Italian band Karmamoi return with Eternal Mistake, their first fully original new album since 2021’s Orwellian Room 101. This is an exploration of love and reason, recounting the strange tale of love between a human and a humanoid. This album is an evolution on from their previous 2023 release Strings from the Edge of Sound, which was a hybrid synthesis of 4 new songs and 5 older songs reimagined with orchestration. Apart from the orchestration the most notable part of that interim release is that it was the first Karmamoi album to fully introduce the remarkable vocal talents of Valerio Sgargi (he had briefly appeared rapping on 2018’s The Day is Done). In Eternal Mistake his vocals really come to the fore, bringing in a notably sharper edge for the whole band.
The concept underpinning this release is described thus by Karmamoi:
‘It’s the story of a human and a humanoid, two souls reaching across the boundaries of logic and flesh, searching for something real in a world built on code and imperfection. It’s about what happens when emotion meets reason, when empathy confronts design, and when the heart learns that even mistakes can be beautiful. Because maybe love itself is the eternal mistake,
the one error we keep making, because it reminds us we’re alive.’
Karmamoi commence this ambitious concept in typically cinematic fashion with the atmospheric brief spoken intro of The Regrets which leads into the dramatic Lara is your Name. A sonorous, sinister beginning opens out with a confident rock beat, and what immediately stands out is the high quality smooth but powerful vocals of Sgargi. He really does raise Karmamoi on to a whole new level as this great song sweeps gloriously onwards, borne aloft on Alex Massari’s brief but great guitar motif. Alessandro Cefalì’s throbbing bass takes the lead under an increasing manic and dark speech. Music composer and drummer Daniele Giovannoni weighs in solidly on drums, and Massari returns with a restrained guitar passage to finish an excellent first salvo from Karmamoi, setting the strange scene of the love for a human for a humanoid, presumably ‘Lara’?
In contrast the dreamy Don’t Knock on the Door floats in on clouds of guitar and keyboards upon which Sgargi’s yearning, soft vocals ooze passion and desire. It is no surprise to read that he once toured ‘interpreting’ the music of Freddie Mercury! This gentle song slowly settles to earth on descending piano chords. The atmosphere is immediately shattered on I’m not on your Side, by what can only be described as ‘Trump-ian nonsense’ with a familiar idiotic voice boasting ‘No-one knows more about…’ various subjects and other ridiculous claims. This is a full-on rock boogie with driving, chopping guitars, thumping drums and thunderous bass as Sgargi belts out the satirical vocals. The lunacy erupts with a twisting off-kilter guitar passage, perfectly evoking the chaotic manic atmosphere… it is doubtful Karmamoi have ever quite sounded this heavy and edgy!
A pastoral respite is welcome as acoustic guitar and gorgeous soft harmony vocals usher in Nothing But. As this extended piece develops, we hear a tremendous showcase of Valerio Sgargi’s outstanding vocals skills, and once again it is no surprise to discover that he previously trained in and performed opera, such are the quality of his vocals which swoop and soar with equal grace and deftly controlled power. The piece develops subtly before choral backing and a battery of great drums lifts Sgargi’s lead vocals higher where they meet an expressive, ornate guitar. Randy McStine of Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree live fame provides a lyrically flowing guitar solo before this centrepiece recedes into the dusk of pastoral acoustic guitar, synths and dreamy harmony vocals.
The diversity of this album is shown yet again as Sgargi’s fine voice and strings (with shimmering electronic accents) carries the short The Mirror into distinctly Andrew Lloyd Webber musical territory – his voice really is something to behold, especially live in concert. The Mirror is mainly an intro into the drama of No Soul, which starts with a stirring strings, drums and choral opening before dropping into a more reflective almost lounge style for piano and vocals… and guess what, Sgargi can also confidently handle this more laid-back soul! His vocal dexterity is shown again as the tempo and power rises again in an almost bluesy fashion, with Massari able to take up the blues deftly on guitar. This fascinating melange of blues, gospel and rock rolls along engagingly… before it practically implodes under its own weight, leaving just a plaintive piano and soulful voice in the final debris of this song. These conflicting, powerful musical forces seem well suited to convey the struggles between love and reason, the conflict between spontaneity and deliberate design.
The title track Eternal Mistake is a more straightforward but glorious song which rises out of the gentle mists of jangling guitars before piercing the musical clouds with the full band and Sgargi’s stirring vocals soaring and twisting with Massari’s undulating, spiralling guitar. Eternal Mistake ends more reflectively with gentle chiming guitar and subtle percussion under Sgargi’s sweet vocal, maybe denoting the quality of love.
The Question cinematically spacely seeps in with a strangely distorted electronic voice talking about humanity and love – there do appear to be echoes of the iconic Roy Batty replicant in ‘Bladerunner’ who just wanted to have a life and be human. This leads into the simple piano and vocal reflection of We are Going Home. Sgargi is joined beautifully by co-vocalist guest Susanna Brigatti. The lush strings and orchestration rise gorgeously with their intermingling voices before climaxing joyously.
Another guest with eminent Steven Wilson connections, Adam Holzman, lifts the mini-epic Hero with tremendous, bubbling electric piano which rolls along brilliantly, driven along spectacularly by Giovannoni’s fluid drums. Holzman embroiders this piece stylishly with silky synth solos, whilst Cefalì’s great bass work makes sure this great ensemble piece still remains tethered to Earth. The mayhem drops to a simple electric piano motif and vocal intonation before a grand musical wave rises dramatically. The jester in the pack, Holzman, twists and tumbles with another mischievous synth solo, which again drops to almost silence. A zephyr of strings blows across the landscape with Sgargi’s now diaphanous voice almost whispering, and gentle piano helps carry him gently to the conclusion – really quite beautiful.
In some ways it may have been better to finish the album there as the last two songs almost feel superfluous after that lovely crescendo. However, Passing Away does fly along rather optimistically on a wave of jangling, chiming guitars and uplifting vocals and imagery, and does give Massari the vehicle for an effervescent guitar solo. No Fucking Way is a peculiarly foul mouthed and defiant way to conclude the album with gritty guitars and a snarled chant about ‘brain control’… we sort of get the message by now and frankly there’s better ways to finish the album. Nevertheless, do not let this curious anomaly at the end put you off an otherwise excellent and well-paced and finely judged album.
Karmamoi’s website states that they ‘were founded in 2008 by drummer and composer Daniele Giovannoni, inspired by both classic and modern progressive rock. His vision was to create a project capable of expressing new musical ideas through a distinctive and constantly evolving sound’.
It is safe to say that in Eternal Mistake Karmamoi have now very much achieved Giovannoni’s vision, skilfully combining powerful rock music with electronic touches and grand orchestral passages. Karmamoi have always showed great promise, particularly on the incisive examination of the scandalous and shameful Grenfell tower disaster in 2018’s The Day is Done, but their execution and performance did not always reach the heights of their lofty and worthy ambitions. Whilst the vocals were acceptable, to be fair, in truth previously they lacked the real impact and resonance needed at times to carry the music and enhance the themes. In the Eternal Mistake Karmamoi have very much developed and matured as a band, energised and driven by the vocal excellence and arrangements from the exceptional Valerio Sgargi, alongside the creative force of Daniele Giovannoni. Their great impact has been the essential catalyst for a significant rise in the performance, creativity and power of a band whose recorded efforts are now matching their live excellence. Eternal Mistake hopefully promises to be the start of a Golden period for Karmamoi. Eternal Mistake is definitely a high quality melodic progressive rock album with outstanding vocals and excellent musicianship – mistakes like this can be truly beautiful!
TRACK LISTING
01. The Regrets (0:52)
02. Lara Is Your Name (5:49)
03. Don’t Knock On The Door (5:09)
04. I’m Not On Your Side (4:36)
05. Nothing But (10:10)
06. The Mirror (2:13)
07. No Soul (6:12)
08. Eternal Mistake (4:43)
09. The Question (1:45)
10. We Are Going Home (4:15)
11. HERO (9:46)
12. Passing Away (5:47)
13. No Fucking Way (2:41)
Total Time – 63:56
MUSICIANS
Daniele Giovannoni – Drums, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Valerio Sgargi – Vocals, Keyboards, Guitars
Alex Massari – Guitars
Alessandro Cefalì – Bass
~ With:
Adam Holzman – Electric Piano, Acoustic Piano, Moog Solo (11)
Randy McStine – Guitar Solo (5)
Susanna Brigatti – Vocals (10)
Gabriele Giovannoni – Voice Over (1)
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Independent
Country of Origin: Italy
Date of Release: 17th April 2026
DISCOGRAPHY
• Karmamoi (2011)
• Odd Trip (2013)
• Silence Between Sounds (2016)
• The Day Is Done (2018)
• Room 101 (2021)
• Strings From The Edge Of Sound (2023)
• Eternal Mistake (2026)
LINKS
Karmamoi – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube | Instagram
