Kaipa – Urskog

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Some 48 years ago there were a number of Swedish musicians started a band and decided to call it KAIPA. Some names from that time might ring a bell for you, the Progressive Rock and Metal lover, like Roine Stolt, who is now famous for being in another of the great Progressive Rock bands THE FLOWER KINGS. Now, in 2022, KAIPA are on their fifteenth full length album and even after all those years they amaze me at the ingenuity of class that the album offers us.

For those who are new to these Swedes, if you mix seventies STYX and YES with some JOURNEY and to a lesser extent FOREIGNER, but also add some DREAM THEATER and even JOE SATRIANI like guitar playing, you are getting within the boundaries of where you will find KAIPA. Yes, the sound regularly takes you back to the heyday of Prog, but with the sounds and techniques of today. So, it all sounds extremely crisp and clear, without becoming obviously digital.

If, on the other hand, you are familiar with KAIPA you will know what to expect, and still I feel you will be amazed, because the guitar sounds are just that bit more experimental than before, making the fusion influences gel just that bit more natural than they have ever done. This can only be possible if the songs are top notch and believe me, they are breathtakingly beautiful. There isn’t a note out of place, not one piece of music isn’t how you would expect it to be. And the further you get into “Urskog”, the more the sound evolves from the seventy’s vibe into the fusion and JOE SATRIANI feel, but always maintaining that delicate balance that gives the music that extra bit of brilliance.

To top all of that the two vocalists have a knack as to draw you in even further and tell your brain to come in closer and experience it all just once more. And if you think the length of some of the songs might seem to long, once you have listened to them, you’ll realise that it’s just not true. They are exactly the right length. Any shorter and some of the ingredients that are making it all extra special would have been missing, diminishing the absolute top performance that is being displayed by KAIPA. So, as you can gather, I am smitten with “Urskog”. It’s how it should be with good music.

Songwriting: 10
Musicianship: 10
Memorability: 10
Production: 10