I was looking forward to the opportunity to review the latest CD by Kaipa. I have grown to really enjoy Keyholder and was hoping for another strong outing by Lundin and Stolt. On first listen I was disappointed by Mindrevolutions. But I remember feeling that same way when listening to almost anything that Stolt is involved in on first listen. so I kept spinning it.
Mindrevolutions starts off with "The Dodger" which has some groovy bass lines by Jonas Reingold and reminds me at times of Karmakanic. Not my favorite vocal piece, but the music holds tight. "Electric Leaves" could have been on "Notes From The Past" and really emphasizes Hans Lundin's keyboards as he weaves counter melody throughout. "Shadows of Time" is a ballad with a heartfelt Aleena and Patrick Lunströrm duet. Stolt's solo here is a little cheesy, but the song overall works okay. "A Pair Of Sunbeams" has a real retro, space-rock feel. This song is a nice interlude from the previous offerings and before the epic "Mindrevolutions".
The title track, at almost 26 minutes is the highlight of the CD. It weaves accessible sections, with funky sections, to art-rock sections. Mindrevolutions will be judged mainly on this piece, and overall it works well. Anytime you approach an epic of this length you start to worry about fill, but Reingold and Argen do a fine job of keeping the rhythms fresh and keeping the song from growing stale. I don't know if Kaipa has any plans to tour, but this could be a difficult piece to play live because of the speed changes.
Of the remaining songs, most seem anti-climactic after what came before, but "Last Free Indian" does a good job of reviving some momentum. This song represents some of the best songwriting by Kaipa.
Overall, Mindrevolutions may not be as great a CD as Keyholder, but it does contain some of the best moments that Kaipa ever recorded. This CD would be highly recommended simply for the title track, but as I know deep down that it will continue to grow on me, I seriously would recommend this to any progressive rock fan.
Track Listing
1. The Dodger (8:09)
2. Electric Leaves (4:13)
3. Shadows Of Time (6:50)
4. A Pair Of Sunbeams (5:19)
5. Mindrevolutions (25:47)
6. Flowing Free (3:53)
7. Last Free Indian (7:27)
8. Our Deepest Inner Shore (4:59)
9. Timebomb (4:32)
10. Remains Of The Day (8:02)
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