Customer Reviews

Angling Feelings

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After Roine Stolt announced his departure from all his side projects, including The Tangent and Kaipa, everyone was worried about the band's future. Thankfully, band leader Hans Lundin didn't take another twenty-year break, but actually sat down and wrote and produced the whole album on his own. The results are more than satisfying; those who enjoyed Kaipa's previous two albums, Mindrevolutions and Keyholder, will certainly find a lot to latch onto on Angling Feelings.

Roine Stolt has been replaced by Scar Symmetry axeman Per Nilsson, whose performance here is a testimony to his diversity. None of his death metal roots have bled over into the Angling Feelings songs; rather, Nilsson's playing eerily evokes that of Stolt, with strong emphasis on improvised jazz solos and melodic content. His phrasing may not have the immediacy of Stolt's, but he is more than welcome as a replacement. Contrary to the previous albums, this record carries a stronger folk influence, in part thanks to the flute contribution of Fredrik Lindquist. Also a Ritual member like vocalist Patrik Lundstrom, Lindquist inject healthy doses of flute melodies into songs like "The Glorious Silence Within", defined by a sweet string arrangement, beautifully strummed acoustic guitars, and mesmerizing electric solos topped by Lundin's trademark piano playing. Similarly, the twelve-minute "The Fleeting Existence of Time" is almost entirely based on improvised soundscapes driven by agile melodies, Swedish folk music elements, and both male and female vocals. Aleena Gibson still sings as beautifully as ever, but Patrik Lundstrom's vocals also play an important role on this album.

The rhythm section consisting of drummer Morgan Agren (Mats Morgan, Fredrik Thordendal) and bassist Jonas Reingold (The Flower Kings) is solid as a rock. Much like Mindrevolutions, Reingold's bass playing slowly pushes some Kaipa songs into Karmakanic territory, where the bass is mostly utilised liberally. Morgan Agren is a godly drummer, but little of his skills come to the fore here (check the drum intro and percussion of "Broken Chords" for an exception), but he serves the songs perfectly. Hans Lundin answers Per Nilsson's wide-ranging guitar work with a diverse blend of keyboard sounds, laying down cascades of Hammond, Moog, piano as well as contributing vocals. His solo at the end of "Pulsation" is gorgeous; while his symphonic keyboards on "Solitary Pathway" provide the necessary sound cosmos to the funky rhythms and jam-like free flow of the composition.

"Path of Humbleness" marries the greatest aspects of this album into nine minutes of intense prog rock. Gentle flute melodies, funky rhythms, gorgeous piano colourings, and Aleena Gibson's emotive vocals. The guitar playing is packed with spontaneity and interlaced carefully within the song.

The one setback of the album is that it brings absolutely nothing new to the table. Rather, it continues in the same styles of its predecessors, while also slightly lacking the focused songwriting exposed on most of Roine Stolt's material. Still, Angling Feelings is a gem if you like prog rock firmly rooted in the 70's.

I'm not going to take a lot of your time to tell you how good this album is. I can tell you this: I'm a progressive man who dates back to the original King Crimson, Yes, and ELP era. I've been disappointed by a lot of neo-progressive BS. Don't get me wrong, a lot of it is good. What's good is good, and what is so-so, is so-so. But this album is a major exception. There are albums that are not inspired, those that semi-inspired, and those that are very inspired. This is an inspired album from beginning to end. I can't stop listening to it! I love it!!!

While I think The Tangent was mortally wounded by the deparature of Stolt, I did not notice him missing here. Granted he is a guitar god in all his endeavors but give the rest of Kaipa the credit they deserve.

I think Angling Feelings actually stronger than Mindrevolutions and Keyholder. I also think the Inside Out Label brings out the best in all their acts.

Perfectly balanced melodic keyboards and guitar with great lyrics and singing too. ProgRock at its best.

This new phase of Kaipa unfortunately does not live up to its own legend - that is, the band that recorded the first three albums in the 1970s.

My favourite piece from this album is the second track, The Glorious Silence Within, featuring a sunny melody on flute. Very good.

However, Angling Feelings, like the other albums since the band's reformation, is full of fast-paced, arpeggiated music and songs that sound like each other, leaving me cold. I'm not fond of very virtuosistic music all the time (I've never enjoyed ELP for example). What makes things worse are the vocals and lyrics, some of which are actually embarrassing.

Maybe the music is affected by the fact that this is a side project for the band members, except for Kaipa mastermind Hand Lundin (I'm not sure if this is still true). In fact, much of the music reminded me of another side project, Liquid Tension Experiment, by members of Dream Theater. But LTE is an instrumental affair, excluding the potentially dangerous variable of vocals, and it works better.

Here's an example of another fantastic Swedish prog band from the 1970s that resurrected with way better results, recording a reunion album that is instantly recognizable as their own, and at the same time modern and exciting: Trettioåriga Kriget. Kriget works as a real band, would that be the solution for Kaipa?

I'm truly sorry for being so negative. The original Kaipa is one of my favourite bands, it's really fantastic music, emotional and touching, with one song sounding different to the other yet all with the same very unique flavour of the old Kaipa. That's one reason for me to be so critical of the new version of this band. However, the new Kaipa is slowly evolving with each album, even though Mindrevolutions (the previous release) gave me a better impression than Angling Feelings. Let's hope their evolution continues. I'll be here when the next album is released, and I hope to be surprised so I can buy it!

Well, by comparing such a diverse effort by Per Nilsson (in the place of R. Stolte at the electric guitars) with Kaipa, to their three first works, you have to remark a substantial difference...first of all the performance by Mr Per is just a little bit weaker, above all talking about his music ideas; then the vocals as well the lyrics inside are not convincing at all, despite of the support by Fredrik Lindqvist (regarding of the record effects within). In fact I can't think of the uneven performance by Patrik Lundstrom at the vocals (already with the band Ritual) as the main part of the whole album, even though for a moment I forget it when for instance the guest Lindqvist plays the flute inside "The Glorious Silence Within". Therefore this latter song gives the album a different touch, but it seems to be the only remarkable episode from the beginning to the end..don't get me wrong, in order to break the derivative aspects of Kaipa 70's progressive music They has just introduced a few much more modern episodes, such as those ones in the vein of Liquid Tension Experiment for example, which can be appreciated by a wider crowd of metal prog fans (I think of the Dream Theatre fans), but I don't believe it' s enough. Except on a few breaks-through within "Path of Humbleness" and also talking about the performance by Aleena Gibson at the vocals, the other tracks are too much uneven to make the present issue an essential number...so if you're not strictly a big fan of Kaipa for sure you won't buy "A.F.", otherwise it could be an important occasion to re-discover the old albums by the swedish classic prog rock ensemble.

Make your own choice!!

Since I am a long-time fan of Kaipa, I bought Angling Feelings almost as soon as it was released. But frankly, for some reason it didn't do anything for me the first couple of times I listened so I shelved it for awhile. But then I decided to take it with me on a recent long road trip and give it another chance and that's when I discovered its real beauty.
Angling Feelings is not Kaipa's best album, but its a very good and distinctive one. Its filled with a kind of almost child-like joy and the pseudo-mystical Scandinavian utopianism that has long been a Kaipa trademark. Its also filled with the kind of virtuoso progressive rock elements that prog connoisseurs demand.
For me, the album's masterpiece is the magnificent Path of Humbleness. But I also greatly enjoy The Fleeting Existence of Time, Liquid Holes In the Sky, and Broken Chords. About the only song that seems out of place is Solitary Pathway which bears a striking resemblance to the style of prog-metal that Rush once played.
Although Roine Stolt was once an important part of Kaipa, its time to move on and allow Kaipa's current lineup to stand on its own merits. Stolt's contributions were mighty, but the musical legacy being built by Hans Lundin and company is nothing to dismiss lightly. Give Angling Feelings (and other post-Stolt Kaipa albums) a good listen and you'll hear what I mean.

I'm listening to the new Kaipa and I'm really into it. Then all of a sudden out of nowhere, comes this vocalist that is absolutely out of place. She just doesn't fit. She's a talented singer, just not for this band. I'd like to hear Roine take over the vocals or even Hasse Froberg. Four stars for great music and off the chart musicianship.