Band: Sunchild (Antony Kalugin Project)

CD Title: “The Invisible Line”

Label: Caerllysi Music

Release Date: 2009

After a couple of discs under the name of Karfagen, the musical world of Ukrainian prog-meister Antony Kalugin has expanded and evolved yet again. Now going by the name of Antony Kalugin Project he is able to create and produce an even wider range of musical offerings. His latest comes under the band name Sunchild and is entitledThe Invisible Line. This is an introspective disc that lyrically addresses a variety of ethical and moral lines each of us faces. Heady stuff, that’s for sure and musically this is quite a pleasing symphonic prog disc. Kalugin is the brainchild here but he’s surrounded himself with 8 very talented and competent musicians to help execute his ideas.

The Invisible Line consists of eleven tracks of varying lengths; everything from 1:33 to 14:36 some with vocals and others instrumentals. As I mentioned this is full-on symphonic prog with a myriad of influences and layered arrangements. At times it rocks out like on “Amalgama” [5:08] and other times it betrays more of an atmospheric almost New Age feel on a couple tracks. There are loads of keyboards from the latest synths patches to Mellotron sounds. Stylistically there is a mix of Crime of the Century Supertramp and World of Adventures Flower Kings. These two influences are absorbed into Kalugin’s own personal and accomplished approach. The Supertramp feel is heard on tracks where there are many dramatic and yet jazzy styled climaxes or where the sax or clarinet fill in the musical bridges. This really is evident in a piece like “Time & The Tide” [11:20] with it’s mix of opening jazzy reeds and poppy middle section all blended together and then towards the end we have a series of vocal crescendos before the whole band creates waves of musical climaxes fronted by sax tying it all together. As for the Flower Kings it’s most prevalent in the way certain tracks, especially the longer ones will have a lead line performed by an ever changing lead instrument. Same line but one time it’s a keyboard and another it’s sax and the again it’s a guitar. This is just one of the ways Sunchild infuses layers of musicality into the compositions.

Hey, if you are a fan of Kalugin’s work with Karfagen, I’d say this is a major step up the proggy ladder. It’s a little bit more of everything, majestic and panoramic at times, haunting and melancholic at others. To my ears this is his best work yet. Sunchild embodies everything I like in a symphonic prog recording, it’s dramatic, it’s melodic, it’s full of musicianship and it’s down-right enjoyable to listen to over and over again. I highly recommend The Invisible Line.