I’ve been on a German prog rock streak for some time now, and recently I was introduced to a contemporary act called Karakorum, whose sound, actually, is not that contemporary considering that they produce music which is a mixture of vintage prog, psychedelic rock and Krautrock.
“Beteigeuze” is Muhldorf quintet’s debut full length album, although the group released a self-titled demo album which included the three lengthy suites that “Beteigeuze” is made of. For the purpose of this release, which is available as a vinyl from Tonzonen Records, the band has reworked the three “Beteigeuze” tracks and offered a strong effort for everyone who is nostalgic for old-school 1970s inspired progressive rock.
The swirling organ of Axel Hackner and the smooth, melodic tone of guitarists Max Suchorghuber and Bernard Huber dominate the sound. The songs per se feature many fine melodies, and the suites are well constructed, with no unnecessary or redundant parts, and what is probably more important, they all flow and feel as one. The lengthy instrumentals between the sung pieces are pleasant, but complex.
“Beteigeuze” is an intense and impressive jam with lots of good themes and tight solo passages. This may not be an album overflowing with originality, and the band’s overall sound is similar to very many other bands of the mentioned era, but the overall good songwriting makes “Beteigeuze” a worthwhile album of great German progressive rock.
Get the album from Tonzonen Records.
