Prog Radio | Album Review | ''Messages from Afar: Second Nature'' by Karfagen

Album Review

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4.5

Stars

Messages from Afar: Second Nature

Karfagen

165

Ukraine

This month marks a significant addition to Karfagen's discography with the release of their 18th and 19th albums, "Messages from Afar: Second Nature" and "Messages from Afar: The Working Tapes."

Antony Kalugin, the driving force behind Karfagen, Sunchild, Hoggwash, and various solo projects, stands out as one of the most industrious and prolific figures in progressive rock today. Despite his extensive output, Kalugin consistently manages to infuse his music with a sense of novelty and freshness, aided in part by his diverse musical ventures.

We love playing these songs [here at Prog Radio], since no matter what song we play before and after one of them, they just freshen up the soundscape and make everything sound better!

"Messages from Afar: Second Nature," the latest from Karfagen, remains faithful to the group's established sound. This mostly instrumental album melds jazz influences with progressive rock over its 48-minute runtime, spanning 9 tracks with 3 exceptional bonus tracks featuring Ukrainian guitarist Dmytro Ignatov.

For those eager for more, there's good news: "Messages from Afar: The Working Tapes" is set to release in just two weeks. (Stay tuned for a detailed review later this week, but a sneak peek at the first track promises great things!)

Antony's work rarely falls short of expectations, and "Messages from Afar: Second Nature" stands as a vibrant and solid addition to the Karfagen catalog.

At Prog Radio, we're excited to feature several tracks from this album in our New Music rotation. We love playing these songs, since no matter what song we play before and after one of them, they just freshen up the soundscape and make everything sound better!

4.5 Stars