Gemma's Top Ten Albums of 2025
Number 6: Karmakanic - Transmutation
Have Jonas Reingold and John Mitchell never crossed paths before? It was only a matter of time before the two men with the longest resumés in prog this side of Steven Wilson would team up. The man from The Flower Kings, the Steve Hackett band, Kaipa, The Tangent and The Fringe asked the man from Arena, It Bites, Lonely Robot, Kino, Frost and the John Wetton band to sing on his new Karmakanic record, and the result is quite curious. Curious to hear this quintessentialy English voice work his way through lyrics written by a Viennese Swede, for whom English is perhaps his third language.
Nevertheless, it largely works, and Jonas opens a full can of tasty prog for us. Pointy tracks and proggy tracks galore, always with a great ear for melody and hooks. It doesn’t break with tradition much; we’re firmly in celebratory, indulgent Third Wave Prog territory here, even with a second-wave vocalist. Mostly melodic and upbeat, in the style of Yes but always just a tad more rocking.
The guest list is a veritable Who’s Who of prog rock superstars, featuring Simon Phillips, Craig Blundell, the omnipresent Randy McStine, Luke Machin, Uncle Tom Cobley and all. The fact that Jonas himself is one of the greatest living bassist is certainly a great added value.
One great thing about 2025 is this: the epics are back! There were a few years there when the big names in prog seemed to eschew the side-filling rock symphonies, but everyone’s back doing twenty minute pieces, and Karmakanic’s title track Transmutation is a very fine example of the form. Jonas Reingold learned the art from Roine Stolt at The Flower Kings, and this is the year he has matched and perhaps surpassed the master. Long live the King.
The guest list is a veritable Who’s Who of prog rock superstars, featuring Simon Phillips, Craig Blundell, the omnipresent Randy McStine, Luke Machin, Uncle Tom Cobley and all. The fact that Jonas himself is one of the greatest living bassist is certainly a great added value.
One great thing about 2025 is this: the epics are back! There were a few years there when the big names in prog seemed to eschew the side-filling rock symphonies, but everyone’s back doing twenty minute pieces, and Karmakanic’s title track Transmutation is a very fine example of the form. Jonas Reingold learned the art from Roine Stolt at The Flower Kings, and this is the year he has matched and perhaps surpassed the master. Long live the King.
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