KARIBOW – Holophinium (2016)

FIXED, the Real one

KARIBOW is the brainchild of german musician Oliver Rüsing, a man with an extensive career and various musical awards, but it’s KariBow, and their new album “Holophinium” which are making Rüsing’s name known worldwide. And this is because its immense quality.

KariBow are currently on tour in Germany with legends Saga and the feedback from the audience has been far above expectations with the album beind sold like hot cakes.
So what is stirring up all the fuss? KariBow’s latest album “Holophinium”: a double serving of crossover prog that blends strong AOR and catchy vocal melodies that will cling to your brain. It owns a modern progressive sound that mixes some heavier guitar rock with a synthesizer-inclusive neo-prog format.

There are times when this album might make you think of Saga, Marillon, IQ, Arena, and even TOTO, without the music sounding just like those bands.
KariBow / Rüsing blend with ease melodic Prog elements AOR waves, filling it with beautiful choruses and that sweet kind of powerful layered guitar rock and less emphasis on the technical (i.e. progressive) side.

“Holophinium” is a double album, but don’t worry, it flows awesomely.
The first disc, entitled “Fragments”, is a succession of separate tracks in a ‘song format’, contrary to the second disc, “Letter from the White Room”, which plays out like a single epic divided into individual tracks that segue into each succeeding track.
There is an atmosphere that pervades the whole album, and I find it very easy to slip into this soundscape and just go along for the ride. Aside from Rüsing’s warm, passionate vocals, there are many great moments to catch along the way in the music as well as in the melodies.

The album features several guests, including Michael Sadler of Sags who sings wonderfully on ‘River’, Colin Tench of Corvus Stone who embellishes ‘Part of the Century’ with his lead guitar expertise, Sean Timms of Unitopia who plays some great keyboards on ‘Quantum Leap’, and Karsten Stiers who takes lead vocal on ‘Orbital Spirits’.

“Holophinium” is one of those double albums that seems to end too soon… you want more.
Despite the second disc is quite shorter you have around one and a half hour of music, but it’s so wonderfully crafted, melodic and catchy that flows like a spring river.
There is something to discover in nearly every track and something to then look forward to with each subsequent listen. Careful attention has gone into the arrangement on each track and the production captures the essence of the whole musical experience greatly.
“Holophinium” is for all audiences reading this blog, blending light / Neo Prog, AOR and more hard rockin’ passages.
A truly outstanding piece of work.

CD 1: The Fragments
01 – Distant Movements
02 – Holophinium
03 – E.G.O.
04 – Victims of Light
05 – Some Will Fall
06 – Connection Refused
07 – River
08 – Angel Scent
09 – King
10 – Quantum Leap

CD 2: Letter From The White Room
01 – Moon
02 – Walk on Water
03 – Orbital Spirits
04 – Eden
05 – Lifelong
06 – Part of the Century
07 – Plutonian

Michael Sadler – Lead & backing Vocals
Karsten Stiers – Lead vocals
Colin Tench – Guitars
Chris Thomas – Acoustic guitars
Sean Timms – Piano & keyboards
Jorg Eschrig – Mandolin, backing vocals
Daniel Neustad – Fretless bass
Markus Bergen – Keyboards
Oliver Rüsing – Lead & backing vocals, drums, guitars, bass, keyboards

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www.karibow.de/karibow/shop/index.php?page=product&info=88
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