I was a huge fan of the Italian prog band’s last release, 2023’s ‘Strings From The Edge of Sound’, and this is by the same quartet of Valerio Sgargi (lead vocals, keyboards, guitars), Alex Massari (guitars), Alessandro Cefalì (bass) and Daniele Giovannoni (drums, backing vocals, keyboards) plus a few guests including Adam Holzman and Randy McStine. This release is a concept, exploring the idea of a relationship between human and humanoid, and what exactly that means. It may feel like science fiction to some but given the advancements in AI there may well be a point in the future when AI stops guessing (current state) and does become sentient (future, although some may feel it is already here).
I have reviewed all of Karmamoi’s releases to date, apart from the 2011 debut and the remixed version of their last one, and my main issue with them is their inconsistency (at least to my ears), and while I firmly believe their last album was probably their finest, this sees a step in the wrong direction. The reason for that is that while the arrangements and performances are very polished and emotional, it also comes across as being all on the same level with little real depth. Given the topic being covered one would expect dynamic swings and changes but there is simply not enough real contrast so instead of coming across as being highly dramatic it all seems a little bland.
When they do move in a different direction, such as on “The Mirror”, it feels very much out of place with the rest of the album and all of a sudden, I get the impression I am in a theatre and there is a spotlight on the lead singer who is emoting to us all. In the end it all feels a little too much and I am somewhat drained by the end and not enjoying the experience. I am sure there are some who will feel this is of the very highest order, but this one is not for me.
