Kal-El – Astral Voyager Vol.2

 

 

Kal-El – Astral Voyager Vol.2
Majestic Mountain Records / Blues Funeral Recordings – 2026
Metal, Space, Stoner, Rock, Doom, Prog
Rated: ****

Kal-El’s Astral Voyager Vol.2 must be one of the most anticipated albums for 2026 right? With raving reviews for Astral Voyager Vol.1 across the globe in 2025. Landing on the Number 2 spot of the  Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown of 2025 and on the Number 1 position of the Doom Charts Top 100 for 2025. Everyone is giddy with the expected euphoria. And some of that anticipation was quenched with the first two singles already released: Juno and Juggernaut. The rest of the new Kal-El universe will open up on March 20th… 

And after Juno has opened the new forty-two minute long album, you will be treated to the longest track on the record called The Nine. Which moves a bit in the direction of Sergeant Thunderhoof without losing any of the typical ice cold Scandi-stoner, tundra rock, freezing space sound they have become known for. For yes, if Astral Voyager Vol.1launched Kal-El into the cosmos, Astral Voyager Vol.2 pushes the throttle even further. The second half of this cosmic diptych continues the band’s multi-dimensional trip with the confidence of a group fully locked into their orbit. The story of interstellar bounty hunter Mica unfolds further as she evades the mysterious Nine across time and space, but the real propulsion here is, unsurprisingly, riff power…

Kal-El once again blend stoner metal with touches of doom and swirling space rock, wrapped in that thick, fuzzy tone we’ve come to expect. Massive riffs crash down like meteor showers while soaring desert-, errr, tundra-rock hooks keep things infectious and addictive. There’s also that unmistakable Kal-El shimmer we already mentioned in earlier reviews: a cold spark running through the record that gives the whole thing a slightly icy, cosmic glow. They obviously wanted Vol.2 to only move into more progressive territory here and there, with tiny movements, keeping the overall feeling that these two Volumes belong together intact. 

Ståle Rodvelt’s vocals cut through the haze with clarity, lifting the big choruses and giving the songs that extra lift-off moment when the riffs finally explode. Add those few progressive touches and the result is an album that keeps evolving without losing its groove. Kal-El have been delivering quality ever since Ecosphere, was released in 2015. But the Astral Voyager saga might be their most complete statement yet. It ends with Asteroid, eight minutes of ever evolving largesse, in both riffs, rhythm and vocal lines. They start out huge, build and grow, become gigantic with vocals that soar through the universe and which bring you towards the end of the known galaxy. Where it all crashes down. So… You’d better strap in… This time the ride goes far beyond the event horizon…

(Written by JK)

Check out Juno and Juggernaut right now and get psyched for Astral Voyager Vol.2, dropping March 20th! 



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Kal-El - Astral Voyager Vol.1 - Number 2 on the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown of 2024 

 Kal-El – Astral Voyager Vol.1

Kal-El - Dark Majesty - Number 11 on the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown of 2021