Fans of the Polish band Moonrise no longer have to wake up at night drenched in sweat, or have a restless night, or lie tossing and turning in bed unable to fall asleep, knowing that the new album by their favourite Polish band still hasn't been released. Those nights are now over for good, because the new album No Rewind has been available since April 2026. The 5th studio album, not counting the EP Single Game (2025, see review). From now on, they will fall asleep like a log with a smile on their faces, knowing that Kamil Konieczniak has once again delivered a superb album in the familiar musical Moonrise tradition! It seems abundantly clear that the new album is musically a continuation of its predecessors The Lights Of A Distant Bay (2008), Soul's Inner Pendulum (2009), Stopover - Life (2012, see review) and Travel Within (2019, see review). Nevertheless, some differences are noticeable if you take a closer look at the album. Especially regarding the vocal parts. These are now performed by two people, divided between a female and a male voice. The woman, who is heard for the first time on a Moonrise album, immediately leaves a great impression, just like the man who previously provided the beautiful vocals on a Moonrise album. Together, they create amazing vocal parts that truly take the album to an even higher level. Therefore, I can only bow deeply to Ania Batko (Hipgnosis, Albion, tRKproject), who performed vocals on three of the album's tracks (Two Roads, When We Played By Heart and All About You), and Marcin Staszek on four (Shadows In The Dark, Single Game, Cheaters and Friends Of Blood). Guitarist Marcin Kruczek was invited to the studio for one song this time to record his guitar parts. Namely Friends Of Blood. And once again, he shows why he is asked time and again. An awesome guitar solo can be heard. The rest of the beautiful musical sounds you hear on the new album were produced by Kamil himself. This means that he can be heard on keyboards, guitars, bass, and drums. Letting us enjoy excellent synthesizer and guitar solos amongst others. Even some harmony vocals were done on two tracks. Additionally, he once again ensured flawless sound quality. Honestly, you couldn't wish for anything better; he recorded everything so beautifully. Crystal clear, so to speak. Absolutely top-notch. But how do the songs sound, you might ask? The same musical standard as heard on the previously released albums? Well, you don't need to worry about that; it's all good, as was actually already indicated in the introduction. It is difficult to single out a few favourites because everything is of an incredibly high musical standard. The musical craftsmanship of the contributing musicians is beyond question, and I really don't need to say anything more about that. As for the compositions, one highlight follows another on the album. Those who already own the aforementioned EP will immediately recognize the first three songs from the album, as Two Roads, Shadows In The Dark and Single Game can already be found on this mini-CD. Amazing tracks that, upon listening to them again, immediately reveal why they are included on this new album. They certainly belong among the absolute highlights of the album. For more details regarding these songs, I recommend rereading the review of the EP. The up-tempo track Cheaters, with its beautiful synthesizer solo, is also one of my personal favourites. But the real highlights are perhaps the melancholic ballad When We Played By Heart and the instrumental Silent Rooms. On the former, Anna gives her all. The musical arrangement is also simply mouth-watering. Perhaps the other track is even more beautiful. Here, you can enjoy stunning piano work with orchestral accompaniment. But the previously mentioned track with the guest guitarist is also truly outstanding. Friends Of Blood features a beautiful guitar solo and amazing vocal parts by Staszek. Additionally, the synthesizer parts are a real treat. Finally, the closing track All About You is also worth mentioning. The longest song on the album. Kamil shines here on guitar and synthesizer by delivering amazing solos. Truly amazing, believe me! Once again, you can enjoy Batko's strong vocal performance here as well. She is truly top-notch on this track. Hopefully, her contribution will not be limited to this single Moonrise album. As for the lyrics on this album, they are once again written by Łukasz Gałęziowski (former Moonrise and Millenium lead singer). They explore contemporary anxiety, the blurring of the lines between truth and manipulation, as well as more personal experiences related to memory, loss, and longing for what has irrevocably passed. An integral part of the album's concept is its artwork. The symbolic, interpretive visuals reflect both the album's musical character and the themes present in the lyrics. The beautiful graphic design was done by Kamil's own son Eryk Konieczniak! The long wait, seven years, for a new full studio album has paid off completely, as becomes apparent after listening to No Rewind. It just goes to show that haste makes waste. Ultimately, it has once again turned out to be a beautiful album that will be embraced by the fans. They got what they had hoped for. An album that follows in the footsteps of its predecessors. With the added bonus of not one, but two singers. With beautiful voices that truly made the difference alongside the beautiful musical colouring by Kamil himself. Of course, I could ask Kamil to ensure that the next studio album can be released sooner, because waiting seven years is obviously too long. But naturally, I do not know how much time he has to devote to composing and recording a new album. For now, I and all Moonrise fans must enjoy this beautiful album. And yes, I can wholeheartedly recommend this album to all other lovers of progressive rock as well! **** Henri Strik (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
