KOMARA

I've always considered Pat Mastelotto the most progressive member of the post-millennial KING CRIMSON: the musician who arguably best embodied the higher aspirations of a historically forward-thinking band. And with the once-noble King now reduced to a puppet ruler recycling past glories, it's reassuring to hear the drummer maintaining that time-honored Crimson tradition of dangerous creativity, in effect becoming the unofficial keeper of the royal scepter.

His latest-to-date venture is a natural sequel to the year 2000 "Heaven and Earth" album by the pseudonymous KC ProjeKct X, updated with a shock dose of industrial mayhem filtered through the mind of Trent Reznor, electric Miles Davis at his farthest out, and other alien influences too bizarre and frightening to face in broad daylight. Anyone familiar with the cut-'n'-paste critical beats of Mastelotto's BPM&M project (alongside producer Bill Munyon, a collaborator here as well), or his eclectic local Austin band Mastica (likewise deserving a berth in these Archives) should feel at home listening to the new group's self-titled album.

The band moniker conflates the surnames of each player: David KOllar, Pat MAstelloto, and Paolo RAineri, together forming an unorthodox power trio of guitars, drums and trumpet, with Kollar adding the 'electronic textures' that help give the music its unnerving intensity. Credit is also given to a Sound Designer, and with good reason: Raineri's distorted trumpet often becomes analogous to (and indistinguishable from) the wail of an electric guitar, providing an effective substitute for an instrument already anachronistic in modern music making.

At first exposure the album might sound harsh and unsettling, much like the visceral cover art. But there's a living, beating heart inside this malformed beast, and its possible to discern a semblance of actual melody hidden underneath all the fraKctured ambience. Aside from some isolated vocal narration orphaned from an imaginary film-noir soundtrack ("vengeance chokes my breath...am I breathing?") the album is entirely instrumental, and largely unscripted. But the implicit song forms do exist, and give the music extra resonance.

It's not a stretch to hear the effort as a preview of one possible future for Progressive Rock, shorn of any retro-symphonic refinement. Which would make it a shame that Mastelotto is back on the KC payroll again. Komara will never enjoy the influence or popularity of King Crimson, but this bastard stepchild of the aging monarch at least inherited all the audacity now dormant in the Crimson court.

KoMaRa's self-titled and only album so far -- as I write this in June 2016 -- is a fantastic discovery, just waiting for anyone who enjoys a wide fusion of prog (a la King Crimson or Tool), world music, atmospheric/ambient, industrial rock, and jazz. When I bought this a few months ago, it didn't take long for the album to worm its way through the subconscious corridors and into the darker recesses of my brain.

For dark it is.... as much as a largely instrumental album can be. The gloom seldom lets up, except to make room for the occasional spacey psychedelic (the band website's words, not mine!) trumpet solo or creepy half-mumbled monologue. Make no mistake, though: A formidable musical statement is being made on this debut record, a record which boasts many examples of the savvy use of foreboding textures, inventive percussion and the spooky sounding trumpet - all well integrated and nowhere in more exemplary form than on the album sample track present here on PA, "A Collision Of Fingerprints". In point of fact, Pat Mastelotto seems to have found an even freer reign on his equipment than he usually has when drumming for King Crimson. The often-proffered single from this album - "Dirty Smelly" - has a kind of Soundgarden-esque feel (even if it lacks vocals), although I would say that's the only track to exhibit this feature. This is probably because most of the remainder of the tracks are jam- or improv-based, and another reason I have for thinking so is that the live versions of them vary quite considerably from the studio versions.

Standout tracks, for my money, are: "God Left This Place" (which has a section in it, due to a girlish spoken-word vocal delivering fear-filled utterances, that makes my skin crawl the way the final section of Larks Tongues in Aspic Pt.1 does); "Pasquinade" and "She Sat In Black Silt", which are atmospheric and both quite pretty ; "37 Forms," with some very nice mellow moods being set by the delay-line-processed trumpets; and 2CFAC, a feast of dissonance worthy of appearing on any King Crimson record.

"KoMaRa" (the group or album) would be better known and more popular, if there were any justice. I suspect it is mainly known only to those who dig Tool's, and the more modern King Crimson's, musical efforts though. But they are fairly certain to achieve greater fame, if the prodigious talent assembled together in this band and the quality of this debut album has anything to say about it.

The return of the son of King Crimson.

KOMARA formed by the genial Pat Mastelotto alongside David Kollar and Paolo Raineri first release, same name, 2015, best referential aside from the obvious King Crimson one , the 1995-2003 years to be specific, holds in its drummer and his vast collaborations and ensemble works experience, its main ingredients to make this album highly explosive as everything he touches or is involed with.

Having witnessed how he is able to make his fellow musicians, whoever they are, go beyond themselves, is something that still marvels me and certainly is worth watching.

Anyway back to the music. KOMARA's "KOMARA" sets itself apart by the up front raw, heavy handed, experimental music composition they deliver, as relying on Raineri's trumpet as main light on most of its songs.

If you can imagine a late Miles Davis playing alongside the heavier version of the King, tainted with Porcupine Tree's polished chaos, with all the balls of the RiO's first bands and sheltered by Mastelotto's guiding hand, you might get a more or less accurate picture of what to expect from this new PA's eclectic prog inclusion.

Easy **** 4.5 PA stars.

I couldn't help but think of the quote by Bill Bruford in 1995 when he said "When you want to hear where music is going in the future, you put on a KING CRIMSON album". With long time KING CRIMSON drummer Pat Mastelotto being part of this trio I couldn't help but think that THIS could have been something like what KING CIMSON could have recorded instead of the pedestrian "A Scarcity Of Miracles". In fact I'd love to hear Fripp and the guys play this. Along with Mastelotto on drums we get Italian Paolo Raineri on trumpet and David Kollar from Slovakia on guitar and electronics. This has immediately moved into my top three albums of 2015. This is dark, powerful, atmospheric and experimental. I like the spoken male words on a couple of tracks, they sound perfect and were done by one of the engineers of this album Bill Munyon. Most of this was recorded in Prague at the Faust Studio.

"Dirty Smelly" has the most memorable intro I have ever heard on any album as we get some brief atmosphere before this massive, rolling, nasty, fuzzed out sound kicks in causing yours truly to turn completely giddy. It comes and goes as pounding drums and distorted guitar join in. Trumpet after a minute rips off some dissonant licks that are hair raising to say the least. It's KING CRIMSON-like before 3 minutes and this is some powerful [&*!#], I'll say that. How's this for a introduction to the band.

"37 Forms" has these haunting trumpet sounds along with percussion to start. Deep sounds join in then the pace picks up at 1 1/2 minutes. Some interesting sounds here. It picks up more after 2 minutes with some prominent bass from Kollar and these nasty guitar sounds. A calm follows as that haunting trumpet becomes the focus once again. Drums return when the trumpet stops then we get some insane sounding trumpet 5 1/2 minutes in with vocal expressions and drums. Oh my! A calm 7 1/2 minutes in to the end with that haunting trumpet. "A Collision Of Fingerprints" has quite the rhythm to it, it's dirty man. Love the drum work. Some filthy electronics joins in as the trumpet plays over top. I'm thinking Miles after 2 1/2 minutes as the trumpet cries out. More wicked sounds 3 1/2 minutes in in this dark and experimental piece.

"She Sat In The Back Silt" is dark and melancholic as sounds come and go then the trumpet cries out over top. Drums to the fore 3 minutes in and vocal melodies join in as well. The trumpet is back and continues to the end and we get picked guitar late. "2CFAC" has this fuzzed out beat(first time I've said that) as the trumpet joins in. This is experimental yet I'm so into this sound. A calm before 3 minutes then it kicks in again. "Pasquinade" is dark and ominous sounding with plenty of atmosphere as guitar and trumpet sounds come and go. Soon the trumpet and guitar lead the way as this nasty, fuzzed out sound comes and goes. It's building as well but then it settles right back. It kicks back in at 4 minutes. Nice.

"Abraso" is a very brief trumpet interlude before "God Has Left This Place" arrives and those spoken words which add so much to the vibe here. They sound so serious but they are humerous as well. The music kicks in before a minute with these strange dark sounds along with atmosphere and voices. Filthy sounds 3 minutes in and then some crazy trumpet as this distressed female voice arrives bringing to mind "Cottonwood Hill" only not that extreme(haha). Male vocals help out as well. "Afterbirth" opens with a metalic and grungy sound that comes and goes as the drums join in. It settles back around 2 minutes but it's still experimental with these strange sounds along with guitar and trumpet. It kicks in hard after 3 minutes. So good! Chaos after 5 minutes. "Inciting Incidents" is the short closer of male spoken words like at the start of "God Has Left This Place".

The music like the album cover is something alien, strange and different. This is a monster people.

KoMaRa is Slovakian experimental guitarist and composer David Kollar new trio project with an acoustic and electronic percussions magican Pat Mastelotto and Paolo Raineri on trumpet. It sounds very fresh and exciting. Without doubts this realease is one of the best from 2015. Only 6 ratings and one review so far on PA site is probably the only reason why I can not see this record in the top ten of 2015. Music brings to mind some King Crimson or Fripp works mixed with Nils Petter Molvaer soundscapes and experimental-post metal moments. There are also some similarities to Tony Levin's World Diary or even more some Stick Man pieces especially in bass lines with tint of Miles Davis trumpet excesses or, in some parts also with Trevor Dunn's Trio Convulsant prog-hardcore-jazz experiments. This was my associations after the first three hearings, however this stuff is darker and denser, somewhat industrial-like and full of heavy moments interrupted by more melancholic and gently pulsing fragments. My favourite track is "Afterbirth" with one minute of silence at the end. Some associations around band name: "komar" means "mosquito" in Polish. We can say as linguistic joke: "komara" for female mosquito but correct form of this noun in Polish is "komarzyca" :-) Back to topic - four and a half star rounded to five. Highly recommended!

KOMARA!!What a strange name for a band.as strange as their music is.i really have not heard heard something like this before.we all know that progressive music tends to evolve,but i have never heard such a thing!THIS IS UNIQUE!!this is dark,mind altering and it seems that this record has gathered all the darkness of the world and space.i really cannot describe it better.just listen and you will understand.

i dont do drugs but while i listened to KOMARA i thought i was on drugs.i imagine that if i was on drugs with this thing i would end insane in a corner trying to get sober and not die!! i am really happy because some kinds of music,has died,but not progressive music!!if bands like KOMARA exist,prog music has nothing to fear.this is a unique form of expression and makes you understand that not only prog music has no limits,but it also expands like space. PERFECT!!