ALBUM REVIEW: Diamond Morning – Karmanjakah
KARMANJAKAH have consistently managed to bring a light and hopeful feeling to the modern progressive sound. All too often the genre relies on dark and almost predictably dank arrangements coupled with gravelled vocals to carve out interest. Diamond Morning, the band’s second full length album, pushes the realm of progression to joyful new heights.
What KARMANJAKAH do is the total opposite to conventional low tuned, groove driven music. While technically engaging and stank face inducing, the blend of clean vocals with more unconventional arrangements makes this album a true gem. Dove is a blistering opener of a song, with crushing depth that violently erupts into huge grooves before simmering down into swaying tranquillity.
If you wanted a prime example of that untapped perspective that KARMANJAKAH brings to progressive music, Eyes Seeing Eyes breaks new ground with these beautiful warm keys and an ever-changing guitar inflection. From djenty breakdowns and droning trills, to reverberating, spacious notes, it’s a triumph. Likewise, Thousand Horns has incredible scope, it’s a mammoth of tone and a master of subtle dissonance. Constantly shifting to new harmonies and adding space to further tension, the bursting heart of this song is some emotionally raw new cosmos; a journey to surrender to. These are truly unique songs that lifts you high up as they deftly hop from motif to motif.
The pairing of Sun, Astray and Moon, Astray pulls heavily on the signature guitar tone that Viggo Örsan has crafted, while Jonas Lundquist’s heavenly vocals shimmer through. You won’t often hear so much clean and toned-down guitars in an album that can really go heavy, but KARMANJAKAH look to serve the song and the atmosphere more than to pigeonhole themselves into a box. There’s so much subtle work through the rhythm section from Sebastian Brydniak’s drums and Lukas Ohlsson’s bass on Moon, Astray that you are almost unknowingly sunken into it two minutes in without a single vocal. Even those vocals go somewhere unexpected, a spoken word element rather than sharp and loud, they take you on a totally unpredicted journey.
As we venture into the later half of the record in what we’ll be referring to here as the gemstone quintet, things get a little jazzy with Sapphire and a little warbly in Ruby; really interestingly loose and playful tunes. It’s a wonderful bit of genre blending and again the artistry on show from all is really impressive for two short instrumental moments.
The deepest groove is cut with the trio of Diamond Morning, Diamond Art and Diamond Train. That iconic Örsan guitar sound is rearing up, some classic odd timed chugs, the ever increasing groove and energy building and twisting is superb. The three sections interlace perfectly, striking yet more tasty groves, and unforeseen ideas. You’re embraced in a feeling of safety with KARMANJAKAH, as if you were on a journey with a trusted friend. Sometimes things feel unusual, or the familiar comes together in strange new says, but never do you feel that you’re being taken somewhere you don’t want to go.
KARMANJAKAH makes you feel like you could soar up into the clouds with ease. It’s rare to come across a record and a band that makes you appreciate new elements of the audible realm you haven’t taken the time to sit with before, while also managing to raise your spirits like a summer’s day. With so many technical and creative concepts interplaying, Diamond Morning is a triumph of positivity, where the heavy elements are mountains lifting you up, and the fresh, lighter ideas are the wind pulling you higher on wings you never knew you had.
Rating: 9/10
Diamond morning is out now via self-release.
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