SOMMARGRYNINGSLJUS

Since the 70s, Kaipa has been delighting us with the finest sounds of Swedish progressive rock, setting trends in the country and serving as a creative haven for many of the genre's legendary artists. From their iconic debut with a young Roine Stolt on guitar (and, interestingly, painting the cover art), Kaipa has continuously reinvented their sound while maintaining the hallmarks of pastoral, symphonic, and, of course, progressive rock. They achieve a spectacular balance between melodic beauty and virtuosity.

This contrast became even more pronounced with the arrival of guitarist Per Nilsson in 2006, known for his work with Scar Symmetry and Meshuggah. This death metal icon breathed new life into the band with his piercing riffs and incredible, supersonic leads inspired by another Swedish idol, Yngwie Malmsteen. Let's not forget Jonas Reingold's pivotal role, possibly one of the most skilled bassists in modern progressive rock, with contributions to bands like The Flower Kings, The Tangent, and Steve Hackett.

Hans Lundin is the only original member of Kaipa still playing on this album. Once again, he dazzles us with his incredible compositional skills and signature keyboards. Undoubtedly, he is the mastermind behind this magical and ever-burning project.

This album follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, Urskog, and we believe it elevates this style to the next level, showcasing the band's best at an outstanding level of excellence. Folk melodies paint sunsets and mornings with violins, flutes, Hammonds, and Mellotrons, all alongside the boldness of a jazzy, hypnotic rhythm section, unbeatable bass runs, and well-crafted atmospheres with brilliant pads and multiple harmonic layers.

The guitar has its moments of prominence and accompaniment, being a fundamental pillar for structuring the songs (mostly long epics) in both modes, layering syncopated rhythms and creating discomfort and beauty simultaneously. The solos are spectacular, incredibly fast yet with enough melodic insight, sometimes touching a style akin to Guthrie Govan or Allan Holdsworth. In each of these long compositions, there's a guitar moment that often serves as the climax of the piece, showcasing unparalleled virtuosity.

Kaipa captures the full spectrum of nature's colors, offering melancholic introspective moments where tensions synergize indefinitely, as well as beautiful sunrise sections with barbershop-worthy vocal harmonies, enhanced by the combined energy of the two melodic singers, Aleena Gibson and Patrik Lundström. Each track on the album feels like an ineffable story, an experience worth exploring.

"Sommarskymningsljus" (Summer Twilight Light) opens the album with a captivating title that conjures a melody of the same nature, setting the emotional tone for this sensational journey.

"Seven Birds" brings forth everything we love about retro-prog: spectacular Mellotron melodies, vocal harmonies, and catchy hooks. Darkness lurks within the beauty and light of many passages, appearing in bold notes that enrich the melodies. Both vocalists weave their magic into a majestic harmonic display alongside the thunderous guitar that carves solos into every corner of this piece.

"Like Thousand Dawns" presents itself with an incredible introduction featuring irregular time signatures, a lead guitar, and rhythmic juggling. This track, sung in English unlike the first and last songs on the album, has captivating vocal passages narrated by Aleena's voice, sparking pure imagination that soars with the keyboards and dynamic shifts. This song includes some of the album's most ethereal passages and a spectacular use of vocal harmonies to create transcendent sections. The sweep picking intensifies towards the end, altering the chorus structure and concluding with an impressive prog display.

"Revelationview" is the second single from the album, already available for listening, and the reasons for its selection are evident. The emotional intensity of the voices and the otherworldly melodies show a different, darker, and more melancholic side of Kaipa that transforms under the subtle rays of late light. After two minutes, a spectacular violin theme emerges, reappearing until it dominates the orchestra of our minds, accompanied by the constant beat of Jonas Reingold's bass.

In the final section, a flute joins the violin's main theme, creating one of the most emotional endings of the album. Harmonic fireworks erupt at unexpected moments, and a pagan dance superbly closes the curtain after a simply inexplicable guitar solo.

Soft organ and pure jazz: these unrepentant chords start "Chased by Wolves and Burned by the Sun," pure summer brilliance with chaotic roots unfolding over ten minutes of pastoral melodies in the style of YES. The song's transformations lead to Per Nilsson's syncopated guitar dominating the verses in a tense conversation with Patrik. Repetition and hypnosis return to jazz and the keyboard/guitar solos, now clearly reminiscent of Allan Holdsworth.

Perhaps the elephant in the room, "Spiderweb Train": an impressive, bizarre, and pompous story in the purest style of The Flower Kings. Fifteen minutes of a song that can be interpreted as a critique of authoritarianism or mob mentality. It unfolds slowly between keyboard and bass solos, reviving the Reingold/Bodin duo from TFK. It is constantly interwoven with the darkness of its thrilling chorus, which simultaneously infects the rest of the instruments, interpreting this motif in each solo. The drum fills are striking, as are the dynamic changes, where we find marches, scherzos, circus rhythms, and slow rides, allowing each instrument to shine as it should.

In several sections, the song seems to lose its way and then find it again, which has a strong emotional impact on the listener. In other words, there are moments when you don't know where to focus, too many solos and majesty that require repeated listens and patience to process. What leaves me speechless are the last five minutes; I have no idea how they programmed the metronome, learned the solos, hit those notes, played so fast, etc. An overdose of prog with a chorus that sounds like a jingle for a malevolent dictator, nothing can go wrong.

"Like Thousand Dawns" stands out for its moving and 80s atmosphere, with open, reverberated drums and constant pads in exchange; something in Patrik's vocal inflections reminds me of Queen at times. The intricate guitar solos sprinkle this song from top to bottom, always satisfying the melodic standards of the work. It's a more neo-prog approach to Kaipa's sound, and I think this extra solemnity suits them excellently.

To close the album, we find the melody that introduced us to this natural journey, "Sommargryningsljus" (Summer Dawn Light). Together with its brother track, it conjures the emotions of the sun in an emotional chant with weeping guitars and Aleena Gibson, who, like a fairy, traps us in an eternal nuclear fusion.

On June 28th, we are treated to a record full of folk beauty; eighty minutes of an impressionistic landscape waiting to be experienced. Lakes, mountains, volcanoes, and lush greenery in an organic composition of progressive sounds for any listener, any time of day, any feeling? Kaipa at its finest.

Originally written for: Nacion Progresiva.