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Kashgar - 2026 - "Kashgar III" (49:06; Kashgar) Kashgar are back with their third album which features the same core line-up as the last one, namely Marcus Taylor (guitars, bass, keyboards, percussion), Ben Bell (Hammond organ, keyboards) and James Chapman (drums), which for those paying attention is also the same line-up as Broken Parachute. There are three guests, cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne who plays on one track, saxophonist Steffen Davidson who is on three and singer Jaasmaan Rathore who is also on one, but none of them overlap. When I reviewed their last album I said I felt it was good, but that it was somewhat fragmented and should have stayed more focused on the prog/world/fusion style which appeared, and I am glad to say that is exactly what has happened this time around, and the result is an album which is bright, fresh and invigorating. There are too few bands who look to John McLaughlin and Santana as influences, but it is obvious their legacy has had a large part to play on this album which combines rock with bhangra, Latin, Turkish, Eastern and other melodies and rhythms to create something which is dramatic and different. This feels much more like an album which has come to us from the Seventies when anything was possible and music was pushing boundaries. Ben uses a huge raft of sounds to make us believe there are way more musicians involved than there are, James is an octopus who is everywhere at once, while Marcus is fully aligned with the melody as opposed to just showing off. The result is an instrumental album which at times feels it could be coming to us from India, and others as if Pat Metheny has been involved. This is a huge step change from the last release, and I can only hope we do not have to wait so long for the next one as this is a delight and totally refreshing to most of what I am sent to review. Progtector: May 2026 Related Links: Kashgar