Tracklist
1. Road To Cairo
2. Because Of You
3. Poison Ivy
4. Forbidden Dreams
5. Borderline
6. Fairy-Tale Lies
7. Feels Like Home
8. Secrets Of Angels
Review added
March 8, 2015
Back KARNATAKA
Secrets Of Angels
© 2015 Immrama Records
progressive rock
studio album
8 tracks
release date: March 6, 2015
http://karnataka.org.uk
Members' reviews post your review
Jarryguo (on 20/04/15)
This Is the masisi response to latest Nightwish poor effort and who´re looking for real and good Symphonic metal without the media of the majors. :)
Pagrebo (on 8/04/15)
Despite the glowing reviews from others on this site, I find this to be a very difficult CD to rate. On the one hand, the music and the musical arrangements are gorgeous. Very theatrical and dramatic. And while Hayley Griffiths vocals are pleasant and in tune, I found her singing to lack adequate expressiveness at times. My greatest misgivings about this album, however, is in the overall sound quality. The recording levels are sub-standard, resulting in a somewhat muted level of clarity. Normally, I might simply overlook something like this, but because of the theatrical flair of the compositional arrangements, it is frustrating to have an overall muted sound and an often overly restrained vocalist. So in the end, I'll rate this as Good, but could have been much better.
WOLF 359 (on 27/03/15)
I was going to write something but I think StuartsYoga has said it all really. So I'll just add that along with my good friend Paul, I think this is a bloody wonderful album, well done Karnataka.
StuartsYoga (on 17/03/15)
Karnataka’s ‘Secrets of Angels’ is a work of art. This album is incredible. This band should be on a major label and stratospheric.
Special mention must go to Hayley Griffiths. Have you ever sat down and written lyrics songs and vocal for a progressive symphonic rock album? I thought not. As you will discover this album is exceptional in every facet so to have created such a masterpiece at her first attempt is truly amazing. Great credit to all artists appearing here to create such an epic piece of work from the ground up – so good you would never know this was a first album written together. Never, ever know.
From the string opening, through the open hats bass and power chords, pounding bass onto the synth voices, multi layers of backing vocals lyrical lead vocal and melodic guitar licks the drive through this Karnataka album begins. Your journey towards the grail - and what a grail it is.
A stark piano opens ‘Because of You’ and is retained through the piece which becomes ever more symphonic as the music mounts. The production is exceptional, the volume and depth of the wall of sound gets seamlessly traded between Enrico on rhythm, Ian on bass and Jimmy on the kit whilst multi voices appear through synth, acoustic guitar and Hayley on vocals.
Programming is remarkable, the innovation and creativity leading to a powerful union throughout the whole group and that for me is a big part of this project. Writing is shared throughout the whole band. Everyone contributes to the success of this . This is very much an OUR record, not his, or mine, OURS.
Forward you are driven through Poison Ivy and Forbidden Dreams, tracks are immediate, striking and powerful.
Shall I let you into a secret? Just you wait till you get to Borderline! Fantastic track; a superb melody and watch Hayley shine! Perfectly crafted, a multi layered Kirsty MacColl-esque vocal wall and Enrico solo. What more could you ask for.
Strings, harp and vocal open ‘FairyTale Lies’, synth and piano join, finally drums, bass and that vocal wall again. The production is superb on this high class composition. Vocals are moved from solo, to duet, to choir across the stereo image on a beautifully balanced backing.
Can't get any better? Don't you believe it! Feels Like Home, harps back with strings synth and whistle bit of French Horn in there and the most gorgeous vocal - 'Like I Dream', Enrico and the boys join. A single all the way, as is Borderline for that matter - a melodic Renaissance vibe to this one. 'Baby You're The Reason' just an incredible vocal melody and performance from Hayley. And wait for the end!
Strap yourselves in the next twenty minutes could be the best thing you have heard in a very long time: 'Secrets of Angels'
A celtic opening. Wait for' She is your mistress but also my grave' - a cinematic M83 like synth erupts, with power chords, bass, the works, and suddenly its gone. Harp. Vocal. Back to the celtic cinematic and Ronan Hardiman vibe. Marillion fans you will swear Mosley and Kelly have joined the band and the Renaissance vibe kicks in again 'Will I walk these shores again?' Tenor drums, timpani, that M83 synth, strings, bass, Troy and Hayley followed by Enrico. 'Secrets of Angels Only They Know' 'Just Let It Go'
You have just spent an hour with Karnataka: Hayley Griffiths, Ian Jones, Enrico Pinna, Cagri Tozluoglu, Jimmy Pallagrosi with Troy Donockley, Seana Davey, Rachel van der Tang, Clive Howard, Lynn Cook. At Real World Sound Engineer John Walker, at Quadra Sound Engineer Enrico Pinna. Orchestral arrangements Cagri. Produced by Karnataka. Mixed by Joe Gibb. Mastered by John Dent@ Loud Mastering.
These people have given everything to this album. It is superb and a wonderful illustration of their abilities as musicians, composers, technology wizards and most importantly human beings. For that is a very important ingredient in this band - they know it is their job but they to know how we feel when we receive something very special from a band. That is our bond, the special sound that these guys make - like no other - that does it for us all.
This album will have wide appeal – I found some Clannad in there, some Within Temptation, Renaissance, Kirsty MacColl, Ronan Hardiman, T’Pau, M83, Danny Elfman and Marillion; taking nothing away from the fact that this is a Karnataka album and only a Karnataka album – a new powerful symphonic sound yes, but exquisite melodies as is their trademark.
How many times have you followed a band that produces wonderful melodic songs and then change and you never want to listen to them again?
Not this band. Not this album.
6 stars
USDHEAD (on 15/03/15)
A wonderful album from the band with a new stable line-up including Hayley Griffiths on vocals who shines like an angel throughout this release, Enrico Pinna (guitars), Cagri Tozluoglu (keyboards), Jimmy Pallagrosi (drums and percussion) and the ever-present Ian Jones (bass). There are many highlights and the album closer and title track is an almost 20-minute multi-part juggernaut that includes an input from Troy Donockley with his uilleann pipes and whistles, and initially imparts a very Celtic feel to proceedings. However, there are some wonderful songs leading up to this and they provide for a range of emotional responses from the listener. Anyone who has any of the band's previous releases will be happy bunnies and for the rest of you who enjoy majestic female-fronted melodic progressive/symphonic muisic, this one is a definite for you.
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