duo of Börje Reinholdsson (drums, vocals) and Ronald Vikström (keyboards) who formed the REEGONETTI BAND all the way back in 1981 in their hometown of Arvidsjaur, Sweden and started to create their own music and even managed to record a five-song demo before getting sidetracked with other projects and life distractions. While not officially disbanding the duo never really got anything going either but after four decades reformed with a debut album titled "Exploring The Unknown" finally hitting the world of prog in 2022. The band refers to its music as a more cinematic version of UK or ELP and crafts all its tunes with only keyboards, drums and vocals.

It seems these guys finally found their late blooming momentum going and are making up for lost time with the sophomore release SONGS FROM THE RAVEN'S NEST emerging just two years after the debut. Considering the lengthy gap between forming and releasing albums, REEGONETTI BAND seems to rekindle the timeline in which they were formed with a type of prog that was inspired by the 1970s symphonic acts ranging from Yes and UK as well as the 90s revivalists such as Spock's Beard, The Flower Kings and Echolyn. SONGS FROM THE RAVEN'S NEST features seven tracks, clocks in around 57 minutes and features everything from catchy neo-prog / crossover tracks like the snappy pop-infused opener "A Place Of Dread" to the more sprawling symphonic prog epic sounding tracks like "Chicxulub."

REGONETTI BAND very much sounds like it was crafted for the 80s or 90s and hasn't lost those original goals with a large arsenal of keyboard sounds courtesy of synthesizers, the moog, the piano and organ. While no guitarist or bassist is credited it sounds like the synthesized sounds do sound somewhat authentic showcasing the advances of technology since the band's formation. The tracks all craft catchy melodies with nice compositional flow, swirling keyboard excess, nice backing choral additions from time to time and a rather cinematic and epic overall feel. The weakest link are the lead vocals as Börje Reinholdsson's singing sounds a bit grizzled and not up to the task of offering those dynamic ranges that really animates this style of prog to the next level. The lyrics are on the darker side ranging from paranormal activity on the Skinwalker Ranch to the COVID pandemic and the excesses of politics and religion.

The tracks are fairly creative and are melodically distinct from one another with the wide variety of keyboard sounds dominating the soundscapes including rich dynamic atmospheric backdrops. The drumming is a bit mechanical for the most part and i wish there was more inventiveness in the percussion department as it often sounds canned and bland. While the band has done a remarkable job of brining its past endeavors to fruition in the modern world and implemented the technological benefits of waiting over 40 years to record ideas set in motions as far back as those early years, unfortunately the music isn't as sonically rich and well polished as i would like. Sometimes sequencer loops are implemented to provide bass lines or repetitive grooves which offer a bit of a mesmerizing feel which can pacify your senses.

A dedicated vocalist would bring this up a few notches as would a more dynamic drummer. Sounding something like a more modern Hansson & Karlson only with more of a focus on 90s symphonic prog as the template, REEGONETTI BAND sounds a bit incomplete for my ears but definitely a pleasant ride through the well crafted tracks through this near hour run. Overall this is a decent album that will please lovers of keyboard-rich prog especially symphonic acts of the 90s and those Colossus Project collaborations from Finland which tend to showcase similar symphonic overload. If the vocals were more competent and the drumming more dynamic i would gladly give this 4 stars but those two factors are too lacking for me to really grasp this as an essential release of any type. If these guys expanded the band to include a guitarist, bassist and more competent vocalist along with better drumming they could go far.