DÅRSKAPENS MONOTONI

Honestly, I had no expectations from this "alternative" version of swedish prog legend Kaipa. And I´m not embarrassed to admit that the only reason I got this CD is because Jadis latest release had not yet arrived at the time and I was looking for something new to listen. I got it out of pure curiosity, at the spur of the moment. I was quite surprised indeed to see that three of the original Kaipa members (Roine Stolt plus bassist Tomas Eriksson and drummer Ingmar Bergman) were joined by Roine´s brother. Michael. Stolt was already known in the prog circle as the Flower Kings original bassist until their Flower Power CD (1999). However, on Kaipa Da Capo he takes the role of the lead singer (plus playing guitar and keyboards, along with his brother). Max Lorentz (keyboards) completes the line up. Founding member Hans Lundin is the only missing piece, who has been keeping his "own" version of Kaipa going since their come back in 2002. I was stunned when I first heard Darskapens Monotoni (Folly Monotony in swedish). For it is everything but monotonous.

Of course, coming for someone like Roine Stolt, I was expecting something good, but, boy, I was not ready to listen to anything THAT good! Musically speaking Kaipa Da Capo reminds me of The Flower Kings, of course. But with some differences: the swedish folk influences are more prominent than on TFK, and the fact that all the vocals are sung in their native language only enhances that. Also, the jazz rock influences that crept so very often on Stolt´s main band is here kept to a minimum. More important, though, is the fact that Stolt has found his muse again, for, songwriting-wise, this is the best album done by him since he started TFK with the masterpieces Back In The World Of Adventures and Retropolis. As one might expect, there´s lots of Stolt´s trademark guitar solos plus several vintage sounding keyboards (Hammond Organ, Fender Rhodes, mellotrons, moogs) plus a very tight rhythm section. Michael Stolt surprised me the most as a very good and emotional singer who handles all the songs beautifully. But anything would not work so well if the songs themselves were not first class. And first class they are: Powerful, inspired symphonic rock pieces that give me shivers down the spine every time I hear them. Not a single filler can be found in the entire album. In a rare case of balancing simple melodies with complex harmonies and tasteful arrangements, the band produced not only one of the best releases of 2016, but one of the best symphonic prog albums I heard in decades! Not a single note is wasted. And I can´t really describe the pleasures I had listening to this album over and over again while on vacation.

It´s very hard to point a highlight, since all the tracks are top notch and exciting, but most proggers will probably say the 17 minute suite Tonema, with its various mood and tempo changes, is the best example of how versatile and inspired they were. The acoustic (and mellotron drenched) Spår Av Vår Tid is another brilliant song, in a CD full of brilliant music. If you like The Flower Kings at their very best, you´ll love this one!

With a superb production and spotless performances, DÃ¥rskapens Monotoni is definitely the album I would recommend to anyone who likes classic symphonic prog in the vein of Gabriel-era Genesis, Yes, Camel and ELP at their peak.

Rating: 5 stars with honors! A new classic is born! Essential. Thank you, Kaipa Da Capo!