Red Kite stands as one of the most compelling forces in the Norwegian Jazz Rock scene. Their return with “This Too Shall Pass,” released June 19, 2026, via Is It Jazz? Records, marks a moment of profound transformation and resilience for the band. According to sources, the group navigated a “strange” and difficult period marked by numerous negative events and roster changes: keyboardist Bernt André Moen had to permanently leave the ensemble due to health issues. During the album’s genesis, members grappled with the death of friends and even several pets (including the cat Bolla, a swan, Ozzy, and Ace). Guitarist Even Hermansen wrote much of the material while his father was hospitalized and gravely ill. The central theme is distilled in the title itself: “This Too Shall Pass.” Despite this somber backstory, the music reflects a mix of dark, slow, and solemn sounds born from sheer will to react. The band describes the process as enduring “terrible times,” yet one where laughter and creative collaboration did not cease. The album opens with the moody, solemn atmosphere of “Not To Be.” This piece is not merely an introduction; it immediately plunges the listener into the core theme of the record, initiating a deep narrative exploration. The track moves slowly, incorporating Avant-Prog elements and experimentation, featuring deep sounds, prominent keyboards, and a percussion section that accentuates the melancholic tone. It develops with themes leaning towards classic Jazz, utilizing refined instrumental interplay that evolves the piece’s motif into an intense, continuous crescendo. “Requiem For Bolla” carries such an emblematic title because it is dedicated to Bolla, the cat tragically lost during the album’s writing process. The track moves slowly, driven by a march-like drumming and keyboard/horn sections intertwining through heartbreaking melodies. It functions as a true Jazz Rock Requiem—filled with sophisticated sonorities and rich in poignant melodies—making it the perfect dedication to an irreplaceable companion like Bolla must have been. Beyond being a passionate tribute, it is also a long piece featuring thoughtful, expansive Jazz passages imbued with deep melancholy. Conveying such powerful emotions so clearly through music is complex, and the band successfully pays homage to Bolla, truly touching the listener’s heart. The duration increases, as does the level of technical sophistication, in “Texas of Sweden,” which reaches an exact 14 minutes. This serves as the central core of the work: a monumental track exploring the most expansive dynamics of their sound. It features a masterful and technically proficient rhythm section against which the horns weave prolonged solos and phrases, elevating the piece dramatically. The band showcases both its compositional and performance technique in this more ‘exploratory’ piece, allowing them to indulge in complex Free-Jazz phrasing, backed by a groove-rich rhythm section enhanced with technical flourishes and virtuosity. These elements make it an anchor track for the entire release. It is endlessly listenable because it is so rich with ideas and inspiration that it fills 14 minutes, utilizing its full duration to explore Avant-garde and Experimental territories, always rooted in Jazz and Avant-Prog structures. In the middle section, the atmosphere takes on Canterbury influences, particularly in the keyboard sounds and experimentation, alongside highly technical drumming reminiscent of early Wyatt—culminating the piece with a chorus augmented by the horns. “No Safe Harbour” returns to darker sonorities, mixing Jazz with Psych-Prog elements, with prominent horns creating melodically charged tension. The rhythm section is more powerful and heavy, crafting an intricate interweaving that keeps the listener captive through every phrase and transition between Heavy Psych and Jazz—where the sophistication of one contrasts beautifully with the abrasive, acidic atmosphere of the other. This sustained tension accompanies the entire piece with prolonged solo passages. A prolonged horn introduction characterizes the first part of “For Ugly Ducklings,” a track exploring more experimental musical territories. The piece evolves with highly rhythmic and technical drumming, featuring continuous time changes and Jazz virtuosity over which the horns design layered solos that intertwine with the keyboards. It is a complex composition uniting Jazz, Experimentation, and a touch of Avant-Garde Prog, allowing the band to highlight its most exploratory characteristics. “Bernt,” another intense and deeply personal dedication. Dedicated to former bandmate Bernt André Moen, this piece develops a dense and more direct Jazz Rock soundscape, featuring impressive technical passages and beautiful solo moments that shift the sonorities toward a more Progressive territory, while maintaining a distinctly Jazzy matrix. The intensity builds as the track progresses, sustaining excellent tension from start to finish with incredible energy, weaving complex passages between Prog and Jazz Rock—a wonderful tribute to a bandmate, where the emotional component gives the piece an extra push. “Broken Heart and Broken Bones” is the shortest album piece, lasting just two minutes. It serves as an interlude loaded with emotional tension. Developed over ethereal and expansive sonorities enhanced by effects, giving way to a more ambient and deeply moving passage. The final track, “All’s Well That Ends,” closes the album’s narrative circle with the hope suggested by its title. The melodies are dreamy and enveloping, featuring horns and keyboards above a rhythm section that moves slowly—a piece that wraps around the listener and guides them to the end of the record. The current Red Kite formation, featuring Even Hermansen (guitar), Trond Frønes (bass), Torstein Lofthus (drums), and saxophonist Gisle Johansen (who has progressed from guest to permanent member), is impressive. Special commendation also goes to Ståle Storløkken for his contributions on the keyboards, adding even greater depth to the album’s sound. “This Too Shall Pass” stands as an intense work where Jazz Rock takes on shades of psychedelia and dark tones, cementing Red Kite’s status as masters in transforming personal pain into complex, layered art.
Tracklist
01. Not To Be (3:34)
02. Requiem For Bolla (7:02)
03. Texas of Sweden (14:00)
04. No Safe Harbour (5:07)
05. For Ugly Ducklings (3:58)
06. Bernt (7:46)
07. Broken Heart and Broken Bones (2:20)
08. All’s Well That Ends (3:32)
Lineup
Even Hermansen / Guitars
Trond Frønes / Bass
Torstein Lofthus / Drums
Gisle Johansen / Saxophone
Ståle Storløkken also contributes Keyboards