KariBow - Panterrania PV041
KariBow Panterrania Progressive Voyages Review PV041
KariBow - Panterrania
Some people are just born to be musicians. And I’m not talking about someone who (like me) plays drums and loves it, but has a “day job” not related to music. I am talking about someone who eats and breathes and bleeds the musical world…. Someone who very likely spends every waking moment on a record and then, just as soon as that record is completed, spends every new waking moment planning the next record. There are a very few notable individuals in the prog rock world who fit this description.
Oliver Rüsing is one of them.
As the “be-all-end-all” behind the fantastically amazing KariBow, Rüsing has amassed a collection of work that should be the envy of most in the genre. With a grand total of 33 discs under his belt (if you count his other non KariBow- related projects) he is an extremely skilled and well-practiced artisan of the progressive rock craft. What lofty aims most prog artists aspire to, he has accomplished…. multiple times. And in early 2025, Rüsing added a double album, ‘Panterrania’ (the seventh of that particular variety from him, I believe….), to the KariBow record menagerie.
As is the norm with KariBow, Rüsing handles a majority of musical duties here (drums, guitars, synths….he can okay it ALL), but on ‘Panterrania’, he is joined by a veritable ARMY of excellent guest musicians who appear throughout; Andy Tillison (The Tangent), Charlie Bramald (Ghost of the Machine) and Monique Van Der Kolk (Harvest) just to name a few.
The album is, as one would expect, a long listen, and is just TEEMING with music that gives its nod to a massive variance of both progressive and non-progressive styles, none of which, oddly enough, are really discernible with any particularity. And while a record of this length may be a chore to give enough time to for a proper review, if ever a band was worthy of that time, effort and energy, KariBow makes that grade.
So…. Join me, won’t you? Let’s traipse the ‘Worlds of Illusion’ and meet ‘The Last Illusian’ as we discover what genius Rüsing has in store for KariBowians (I hope that is a word…. And if it isn’t, well, I just made it one!) on this marvellously comprehensive 2025 progressive rock offering.
Disc One - The Worlds of Illusion
Disc one comprises 9 separate tracks that, all things considered, is a more straight-forward offering; the prog is here, but it is contained within song craft that leans more toward a classic style of songwriting as opposed to lengthy epics. The concept behind disc one is how many of the expectations that people have in life turn out to be quite illusory.
‘Panterrania’ - we start our journey with the title track, which is really an instrumental introduction to the Panterrania universe. Sounding somewhat eccentric, like something from a movie about the discovery of a strange and exotic world, various sounds swirl, wax and wane as the music descends to a low voice that welcomes us to the realization that “…. We are nothing.”
‘Simplify Yourself’ - a U2-ish style intro with echoing guitar quickly gives way to Rüsing’s excellent mid-range vocals and an up-tempo rocker with a great melody in the chorus. It then darkly and abruptly turns into a low, plodding drudge (more on mid-song abrupt shifts later) which laments the bleak state of the world, before the drums bring us slowly back to the up tempo beat, and the optimistic message that we just need to “simplify” and learn what is real to make our world a happier place to be.
‘Ordinary Gods’ - the longest song on disc one, and featuring Andy Tillison on the keys, this extremely up-tempo track, which tells us of the need to make our own world a better place by being the ones to actually ACT to make it better…. becoming ordinary Gods of our own worlds, rocks us right out of the gate and then drops to a tribal-style half-time beat that leads to excellent choruses that are so anthemic you will find yourself singing along with them. We then get a spectacular interplay between Rüsing’s guitars and Tillison’s keys, back and forth-ing before hitting their solos in perfect unison. A hi-light of the disc, to be sure. We then move to a great section which races forward in classic heavy style, until again Tillison takes the wheel with his keyboard virtuosity and delivers more key-driven progressive excellence. (FULL DISCLOSURE: I firmly believe that Andy Tillison is one of the best and most underrated keyboard players on planet Earth. He is also a good friend. Take that for what it’s worth!). We then enter a dream-state, musically, where the voice echoes as if from beyond, while the music sets a sombre, ethereal tone, before the guitars bring the song back around, this time to a mid-tempo rocker that sees us safely out of the fray. WHEW…. THIS one is a RIDE, so buckle up!
‘Tangram’ - from a maelstrom, we move to calmer waters and are carried into a track that is, for the most part, an excellently written slower rock song. There isn’t a lot of transposition here; it’s a much needed shift in style from the “progressive epic” bent of the previous track to simple, subtle and effective playing and a focus on the theme that the world is a tangram (a dissection puzzle). A very interesting and complex idea thrown into a song that is simplicity itself. A wondrous juxtaposition.
‘Genes From Another World’ - this one is another straight rocker; simple and well-known song craft and chord structures, in an almost 80’s pop-rock style, plow forward with Rüsing’s signature vocals on display. Not one of the standout tracks on the record (except for a well-done guitar solo), but a solid rock song you can nod your head to.
‘Behind My Eyes’ - here we get a massive slow-down. Piano and voice give way to a beautifully subtle string sounds and then some quiet guitar and almost whisper-like cymbal work. One of the album’s shorter, more emotional and heartfelt tracks.
‘In the Fragments’ - we pick up the pace here, back to a mid-tempo rock feel with more U2, Edge-inspired guitar sounds thrown in as the song progresses. Not one of the album’s strongest tracks, at least as it relates to the song’s construction, but the music is powerful…. particularly in the bridge section and with the addition of a very well-played guitar and synth solo (played again by Tillison). And the voice, as always, is spot on.
‘Heaven’ - one of the most emotional tracks on the record; passion pouring out through each note as the lament for a person lost (in this case Rüsing’s dear mother) and the resulting loneliness is something that most any listener can relate to. Musically nothing that wows or astonishes, but that’s not the point…. The song is a dirge and in that vein plays true and beautifully.
‘Albedo’ - we end the journey through the ‘Worlds of Illusion’ that comprise disc one with one more hard rocker. This one is one of the heavier songs, and midway shifts gears to a slower tempo and a more pensive, thoughtful section, musically-speaking. Rüsing’s constant (and effective) shift between moods…. At once rocking, then suddenly softer, then back to rock…. is just a delight to listen to. The song never gets old; never stale or boring…. it always holds ones interest. We then get an extremely odd ending, which (in sublime fashion) circles us back around to the beginning refrain of the opening track, and then sends us SOARING on beautiful chords and voice with a heartfelt and supremely magnificent guitar solo. A perfect ending to an excellent first disc.
Disc Two - The Last Illusian
Disc two is actually one single song (‘The Last Illusion’) that is broken into 10 parts, which comprise the 10 tracks on the disc. As such…. We have a 51:20 epic on our hands! I will freely admit that epic-length tracks are the bread and butter of my progressive preferences…. And so this had me super excited!
‘Part I - One Touch’ - noise starts the track…. A literal “walking in” of the Last Illusian…. A character who, throughout their journey, begins to realize that some of their dreams may be just that…. Illusion. It is not flashy musically, though it does become heavier and with more of a prog sense toward the end…. It’s an interesting introduction to the titular character.
‘Part II - Blossom Black’ - track one leads directly into this track…. A notable, prog-filled wonderland of an instrumental. We get the full prog-force as this one sends us initially into an upbeat synth and guitar frenzy, compete with guitar solo and a furious pounding of the drums, before screeching to a halt of sorts…. And dropping into another fantastically musical guitar solo played over sustained synth notes that drop us directly into….
‘Part III - The Leak’ - this one initially fools you into thinking it is a purely straight-ahead rocker…. Before it drops into an almost ballad-style section, and then careens right back into the rock fury and accompanying excellent guitar solo. A note at this point regarding the numerous twists and turns throughout the songs: Rüsing has established himself as a master of the “mid-song shift”; routinely shifting sudden moods and styles within songs in a way that should be fractious and uncomfortable…. but isn’t. The shifts work well both musically and with regard to the mood within each song. It is glorious to behold, and it happens MULTIPLE times throughout the two discs.
‘Part IV - Cinderella’ - slow, quiet, ponderous…. Beautiful. That’s what describes the beginning (and overall feeling) of this track. Moving eventually to a mid-tempo beat which showcases some of Rüsing’s tasteful drumming skills, this track is fairly minimalistic in the musical sense…. It does have guitar and synth solos, but the verses and choruses are purposely understated and allow the song to breathe and the voice to take command.
‘Part V - Time’ - the previous track never fades; it instead leads directly into part 5…. The mid-tempo sense remains, but the understated sense of the previous song now gives way to a more raucous, up-tempo affair, until the arrival of an odd section where some unexpected and off-kilter chord progression choices throw a strange shade on the music, with the astounding Charlie Bramald providing vocals that are simply superb. His voice is PERFECT for this type of progressive rock, and they really are a hi-light of the track.
‘Part 6 - Illusian’ - once again, there is no break in the songs (remember… in truth this is all one really long epic-length track), as we are presented with the (more or less) ‘title track’ of disc two. We get more straight rock, and another sudden shift in tempo and flavour, and the appearance of yet another supreme guest vocal performance; this time from Monique Van Der Kolk. As with Bramald, Van Der Kolk’s vocals are the feature and strong point of the track. We then end with some of the heaviest playing on the record.
‘Part VII - A Little While’ - this short section is really just a bridge of sorts, but even it has flavour…. A well-placed (and played) saxophone solo by Andy Pendant. A perfect light wisp of a breath, before….
‘Part VIII - Cupid Calling’ - We move into the realms of a mix of jazz-fusion melded with an almost Caribbean-style/reggae beat. The variances from song to song are just astounding, as this track’s extreme departure from what the rest of the album has presented will attest. There are so many changes present that it is not really possible to chart them. Do not read that negatively; the changes all work, and they serve to keep you FULLY engaged on where you’re going next. Oh… and the guitar solo here is just stellar (though all too short).
‘Part IX - Lords of the Big Shame’ - yet ANOTHER guest vocalist takes centre stage here; this time in the visage of the lovely Nic Koray. The track here is simpler musically, but far more anthemic; with a great sing-song back and forth section between Koray and Rüsing, culminating in guitar solo gloriousness and a final reprise of an anthem-like rise as the song concludes.
‘Part X - Nothing Shall Remain’ - we reach the end of this journey of illusions, and the Illusian, in much the same fashion as we travelled the road; with consistent, understated musical performance, vocals that practically lift the soul and the spirit, and one more sudden and stranger shift from a song to a literal walking exit of the Illusian, in almost exactly the same manner as he arrived.
Wow.
What a strangely deep, varied and splendid record ‘Panterrania’ is.
Much to Rüsing’s credit, I cannot really pin any specific influences on him with anything approaching consistency. Rather, this album sounds, front to back, like KariBow. And that is, perhaps, it (and the band’s) greatest strength; it is not noticeably derivative of anything. KariBow stands on its own in the prog world; it has its own sound and style; truly sounding like no one but itself. And as if Rüsing isn’t already talented enough as a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, another of the album’s strengths is the wealth of guest talent and, perhaps most importantly, how and when they are used. Rüsing’s uncanny ability to know exactly what musician to put where and in what song for maximum effectiveness is just mind-blowing, and is a testament to his supreme and masterful understanding of the art behind the crafting of his impressive and ever-growing body of work.
The only thing I could possibly say about this album that might cast it in a negative light would be its length…. It IS quite long, and as such, is not easy to just listen to in any short span of time and really grasp and appreciate the depth and meaning behind the record. But, as prog rock fans, we aren’t really looking for “short and sweet”, are we? I know I’m not.
All told, ‘Panterannia’ is one of the best, most varied and musically accessible prog releases of 2025, and should be a part of any serious progressive rock lover’s physical collection. Yes, it is a long listen. But, for those like I who love epic-length songs and double disc albums, this is FAR from a negative. Take it from me…. You will NEVER find me griping that a progressive rock band has given me “too much prog” or that “they need to scale it back and give me less”. EVER. Particularly, a PHENOMENAL band.
A band like…. oh, say….
KariBow.
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