I AM A STRANGER IN THE EARTH

Here we have the second studio album from Ivan Rozmainsky (keyboards, Roz Vitalis) and Vladimir Mikhaylov (guitars, percussion, drill, samples, Enine, Algabas). As with their debut album, 2017's 'For The Light', they are again joined by clarinettist Leonid Perevalov (Yojo, Pustotsvet) and drummer Yurii Groiser, and this time have utilised bassist Max Lokosov as well as some guests. I have long been a fan of Roz Vitalis, who are surely one of the most consistent and innovative bands to come out of Russia, and RMP allows Ivan to work with a melodic partner to take his modern classically inspired music into far more experimental and innovative directions.

There are times when the musical threads feel somewhat disconnected and unconnected, and it takes time for the brain to fathom what is really going on. The band themselves describe this album as almost instrumental (with rare female voices) progressive rock combining avant-prog, space-rock, psychedelic rock and improvisational music, yet while all that is true there are also elements of free jazz and even some RIO. Ivan produces a melodic base, often with piano, while Vladimir sometimes follows or goes off at complete tangents, Leonid may or may not be involved at all, while Yurii follows a path all on his own and Max tries to provide a link between them all. There are times when the music is complex in its arrangement that it feels like it has been scored for a modern orchestra and others when it feels so free as musicians go where they feel the need to explore. There is a great deal of space within the music, allowing everyone to come together or move apart as the need arises, and the listener is never sure where they are going to be taken except that the journey is definitely going to be worthwhile.

Yet another extremely enjoyable progressive album from Russia, and I look forward to the next one with great interest.