Kingnomad - Sagan Om Rymden

Kingnomad - Sagan Om Rymden

Ripple Music - July 2020

Progressive, space, psych

Rated: ****

Swedish progressive wizards Kingnomad return with their third album, Sagan Om Rymden, on Ripple Music, and hold nothing back as they dive even deeper into their otherworldly sound. Flush with sci fi 70s organ, bright guitars, and dreamy vocals, the band weaves their way through an unapologetically proggy space rock journey. Sagan Om Rymden hits the ground running with the undeniably fun retro synth riff of "Omniverse", throwing the listener into a world of B movie lasers and cosmic adventure. "Small Beginnings" brings a heavier crunch with its insistent chug, and the heft of tunes makes for a poignant contrast with the floating, dreamy feel of songs like the epic "Tillabakablick/The Usurper King" and the hypnotizing "The Creation Hymn". Underneath the sweeping strings and keys is rock solid drumming, firmly holding down the beat and driving the music forward with a satisfying punch. The excellent battery is especially apparent on highlight track "Multiverse", whose razor sharp guitar tones wind through the drumming in a tense Eastern rhythm. Kingnomad's musical curiosity only continues to build throughout the rest of the record, from the medieval acoustic guitar of "The Fermi Paradox" to the snaking, funky bass of closer "The Unanswered Question". Sagan Om Rymden is an ambitiously progressive record that pulls it off with ease, delivering a mystical, spacey sound that's joyously inventive and retro at the same time.

(Written by Shasta Beast)

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