Kayak

Another concept album from the dutch band Kayak but slightly different from Merlin, their previous album. This is more kind of a musical. This double album has a whole range of vocalists who sing like actors in a play with former singer Edward Reekers in the role of narrator. Before the lyrics were written for this album, there was a study on the life of Nostradamus to find out what part of the myth was real. That's why the lyrics hold some alternative views on his life. A lot of vocal harmonies are used to emphasis some of the main idea's and are delightful to listen to though the atmosphere tends to be quite swinging every now and then. So it's obvious the vocals are the dominant element which is new for the band especially when compared to early Kayak albums.

Coming Up For Air is a studio album by Dutch progressive rock band Kayak, released in 2008. This is the first 'normal' album after two concept albums (Merlin and Nostradamus). Most songs are sensible and quite sad, like the fine Broken White. There are some pretty heavy ones as well, like the starter and the finisher Alienation and title song Coming up for Air (which are both great songs). Not as good as their masterpiece Merlin - Bard of the Unseen, but this disk will be a good introduction for everyone who wants to get acquainted with Kayak and hasn't done so yet.

‘Out Of This World’, the band’s eighteenth studio album, with 15 new tracks, spanning 70 minutes of energetic and incredibly diverse material- though still very much recognizable as Kayak. It is clear that the new found energy has gained even more momentum since Hans Eijkenaar rejoined the group. Although they were forced to cancel all tours because Ton Scherpenzeel suffered a heart attack at the end of 2019, and immediately after that because of the Covid pandemic, we’re hearing a band that, since the demise of Pim Koopman in 2009, has not sounded more together, balanced and motivated.