Review: Kal-El ‘Astral Voyager Vol. 2’
I made a passing remark in my review of Kal-El’s seventh album, the stunning Astral Voyager Vol. 1, that the title alone ‘hopefully promises at least a Vol. 2…’ and sure enough, here we are less than a year later. The Stavanger, Norway-based quintet have wasted absolutely no time, returning to the cosmos to deliver one of the most hotly anticipated follow-ups of 2026.
In my Vol. 1 review, I didn’t really touch on the story behind the concept. In the first instalment, they told the tale of an intergalactic bounty hunter called Mica, who traversed time and space kicking ass and flying under the radar of the mysterious The Nine to do her damn job – Even in a galaxy far, far away, The Man won’t take their foot off the neck of the little guy (or gal) it seems. This Space Mountain-esque ride was a white-knuckle, high-octane trip that dialled the Scandinavian band up to eleven on one of their most accessible and vital releases to date.
Vol. 2 picks up from the dying notes of Cosmic Sailor and sees Mica being actively pursued by The Nine as she attempts to collect her bounties. The first part was an exhilarating rocket ride into the unknown, fuelled by excitement, exploration, and new horizons. The second part asks what happens when you finally reach the vast openness of space, only to find it suffocating and oppressive compared to those original aspirations.
That is not to suggest it is in any way a drag; the album channels the same energy as the previous offering, with the powerful track Juno setting the scene. Continuing that established vibe both musically and thematically, it starts with a low chug and authoritative, stamping drums – like retro rockets firing as the ship stabilises outside the atmosphere. This moody stomp perfectly entwines their stoner and doom heft.
Once more, The Captain, with his trademark, echoing, Ozzy-influenced vocals, paints the picture as they build towards the soaring, melodic chorus awash with harmonies. Then, as the pace slows, they convey a sense of drifting in the endless void. The delicious fuzz-laden riffing and winding guitar lead create a cinematic feel that promises this interstellar ride is just getting started.
The Nine (the control-obsessed consortium hell-bent on tracking Mica down) is subtly calmer and more sinister, with whispering vocals and creeping guitar notes that grow into a towering, menacing doom plod. The slow chord progressions and subtle shifts see them harking back to the more dramatic, long-form style of 2021’s Dark Majesty.
The brooding, ten-minute epic pays homage to Sabbath with elephantine slabs of hulking chugs that prowls, bristling with power. When they do break out of the downbeat dirge, Kal-El sprinkle moments of lofty beauty, before they tighten the screw once more.
a journey that should cement Kal-El as one of the finest acts in the scene right now…
With a teasing drumbeat and muted glittering start, The Prophecy is one of the album’s finest offerings. Grinding guitars and a later-era Ozzy feel shrouds it with a pensive, determined feel. The Captain employs clever vocal and lyrical devices to play off the music, building rhythmic chants before launching into the stratospheric highs of the chorus.
The result gives the track the epic drama of an ancient Greek tragedy. However, this tension doesn’t last. At the halfway mark, they explode into a cantering bounce that harks back to the more joyful moments of the previous album, bringing a more hopeful vibe with the sudden uptick in pace.
The appropriately titled Juggernaut has a muscular swagger and pomp that sees them firing on all cylinders with the weighty crunch of the guitars. The punishing bass and pounding drums create some of the heaviest passages across the six tracks.
This oppressive might is counterbalanced by one of the most uplifting (or despairing, pick your interpretation) passages. When the chorus hits with, ‘So if you want to be alive, if you want to see the stars, all you can do is get on your knees and pray for a sign’, it creates arguably the most beautiful moment of Vol. 2, ultimately leading into a stunning instrumental break and out-of-this-world soloing.
The frenetic drums of Pan ignite another huge slice of molten riffing. The low, urgent guitars and the sombre delivery of the storytelling see them deep in prog and stoner territory. Blending a pensive atmosphere, they walk the line of balancing moments of majestic melody with hard-hitting, anvil-heavy rock. The swaying cadence allows an effortless switch between pummelling passages and majestic harmonies in a manner that shows Kal-El will be troubling the Album Of 2026 for a second successive year.
Asteroid closes the two-part saga with snake-hipped, grooving desert rock, lashings of heroic sky claw moments, powerful proclamations and dizzying highs in a fittingly epic manner. Sucking all of these elements into an engulfing black hole of epic proportions that slows to an all-consuming statement, it rounds off a journey that should cement Kal-El as one of the finest acts in the scene right now.
On initial listens, Vol. 2 can feel darker than its predecessor. It’s like Vol. 1 was the thrill of the launch into space, and having breached the atmosphere, there is only the silent, cold expanse of space with dangers lurking in the murky, lonely vastness. This paranoid edge, however, is injected with sublime moments of hope and light, and perfectly complements the rush of the first instalment. I may be pushing my luck to ask for a Vol. 3, but for now, there is no doubt Kal-El have delivered two outstanding records back-to-back. Beam me up, er… Mica…
Label: Majestic Mountain Records | Blues Funeral Recordings
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Mark Hunt-Bryden
