ALBUM REVIEW: Requiem For A Dream – Karnataka

Requiem For A Dream is the long-awaited new album from the Welsh progressive rock band KARNATAKA. The band has had a number of personnel changes over the years and now the core membership consists of Ian Jones and Sertari who joined in 2018. She is a worthy successor to previous vocalists such as Rachel Jones. There are important contributions from guitarist Luke Machin, Chris Allan on drums, NIGHTWISH‘s Troy Donockley [Uilleann pipes and whistles] and Gonzalo Carrera who plays additional keyboards.

Ian Jones was the founder member of the band and they reached a wide audience in 2002 with their classic album Delicate Flame Of Desire. This was featured on shows such as Bob Harris on Radio 2 and won awards at the Classic Rock Society. Since then, there have been a number of changes of band members and lead singers. For those unfamiliar with their style of music KARNATAKA fit neatly into the prog rock genre but with Celtic influences. They are contemporaries of bands such as MOSTLY AUTUMN who have also not achieved the success they deserve.

In the band’s press release the album is described as follows: “the album explores themes of personal adversity, loss, despair and forgiveness, experienced through the prism of global chaos, climate change and environmental destruction. I also noticed references to ‘dreams’ in several songs and the title track seems to be about the fascinating concept of lucid dreaming.”

It is fair to say, that the current generation of music listeners is perhaps less patient in terms of focusing on longer tracks. The advent of Spotify, TikTok, and other social media platforms means that it is easy for listeners to skip, rather than focusing on a track in depth. However, this album, bears repeated listenings as more and more details are apparent when the songs are really focused on. Sertari’s vocals are very strong and the production is lush and impressive. The songs are all weighty with no lightweight numbers included here.

In true prog rock tradition there is a very lengthy song, i.e. the title track. This includes a wealth of moods, instrumentation and melody. There is not a moment wasted within this particular piece. When Troy Donockley’s Uilleann pipes appear, these necessarily add to the overall ambience. It is fair to say that, on hearing Uilleann pipes, all is well in the world. The track runs to 25 minutes but is not over-indulgent. This could well be KARNATAKA’s Supper’s Ready, Grendel or Harvest Of Souls.

On the other hand, the song Don’t Forget My Name is more immediately catchy. One could imagine it featuring on daytime radio (if only the likes of BBC and other national stations would see fit to highlight such good songs of this calbire). Other tracks such as Sacrifice and The Night’s Dance build slowly towards big choruses. All Around The World uses a spoken intro to good effect. Once again, the vocal harmonies are lovely. Look To The East uses Eastern rhythms and benefits from a heavy chorus. Although we, found Forgiven less memorable compared to other tracks, Say Goodbye Tomorrow is very strong in the album’s second half.

Overall, Requiem For A Dream is an excellent album from KARNATAKA. The vocals are powerful but thankfully refrain from attempting to emulate the sort of shrieking that occurs in big musicals. Aspiring vocalists could benefit from listening to, and learning from, Sertari here. Although the tracks are long, as often is the case for prog rock, what this allows is for more melodic expression and interesting motifs. The songs aren’t long for the sake of it but allow real invention and, to borrow a term, are ‘progressive’.

Rating: 9/10

Requiem For A Dream is set for release on June 5th via Immrama Records. Pre-orders are available now and can be purchased here.

For more information on KARNATAKA like their official page on Facebook.