Konstantin Jambazov - 2017 - Talking to Myself

(73:08; Orphictone)

Track list:
1. When 6:50
2. What's Normal 8:50
3. Childless 6:09
4. Immortality 10:03
5. Tired 5:04
6. Labyrinth 6:07
7. Inward Feeling 7:49
8. Solitude 7:16
9. Reflections 9:26
10. Stamp of Personality 5:34

Line-up:
Konstantin Jambazov - vocals, instruments


Prolusion.
Bulgarian artist Konstantin Jambazov doesn't appear to be the most well known artist out there, despite releasing music for at least a couple of decades as a member of various band constellations in addition to more than a dozen solo albums. With a number of different genres taken on over the years. The album "Talking to Myself" dates back to 2017, and was released through Japanese label Orphictone.

Analysis.
This is an interesting album to get familiar with, at least in terms of how to classify and define the landscapes explored. The moods and atmospheres in particular showcase an artist that appear to be rather familiar with a number of different musical traditions from yesteryear in general, and arguably with the musical legacy of bands such as Genesis and Yes in particular. But without really trying to replicate the sounds and the style of any of those bands, but rather to explore certain aspects of this in a slightly different manner.

I guess that the best overall description of this album is to describe it as an accessible variety of hard progressive rock. We get tons of details that showcase an artist well aware of the classic rock and classic hard rock traditions, with the opening song showcasing some rather familiar sounding guitar details in those departments. That they alternate with sections with a more purebred progressive rock orientation is a bit of an indication of what is to follow I suspect.

We get songs that mix and blend aspects of classic rock and hard rock with progressive rock details, as well as sections that focus more on one or the other of this trio of main style orientations. Alternating between such passages but also combining traits of one or more of these. We get gentler, atmospheric laden passages, more vibrant organ and guitar combinations with a more rock and hard rock expression as well as a stronger emphasis on progressive rock elements, but also detours into more expressive landscapes on a regular basis. With recurring left turns into a more atmospheric laden as well as a more expressive variety of symphonic progressive rock.

While various combinations of these kinds certainly dominate this as an album experience, to the point of being a defining and dominant trait throughout, we do get a couple of songs that widens the border of the canvas just a little bit too. One of the more expressive songs as far as structure is concerned adds a playful little jitty into a more jazz-oriented orientation at one point, and we get a token track that takes the progressive hard rock style into a bit more of a metal-oriented mode of execution too. Or perhaps a 70s flavored variety of classic era progressive metal may be a better description there.

It would appear that this is an album that didn't get the reception it deserved at the time of its release. Perhaps due to more writers than me being swamped with submissions at that point in time. Which sadly is a fact of life for many spare time writers around the world. Too much music and too little time being a phrase many music writers are intimately familiar with. Chances should be good for this album to still be commercially available though, which is a good thing at least in my book. As my very belated take on this album had everything to do with capacity and not at all due to matters of quality.

Conclusion.
I believe I have covered one of the other older releases by Jambazov on a previous occasion, although I am not able to recall my impressions of that particular album here and now, But for this now seven year old album, I do find it to be a solid and accessible production that should have a fairly broad general appeal. If you enjoy your classic era rock and hard rock just as much as you enjoy early 70s progressive rock bands from England in general and bands such as Genesis and Yes in particular, chances are good that you'll find the landscapes explored on this album to be quite enthralling I suspect. Especially if you enjoy an artist that mix and blend aspects of the traditions and orientations referenced.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, November 2024

Links:
http://www.orphictone.com/