Space Kitchen
Space Kitchen (2026)
Review
Space Kitchen is the debut album by Canadian progressive rock band Space Kitchen. The album was released on October 2nd, 2026, and features nine of the best tracks from the band’s previous EPs. To best describe the sound of the band and this album Space Kitchen has stated that the band “is what happens when you modernize the 1970’s rock band mentality with the artistic freedom of modern DIY possibility.” This quote explains their sound perfectly.
Music
Musically the album is incredibly interesting. The album starts off with the song "The Arrival". This song gives off classic rock/Billy Joel vibes but… it is uniquely Space Kitchen. It features light melodic guitars and replicates the 1970s prog drum timbre perfectly. The drums in this song and the album as a whole are beautiful. There is a section in the middle of the song that gives off Beach Boys vibes and I love it. Overall “The Arrival” is a great song to start the album off with. It blends prog, classic rock and 60s pop into a unique and energetic song. It sets the perfect tone for the album in my opinion.
Some other songs I would like to mention are
"Pain Goblin" is a modern prog masterpiece with vintage flair. The piano alone in this song is out of this world as well as the bass. The intro of the song features a prog drum, bass and piano grove that transports you to another dimension. The lyrics are thought-provoking, and I generally love the overall vibe of this song.
"Flight Of The Mothman" is the perfect song to end the album with. It is energetic to its core and is like one last shot of musical expresso before the album ends. The groove that the song starts off with is addictive and it’s interesting to see how the song evolves harmonically. To me the standout instrument is the piano in this song. The guitar solo in the middle of the song is also epic and tone wise, It is very interesting and unique. Overall, this is a great instrumental song and a nice track to end the album with.
Favorite Song
My favorite song on the album is "Sun Tower" which is the second song on the album. It was hard for me to pick a favorite song on the album because every song has something unique and cool about it. The intro features a really cool build up with the drums, bass and background keyboards. This is a true 1970s classic prog inspired track. There is a section in the middle that is pure prog goodness. All the instruments are featured in an amazing instrumental prog groove with the keyboards taking the lead. The bassline and drums in that part are heavenly and It is one of the best prog songs I have listened to this year. That’s why it is my favorite song on the album.
Artwork
The artwork for the album is also really cool. It was done by Xander Wise and features an illustrated version of Rob Howell the band’s keyboardist, as well as former band member and producer Robbie Carvalho. The duo seems to have just discovered the lair of the Mothman. I really like the way Mothman is drawn and this album cover is iconic in my opinion. Just seeing the album art alone would make me want to listen to this album and I feel like it matches the tone of the album very well.
Final thoughts
Overall Space Kitchen is a brilliant debut album by a great band, it truly is a unique listening experience which is delightful in a day and age where many prog bands simply imitate the same popular progressive rock or metal bands from the past. I respect Space Kitchens’ originality as well as passion for being DIY yet influenced by many bands in the 1970s. You can hear who some of Space Kitchens influences are, but their songwriting is uniquely theirs. If I had to describe the album with one word that word would be “fun”.
It was a very pleasant listening experience from start to finish and after listening to the album for the first time many of the melodies, lyrics and musical motifs were stuck in my head. I found myself humming some of the melodies because they are well constructed and catchy. I highly recommend this album to anyone who is a fan of classic progressive rock or any music from the 1970s. Space Kitchen should be very proud of the release of this album and in my opinion, it is a great debut album. Many bands struggle to have
“So nice to be here, but I’m going home” – “The Arrival”
- Reviewed by Jason Rayner on 10/18/26
Track listing
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The Arrival
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The Moving Picture
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Sun Tower
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Pain Goblin
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Lovin' 9 to 5
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Believer Deceiver
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It's My Passion
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Third Squadron
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Flight Of The Mothman
Personnel
All instruments and vocals by Robbie Carvalho and Rob Howell.
Listening to their music