Jonas Reingold is so busy touring with Steve Hackett these days, it’s a wonder he ever finds time for his own music, and yet here we have a new Karmakanic album, Transmutation, and my goodness it’s been worth waiting for. The musicians involved read like a who’s who at the very top of the prog world, and everyone really pulls their not inconsiderable weight with some sterling performances.
So what makes this album so special? Well, in the first place, Jonas Reingold’s songwriting has blossomed in terms of melody and tunefulness. The songs are laden with memorable hooks, soaring verses and lush choruses. Whether he is writing shorter snappier songs or extended epics, his attention to detail is meticulous, and the melodic sweep of the album never falters. He has been working towards this end for a few albums now, but Transmutation sees him eclipse his previous work, resulting in the best Karmakanic album yet.
Secondly, Jonas has made an inspired choice of lead vocalist. John Mitchell has the perfect voice to carry this album, and he has been given the responsibility of singing on every song, bar the opening instrumental. Yes, he is assisted at key moments by Randy McStine, Göran Edman and Dina Höblinger, but the lion’s share is Mr Lonely Robot, and he does an excellent job, really pushing himself at times. It gives the whole enterprise a unifying identity which is essential with such an extensive guest list, and results in a true ‘band feel’. I’ll also make special mention of Krister Jonsson, who provides much of the lead guitar on the album, and his free wheeling fluidity is a joy to hear, with jazzy runs aplenty.
Transmutation begins with a brief instrumental, Brace for Impact, which sounds like a warm up jam, with dazzling solos from Lalle Larsson on keys, Krister on guitar and Jonas himself, with tasty Hammond backing (Andy Tillison) and impeccable drumming (Simon Phillips). It’s a fun lively opening salvo, before we get to the first mini-epic, End of the Road. The main theme appears with a solo piano intro, then a Flower Kingsy salvo, followed by Mitchell’s distinctive voice. He is aided on vocals by the fine voice of Randy McStine, who is fast becoming a very in-demand guy, and with good reason. His vocals blend well with John Mitchell, whilst Jonas rumbles away with some fine bass lines, so as not to forget this is his album. The ‘take my hand..follow me’ sequence is a nice touch, rather reminiscent of Steven Wilson albeit briefly, and Luke Machin provides one of his trade mark cool guitar solos. He’s another in-demand guy, which might explain why his long awaited solo album still isn’t finished! The opening melody returns and the piece rebuilds with more guitar heroics from Luke before the song ends as it began, with the piano refrain. This song alone makes the whole album worthwhile, a near perfect ten minutes of outstanding prog. Some might say, I suppose, that it’s all been done before, and it’s not groundbreaking in any way, but Jonas does what he does with such passion and craftsmanship, getting every nuance as perfect as it can be, it’s just wonderful to listen to.
Cosmic Love follows on, and is the most succinct song in this collection, and it’s a fabulous five minutes showcasing the Mitchell/McStine axis again. It’s wonderfully uplifting, dripping with positivity, with gorgeous lush vocal harmonies, all underpinned this time with crisp drumming from Craig Blundell.
Makes you wanna feel
Cosmic love and cosmic deals
Universe reveals.’
The world needs some love and hope, and this is the perfect soundtrack. We Got The World In Our Hands follows, with a bright breezy acoustic guitar intro, Mitchell’s wonderful vocal and a relaxed positive energy as the song unfolds. This song showcases how his voice is used to best effect, and he turns in a superb performance. McStine and Jonsson play some silky guitar, and the uplifting chorus is unforgettable even after just one play. Reingold has written a song which seems deceptively simple, but uses various time signatures and stylistic shifts which make it an intriguing listen.
All That Glitters Is Not Gold takes a darker turn, sounding a little more ominous, and a very European flavour, with accordion (Lelo Nika) and flute (Markus Lubastik), and some great but understated piano runs from Geri Schuller. The chorus is full of portent, heralding the title’s warning. Rob Townsend excels on sax, and Craig Blundell again nails his drum performance with crisp precision. This tone is continued on We Gotta Lose This Ball and Chain, where Göran Edman, who sung on previous Karmakanic albums, augments Mitchell on vocals, with a really interesting vocal arrangement. Edman adds some soulful vocal embellishments towards the end which work well, and again this song is so memorable and easy to listen to.
That just leaves the little matter of the title track, and it’s a monster at just under 23 minutes, but such is Jonas Reingold’s talent for writing, it seems to fly by in half the time, and it all hangs together seamlessly, despite many changes in mood and direction. Nick D’Virgilio plays drums on this, and he puts in his usual sympathetic performance, full of understated authority; virtuoso playing without showboating, just as he does in Big Big Train. Dina Höblinger provides the female lead vocals where required, and has a super voice which fits well with Mitchell.
Most of Steve Hackett’s band appear on this piece, including the man himself, and they are a joy to hear, but it’s really John Mitchell, and Dina’s vocals, the rhythm section of NDV and Reingold, and the guitar of Krister Jonsson that do the heavy lifting. Of course, long epics can have a feeling of having been deliberately designed to be long, but not in this case. It’s simply a long song, and it seems quite natural that way. Geri Schuller again weaves some piano magic linking sections, and the lyrics are grand and overblown in scope, yet work because of their undeniable positivity. This is music to make you smile, and for me, it does just that. The mid song jazzy interlude is fantastic, NDV pushing the pace, guitars and keys providing dexterous flashes of skill, all punctuated with stabs of sax from Townsend and organ from Andy Tillison. The outro, building on Hackett’s acoustic guitar motif, builds to a suitably passionate finale. It is as properly epic as any prog fan could want, and the sort of extended ending Roine Stolt would be proud of! Short and to the point it is not! Thoroughly satisfyingly overblown is what it is, and it’s a great way to end a supremely well crafted album. If Transmutation isn’t at, or near, the top of many fans’ end of year favourites, I’ll be very surprised. If you haven’t heard it yet, you know what to do.
TRACK LISTING
01. Brace For Impact (2:33)
02. End Of The Road (10:22)
03. Cosmic Love (4:56)
04. We Got The World In Our Hands (7:53)
05. All That Glitters Is Not Gold (6:38)
06. We Gotta Lose This Ball And Chain (6:23)
07. Transmutation (The Constant Change Of Everything) (22:53)
Total Time – 61:32
MUSICIANS
Jonas Reingold – Bass, Fretless Bass (5), Keyboards, Electric Guitar, Vocals (2 & 7) Backing Vocals (3,4 & 6)
Krister Jonsson – Lead Guitar, Electric Guitar (1,4,5,6 & 7)
Göran Edman – Lead Vocals (6)
Lalle Larsson – Keyboard Solo (1), Keyboards (7)
~ With:
Simon Phillips – Drums, Percussion (1,2,4 & 6)
Andy Tillison – Hammond Organ (1 & 7), Clavinet (1)
Jan-Olaf Jonsson – Acoustic Guitar (2 & 7)
Luke Machin – Solo Guitar, Nylon Acoustic Guitar (2)
John Mitchell – Lead Vocals (2-7), 12-String Guitar (4)
Randy McStine – Lead Vocals (2), Guitars, Vocals (3 & 4)
Geri Schuller – Piano (2,5 & 7)
Craig Blundell – Drums (3 & 5)
Dina Höblinger – Lead Vocals (7), Backing Vocals (4)
Lelo Nika – Accordion (5)
Markus Lubastik – Flute (5)
Rob Townsend – Tenor & Soprano Sax (5 & 7)
Tomas Bodin – Keyboards (5 & 6)
Sven Cirnski – Electric Guitar (6)
Nick D’Virgilio – Drums (7)
Steve Hackett – Nylon Acoustic Guitar (7)
Amanda Lehmann – Backing Vocals (7)
Roger King – Keyboards (7)
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Independent
Country of Origin: Sweden/International
Date of Release: 7th March 2025
LINKS
Jonas Reingold – Website | Facebook | Facebook (Karmakanic) | YouTube | Instagram
