The Radiata 5tet – Aurelia Aurita

Life and music are full of projects and experiments, there are always new things to try and explore, and always new things to come. I’ve been lucky to know Claudio Milano, a talented singer/musician from Italy who is involved with different projects such as Nichelodeon, Milano & Franssens, and The Radiata 5tet, which is the one I am reviewing right now. This one is formed by Stefano Ferrian in sax, Cecilia Quinteros in cello, Claudio Milano on vocals, Luca Pissavini with double bass, and Vito Emanuele Galante on trumpet; they together recorded and released last year (2011) an album entitled “Aurelia Aurita” which saw the light via dEN records.

Here we will find avant-garde music that will open your mind’s eyes and let your imagination fly. The first track is “Bile dal Po”, which lasts almost ten minutes, being the longest track of the album. It starts with winds playing at unison, a minute later vocals enter and create that inherent theatrical tune, which is wonderfully accompanied by strings. The music is flowing, creating a tense and sometimes chaotic atmosphere that touches our heartstrings.

“Eumetazoa” begins with a bass note and then other noises are being implemented little by little. I am not sure if these songs were previously composed, or are actually improvisations, sometimes I think about the latter, but I repeat, I am not sure about it. “Planula Larvae” take us to the jazzy side of this avant-garde project; later after three minutes vocals enter reminding me of Demetrio Stratos for some moments. A constant cello sound is implemented while other noises can be heard as complementary figures. “Diploblastic” begins very chaotic, with an intense first minute, and later the music and mood slows down a bit, giving the winds the lead role while cello works as background. The last minutes are pretty cool actually, the music could fit in a movie scene.

“Single Germ Layer “G”” is the shortest track of the album. The first moments share an instrumental language, and later vocals join and together create new nuances and colors. “Echinoderms” contains that powerful vocal game (with high notes included) that Milano use to share in his different projects, here the vocals are guilty of the mood and emotions caused, though it is worth mentioning that we can also appreciate some distant strings and winds, that delicately complement the song. “Spiralia” gives a stronger role to the instruments rather than the vocals, here the mood is tense once again, nervous and uncertainty are shared. These three minutes are a highlight in this album, one of my favorite passages of Aurelia Aurita, without a doubt.

“Radially Symmetrical Cnidarians” is another great track full of textures and nuances that let our imagination fly. It is great how the music offers a vast quantity of images that one decides either to use or not, in order to create our own story. The complementation of the string with the wind instruments is fabulous, the 5tet is really talented. “Vectensis” is another short track, a bit dark and slow, but that’s its charm.

The album finishes with “(c)tenophores” which is one of the longest tracks, and also one of the best here. The bass sound is addictive, repetitive but hypnotic, it produces once again a tense and dark sound which is later fulfilled by vocals and winds. Before reaching the third minute there is a short pause, and then a new structure is being build up and new elements are added, inciting us to create figures and mental images once again. The music flows, putting different passages and absorbing our senses, so finally we are within the musical world, we are part of it.

What a good album from The Radiata 5tet, highly recommendable for those who like avant-garde music with some jazz touches.

Enjoy it!

Tracklist:

1. Bile dal Po
2. Eumetazoa
3. Planula Larvae
4. Diploblastic
5. Single Germ Layer “G”
6. Echinoderms
7. Spiralia
8. Radially Symmetrical Cnidarians
9. Vectensis
10. (c)tenophones

Line-up:

* Stefano Ferrian / tenor saxophone
* Cecilia Quinteros / cello
* Claudo Milano / vocals
* Luca Pissavini / double bass
* Vito Emanuele Galante / trumpet

DeuoL – DeuoL

A nice debut from this mexican trio!

If you say DeuoL, I bet the first thing that will spring to your mind will be The Wall, but well, it may be only a curious reference, because the music actually has nothing to do with it. This is a new and promising band from Mexico that has released their debut self-titled  album under Angelito Editor in 2011, and that consists of Sergio Aldama on drums, Eduardo Cruz on guitars and vocals, and Luis Cruz on bass. Now they are constantly playing in some pubs and stages here in Mexico, in order to gain some audience and enter to this difficult progressive rock realm.

The album features nine compositions that make a total time of 47 minutes. It kicks off with “Vamos a empezar”, which is a short composition whose sound is soft, folkish and may actually remind you of some Cuban music ala Buenavista Social Club. While the music follows, there is a male voice speaking in the background, it is Eduardo Cruz’s grandfather who is telling us about his memories in Mexico City in 1957. This, let’s say unexpected first track leads to “A ti mismo”, in which now we can actually listen to the rock element. It starts slow and then little by little the intensity is increasing. We can listen to cool guitar lines that are guide by drums and complemented by bass. This song is very well composed, with short but constant changes that make it more dynamic and that may remind you of some Rush’ moments. Cool instrumental track.

“Cerebro de tierra” is one of the few tracks with vocals (actually singing) by guitar man Eduardo Cruz. This song has a cool structure, nice mid-tempo rhythm with a nice chorus. After a minute there is a sudden change where the song becomes faster and shows off the trio’s technique. What I love is how in such a little time (five minutes) they can create several passages, different nuances and textures and even rhythms, which make us see their music is not that easy to classify because they offer a vast salad of sounds.  “El alma” has nice funky guitars, cool bass lines that sometimes sound louder, and constant drums that mark the perfect rhythm. The sound overall is soft, calm with some changes; the voice is mellow and good. It also has female backing vocals; and it finishes with nice guitar riffs.

“Monotono” is an electronic oriented track, with some strange effects, repetitive drums and a chaotic atmosphere. All of a sudden, an explosive new song begins with “Desproporciones”, another instrumental track that reflects the progressive rock concept in this band. There are once again a ton of inner changes in rhythm, style and mood, but the good thing is that after a hypothetical mess, the music always shows an interesting face, I mean, the structure might not be clear in the first listen, but then you’ll realize everything is connected, well-structured. In this cool piece the three musicians show their capacities because there are some moments to show off. After five minutes they implement a saxophone that adds cadence to that soft passage. And a curious thing I want to mention, is that this song finishes with a traditional sound of the centre of Mexico City, it is an instrument called cylinder, and the man who plays it is the “organillero”, I ignore how to say it in English.

“Ser interno” is the only song I knew before getting the album because it was released with a video clip. This is a shorter composition with a friendly sound, the vocals return here, accompanied by a nice structure with delicate guitars. Later (as you can imagine) the music changes, creating some moments of nice musicianship. After two minutes the song explodes along with a great female voice, powerful drums and excellent strings.
The longest composition comes next and is entitled “Déjame ir”. This is actually a very ambitious piece in which the trio demands the best of themselves. It starts with a soft and delicate sound with a clear post-rockish tendency. After a minute and a half it makes a crazy and sudden change when the bass of Luis Cruz sounds heavier and more powerful; later the guitar implements some effects that create different textures, while the drums always mark the most adequate compass. After three moments there is a softer passage where the rock is lighter, and when the music let us breath after those explosive moments. Though there are some little parts where the changes do not make the song better, I applaud the audacity of the band for creating these kind of complex tracks.

“Mozo de 50 centavos” is like the reprise of the first piece. The old man keeps telling his memories while that exquisite music sounds. With this song, the album has “formally” finished, but there is actually a hidden track that comes next. In it, we can listen to a rock ballad with soft vocals, acoustic guitars, nice drums and bass. This is a mellow track that reminds me of some 90s Spanish bands. Though this is not their brightest composition, I can say it is a nice extra track.

Well, I am happy with DeuoL’s first album, another example that in Mexico we have bands with good quality who need our support. So if you can, please go to their myspace and listen to them.

Enjoy it!

Tracklist:

1. Vamos a empezar
2. A ti mismo
3. Cerebro de tierra
4. El alma
5. Monótono
6. Desproporciones
7. Ser interno
8. Déjame ir
9. Mozo de 50 centavos
10. (hidden track)

Line-up:

* Eduardo Cruz Contreras – guitar, voice
* Sergio Doi Aldama – drums, percussion
* Luis Bassley Cruz – bass

Guest musicians:

* Donají Sánchez – backing vocals
* Addi Asaf Gallegos – sax tenor
* Pável González Sánchez – timbal

Trigon – 2011

A great album!

Trigon were a band who I did not know about their existence one month ago, now, I thank Nikola Savic for enlightening me and guide me to listen to this excellent German trio, whose  album I am reviewing was released in 2011. It contains 13 compositions that make a total time of 67 minutes. It opens with “Peitscht das Kamel”, which starts with drums and then bass and guitar join and create a cool psychedelic track, with nice changes, some guitar riffs and a strong bass that caught my attention.

“Roter mond” has a mid-tempo rhythm, with zones whose intensity seems to increase, and others where the music slows down and we can listen to the guitar as leader, while the bass and drums play some soft figures as background. “Spacechick Strikes Back” is a shorter but more dynamic piece, with that psychedelic sound but also with some rock that reminds me of those guitar heroes of the G3. Though this song is shorter than the previous two, I can say I found it more interesting.

The faster rhythm and dynamism continue in “Tuckischer Tonterror”. I like how the band makes several small changes in such a little time, I mean, they slow down and all of a sudden they retake the vertiginous sound, with cool drums, nice raw bass and great guitar. “Wunder” starts with repetitive bass lines and a rhythmical drumming, later guitar join and start playing different figures, creating all together a nice communion that will surely make the listener get more and more interested. It is progressing little by little until one is caught in their web. Very good track.

“Tanzen” may be one of my favorite pieces here. The guitar work is extraordinary the whole time, but the best is how bass and drums are always the necessary and perfect complement to this psych music that in moments has some rock touches and even some jazzy moments. The spacey and psychedelic tunes are more evident in “Zensation” , the music in moments is bombastic, like an explosion of sounds and nuances, but it is contrasted in softer moments where the guitar takes leadership while the great bass plays different cool lines, and the constant drums add the elemental rhythm. This is one of the finest moments in this album.

A different tune starts in “Raff an Dörte”, with a slower rhythm and with even a little ballad-like sound for a moment. After a minute it changes, adding new figures and elements that create a different atmosphere; later it progresses and little by little the intensity is increasing until at minute three they slow down and return to its original sound. But guess what, if you thought it would finish like that, you are wrong, because it retakes the faster and dynamic sound for the last minute until it vanishes. Great!

“Herz der Sonne” is another cool track where the music simply flows while a cool atmosphere has been created. After two minutes there is a weird moment where some effects that remind me of Star Wars’ R2D2 are implemented, creating a funny passage on this album. Then it disappears and the music continues its way. “Dekadenz und Korruption” continues with that cool mixture of rock, psych and slices of some other genres. The sound of Trigon has a particular style, which sometimes can be repetitive, but as a whole is interesting and enjoyable.

“Fata Morgana” has a much slower start, with a sound that makes me think of some mid-east places. After a minute it makes a change and builds up a new sound and structure, there are moments where it becomes louder and more emotional, and others where it is even relaxing. The drums here are a highlight. “Trommeltraum” starts all of a sudden. This is the ideal track for the drummer Rudi Meltzer, here we can appreciate his skills, this is his song. The album finishes with “Kamasutra Debakel” which is linked to the previous track, so this also starts with drums, later bass joins and together create a kind of ironic, joyful sound which seconds later is complemented by the guitar.

A very cool instrumental album by Trigon, interesting without a doubt.

Enjoy it!

Tracklist:

1. Peitscht das Kamel
2. Roter Mond
3. Spacechick strikes back
4. Tückischer Tonterror
5. Wunder
6. Tanzen
7. Zensation
8. Raff an Dörte
9. Herz der Sonne
10. Dekadenz und Korruption
11. Fata Morgana
12. Trommeltraum
13. Kamasutra Debakel

Line-up:

* Rainer Lange – Guitar
* Stefan Lange – Bass
* Rudi Meltzer – Drums

Links:

http://www.trigon.in/

North Sea Radio Orchestra – I A Moon

What a gem!

They are “North Sea Radio Orchestra”, a British chamber ensemble who has been together for some years, though I admit this is my first experience with them. What experience I am talking about? Well, this 2011 release entitled “I A Moon”, an album whose music is pretty different from one has been listening recently, I mean, here we will find an exquisite blend of chamber music with folk, giving as a result this progressive rock album that has pleased me since the very first time I listened to it. The album contains 10 songs that make a total time of 45 minutes.

It opens with “Morpheus Miracle Maker”, a beautiful melody that since the first moments shares charm, a delicate sound easy to love. The voice of Sharron Fontham is splendid, it perfectly complements the soft and gentle music created by acoustic guitar along with bassoon, violin, viola and percussion. What a wonderful opener track. A couple of short pieces come next, first with “I A Moon”, where the vocals accompany a soft organ and percussion, later guitar joins and create a pastoral, folk and really loveable sound. They remind me a bit of some Phillip Glass’ works. And the second short track is “Guitar Miniature #3″, in which as the title suggest, we can listen to a short acoustic guitar piece made by Craig Fontham.

The longest composition is “Heavy Weather” in which Craig’s voice is now the lead one, it is stunningly complemented by the whole ensemble’s instruments, here we can listen to a delicate piano, a disarming violin, great percussion, and a great bassoon. In the second half of the song it changes, now Sharron’s voice is there, working together with piano and violin, creating a beautiful atmosphere in a folk and neo-classical background. After five minutes they build up a more emotional structure, where there is a repetition of words and sound that create an addiction, later the music slows down and it delicately finishes.

“Berliner Luft” starts softly with a Canterbury-like sound, later it changes a little bit where acoustic guitar and percussion joins. The mood here is really passive and joyful, one can easily have a smile while listening to this. I really love how strings, percussion and winds work perfectly together. “Morpheus Drone” is a violin lead track where Brian Wright shows his skills, creating a wonderful atmosphere and a kind of mid-east flavor.

That song leads to “The Earth Beneath Our Feet” in which the violin continues but now with a more disarming sound, after half a minute guitar and viola join and begin to create a new passage with a new atmosphere. A minute later the female voice appears with that special and beautiful sound; the music reminds me a bit of some Karda Estra moments but here with a folkish tendency. “Ring Moonlets” has a smooth and delicate sound, it is a short instrumental track with nice strings and a beautiful background made by organ.

“When things fall apart” continues with the soft and delicate music, full of nuances and textures produced by a great piano, strings and the female voice. It is an adorable piece that will put you very emotional if you allow it. “Mitte der Welt” finishes the album in a wonderful way, this is a repetitive piece with a joyful mood and a vast quantity of colors and elements (better perceived with good headphones). This closing track sums up what North Sea Radio Orchestra’s music is about, and believe me, I am very happy.

What a fantastic album is this, I fell lucky of having it and play it every once in a while, I strongly recommend it for any progressive rock fan in general, but more specific for those who want some folk/avant-garde like this. My grade will be four stars.

Enjoy it!

Tracklist:

1. Morpheus Miracle Maker (5:20)
2. I a moon (2:22)
3. Guitar Miniature #3 (1:43)
4. Heavy Weather (8:07)
5. Berliner Luft (6:11)
6. Morpheus Drone (2:22)
7. The Earth Beneath Our Feet (5:31)
8. Ring Moonlets (3:16)
9. When Things Fall Apart (4:33)
10. Mitte der Welt (6:10)

Line-up:

* Nicola Baigent – clarinet, bass clarinet
* Luke Crooks – bassoon
* Ben Davies – piano, organ
* Harry Escott – cello
* Craig Fortnam – guitar, voice, organ, percussion
* Sharron Fortnam – lead voice
* James Larcombe – monosynth, organ, hurdy gurdy
* Dug Parker – voice
* Hugh Wilkinson – percussion
* Brian Wright – violin, viola

Guest musicians:

* Matt Shmigelsky – extra bells
* Sarah Cutts – backing vocals on track 1
* Jo Spratley – backing vocals on track 1

Beyond the Bridge – The Old Man and The Spirit

A strong debut!

This new German outfit has entered to the musical realm with a debut album entitled “The Old Man and The Spirit” which was recorded from 2008 to 2011, and finally released via Frontiers Records this January of 2012. The album consists of eleven compositions that make a total time of 69 minutes of very good prog metal. The band offers great instrumental passages, but contrasted and complemented by the ones with both male and female vocals.

It kicks off with “The Call” whose first two minutes are the introductory instrumental ones, and then male vocals join with a powerful and emotional range. There is always a keyboard background, while guitars, bass and drums create the rhythm and structure. After four and a half minutes there is a major change, the music slows down, then spoken word appears and creates a nervous and thoughtful moment, then it vanishes and the music explodes with a powerful sound,

“The Apparition” is a wonderful track, I love the tension created and the sound reminiscent to middle east lands, here there is also spoken word and when it disappears, cool guitar riffs appear along with great keyboard notes. Just before the second minute the female voice appears for the first time in the album, it last for some moments and then the rhythm changes, helped now by male vocals that create a heavier and more powerful sound worth mentioning is that we can listen to backing vocals in the most part of the song, so here we have a very cool symphonic prog metal song. Minutes later we can listen to a great instrumental passage with acoustic guitar that put a Spanish flavor, so this song can take you to several places.

“Triumph of Irreality” starts with keyboards and later drums and strings join in order to create a friendly sound that reminds me a bit of some Ayreon’s moments. A minute later female spoken word appears and then a new structure is being created, with faster keyboards that put the almost inherent symphonic sound of this band. The most of the track is instrumental, and great by the way. “The Spring of it All” is the shortest track and probably the mellowest. Two minutes of a soft and catchy sound made by piano, drums and both vocals.

“World of Wonders” starts with the same soft and mellow sound created by keyboards, some seconds later acoustic guitar and female voice enter and continue with that catchy (but great) sound. A cool guitar riff comes later. “The Primal Demand” is another short track, here we will have like a moment of reflection, with some far voices and a strange, tense and nervous sound made by keyboards for more than a minute, then guitars enter and do their job.

You may think you are still listening to the previous track, but then you will realize “Doorway to Salvation” has started. The metal sound is back here with powerful guitars, later the music slows down and female voice enter for some seconds, but then male voice appears and put a heavier tune. I like here how both voices work and complement each other, both creating different colors and emotions. After five minutes we will have a feast of guitar and keyboard solos, that let us know the skills of the musicians.

“The Struggle” starts with male voice singing a repetitive but addictive line, later the music enters now with female voice and creates a soft and melodic metal sound. In this track we will also listen to some jazzy moments implemented by keyboards. There is a part I like a lot after three minutes, where both vocals join, each one sing the correspondent part, but create a wonderful communion, so the listener can actually listen, enjoy and understand what both say. “The Difference is Human” is a longer track, that is a clear example of the type of music Beyond the Bridge creates. I like how it is progressing and adding elements little by little. I like the backing vocals and the intercalation between male and female ones. Cool rhythm and mood changes here, making a strong and solid track.

“Where the Earth and Sky Meet” has a softer sound with delicate male voice and a friendly keyboard background. The rhythm does not drastically change, actually it is practically the same during the whole song; the thing here is that the music is becoming more and more emotional, until at minute five reaches the climax with a disarming guitar riff. The final minutes are pretty great, emotional due to the backing vocals.

The album finishes with “All a Man Can Do” which is the longest track. In spite of its duration, they don’t surprise us with several or drastic time and mood changes. Here the song flows in its soft and mid-tempo sound, with some moments of intensity and emotion. This track can be a summary of Beyond the Bridge’s sound.

A very good and strong debut, I am sure they will have recognition soon. My final grade will be 8 out of 10.

Enjoy it!

Tracklist:

1. The Call (6:34)
2. The Apparition (8:04)
3. Triumph Of Irreality (6:11)
4. The Spring Of It All (1:48)
5. World Of Wonders (5:03)
6. The Primal Demand (2:07)
7. Doorway To Salvation (7:54)
8. The Struggle (5:23)
9. The Difference Is Human (7:56)
10. Where The Earth And Sky Meet (6:57)
11. All A Man Can Do (9:33)

Line-up:

* Herbie Langhans – Vocals
* Dilenya Mar – Vocals
* Peter Degenfeld-Schonburg – Guitar
* Christopher Tarnow – Keyboards
* Dominik Stotzem – Bass
* Fabian Maier – Drums

Comedy Of Errors – Disobey

Some may say neo-prog is a boring or generic genre of progressive rock, however, I am sure the bands are always willing to create good music, the most original possible in order to please the strictest fans. Here, Comedy of Errors and their album “Disobey” offer a really interesting journey to this sub-genre, with well-written songs, great musicianship and a huge quality that is shown during the entire 68 minutes of its length.

The album opens with “Disobey”, a 7-minute introductory track whose mood creates a tense and expectant atmosphere that will surely caught your attention, it worked with me because that mood made me feel truly interested and eager to listen to the following tracks. As you can imagine, the keyboard work is great, wonderfully complemented by strings, drums and a great voice. “Jekyll” starts with calm piano-like notes, but after some 30 seconds the rhythm changes, becomes faster and make a friendlier sound. Later great acoustic guitar notes are played over the keyboard background and complemented by the voice. The neo-prog sound is evident, you will find that “catchy” (which does not mean less complex) sound, but you will keep interested in the music.

“Prelude, Riff and Fugue” is a keyboard based track which has the mandatory classical music style that the title suggests, though of course, it is morphed into a progressive rock song, a very good instrumental track, by the way. “Carousel” is the longest composition here, reaching the ten minutes. I like its progression, how little by little the elements are being added and crafted into a dynamic composition. Here we can listen to a nice acoustic guitar as base while vocals appear in a soft way; of course, there is a keyboard atmosphere that fills the music with nuances. After three minutes the song becomes faster and rockier and even more emotional. A new sense of tranquility is implemented just before the fifth minute, with only a keyboard creating a lullaby-like mood. Then it changes again, and it finishes with that peaceful mood it began. Great track!

“American Rodeo” has a catchy but great sound implemented by keyboards; the length of this track would actually work for a radio hit, which I am not suggesting, but it could clearly be enjoyed by non-prog fans. “Could Have Been Yesterday” is another soft and delicate tune that may remind you in some ways to Arena or Pallas. It starts softly and then it progresses until reaching the chorus, easy to sing but also to love. There is also a great guitar riff in the end which puts a rockier style on it.

The soft piano based sound returns with “Ailsa’s Lullaby” which happens to be the shortest track of the album. It is necessary to mention that the album is dedicated to Ailsa Johnston, who sadly died last year losing the fight with cancer; the arrangements of this song are made by Jim Johnston, so it is a wonderful tribute. The next track is “Joke” and it continues with a melancholic sound created by piano and vocals at first, a minute later bass and drums enter and help conceiving that disarming mood. After two and a half minutes we can appreciate a great guitar solo over the acoustic guitar, keys, drums and bass.

We may divide the album in two, because the next four songs are actually part of a big concept track entitled “The Student Prince”. The whole running time of these four passages is 25 minutes in which we can listen to well-crafted arrangements, great atmospheres and moods, and of course cool moments to sing. The first part is entitled “When Will I See You Again?” which is the longest of these four pieces. Good dynamic moments are offered here, with soft moments in one hand and vertiginous in the other. I love the keyboard work here because it produces different colors and textures. The second part is “And So To Bed” , shorter but emotive, with great inner passages, wonderful vocals, lyrics and keyboards as usual. The last minutes of this track are great, worth repeating.

“Foolcircle” is the third part, with a mellow, soft and relaxing sound created by piano and vocals at first, later additional keys are implemented, as well as a great drumming and cool bass notes. You may notice that the four parts are different, but at the same time they are connected and are essential for the Student Prince’s success. Here, we can also listen to chorus vocals that produce an emotional tune. The fourth part is the shortest and is entitled “Green Light Coda”, which is a piano-based track with delicate vocals and a goodbye mood.

So the album has finished and I liked what I heard/saw/felt here, because a musical journey is not limited to the audio, it produces different things in different fields. Great album by Comedy of Errors, highly recommendable to Neo Prog fans, and recommendable to the progressive rock follower average. My final grade will be four stars.

Enjoy it!

Tracklist:

1. Disobey (6:45)
2. Jekyll (5:12)
3. Prelude, riff and fugue (4:41)
4. Carousel (9:57)
5. American rodeo (4:09)
6. Could have been yesterday (5:55)
7. Ailsa’s lullaby (1:36)
8. Joke (4:22)
9. The student prince
Part 1- When will I see you again (9:11)
Part 2- And so to bed (5:57)
Part 3- Foolcircle (7:13)
Part 4- Green light coda (3:31)

Line-up:

* Joe Cairney – Vocals
* Jim Johnston – keyboards, additional guitars, backing vocals
* Mark Spalding – Main lead rhythm and acoustic guitars, bass, backing vocals

with:
* Bruce Levick – drums
* Hew Montgomery – Additional bass on “The student prince, part 1″

Egonon – Risveglio

Oh Italy, you are so lovely!

And I am not a one-day fan of Italian prog, no, I am a truly follower of that progressive rock scene because they are always bringing new, fresh and original music, of course, with elements taken from past influences, but with an own and rising sound. Egonon is a new band whose music surpasses the RPI cannon, and includes an interesting blend of symphonic rock, with folk elements, jazzy moments and even some avant-garde tunes. They released in 2011 their debut album entitled ‘Risveglio’, whose 15 tracks will make you have a satisfying experience.

It opens with ‘Phosforo’ which is a wonderful opener song. Piano, percussion, strings and a great voice begin to build up this track. There are soft moments which later are contrasted with heavier ones in which electric guitars appear; there is also a brief passage where English lyrics appear, but well, I love Italian language, so I always prefer bands sing in their native language, it gives uniqueness. After some four minutes when you don’t think about it, you are already listening to ‘Lacrime di Luce’ which is one of my favorite tracks of this album. Here I love the keyboards as background, the sometimes delicate sometimes heavy guitars, and of course I love Fabio Calo’s voice. The song is very well crafted and gives as a result a wonderful composition.

With only two tracks, one can feel satisfied and wait for more good tunes. The next track is ‘Risveglio’, it features a sitar that produces an obvious mid-east sound complemented by percussion, however, seconds later it makes a drastic change making a heavier sound with electric guitar and strong vocals. The variety of musical and cultural elements in this song is worth highlighting, because we can listen to the ‘ordinary’ instruments, but in some moments they bring a flute, a sax, a sitar, and even a guest male voice that all together make an outstanding track, whose four minutes are a proof of the top-notch quality of Egonon.

‘Alma senza virtu” continues with that particular Egonon sound which does not stand in only one style. Here we can listen again to sax, plus a wonderful viola, as well as the conventional instruments. One of the things I really appreciate is how the album easily flows, I mean, we are listening to a giant track divided in 15 episodes which are connected each other, here all of them are essential for the album’s success. ‘L’uomo Libero’ is an example of that perfect fluency, and another of my favorite tracks, especially after two minutes when sax enters and a true dynamic passage is created.

‘Voglio essere piccolo’ has a powerful starting but it is softened seconds later, though guess what, it is like a roller coaster with moments of high and low intensity that is transmitted to the listener, so one can feel what the music suggests, no matter if you understand Italian or not. I am about to say that this is another of my favorite tracks, but well, which isn’t? ‘Golgotha’ starts with a delicate saxophone for almost a minute, then guitars, drums, bass and voice enter, along with that particular mid-eastern flavor. Here we can listen how they enjoy experimenting and trespass boundaries.

‘Khamsin’ is the shortest track, but it is a very peculiar one nonetheless due to the addition of a disarming African voice, I ignore the language, but it sounds terrific. It is liked to ‘Maya’ where the Italian lyrics return but the mid-east sound is still there. Here, besides those sounds and cultural styles we can listen to a jazzy passage thanks to the saxophone, but later a violin and female vocals produce once again the folkish sound. Man, what a great mixture of elements, sounds, textures, cultures, styles, nuances, etc.

‘Rosso asfalto’ has a powerful introduction with the sax, drums and bass, later it slows down and little by little it begins to progress once again. The mellotron background is wonderful in the whole album, as well as the voice. There is a short pause after 4 minutes, later some spoken voices are heard and the song softly vanishes. ‘Tra la note e l’Alba’ continues with that soft sound in the beginning, but later it progresses little by little, adding electric guitar riffs, heavier tunes that all of a sudden are combined and contrasted with some experimental moments, like the entrance of sax.

‘Tutto cio che avevo era un’anima’ starts again with a delicate sound, with violoncello accompanying voice and guitar, later mellotron joins and creates a wonderful choral background. The last minute is vertiginous, faster and with some cool backing vocals. ‘Sul lato caldo della strada’ combines once again Italian and English lyrics, while the music lies in a mellotron atmosphere, along with rockish guitars (acoustic and electric), jazzy saxophone and nice bass lines.

‘L’abito bianco’ has a kind of sacred sound in the beginning, but later a new structure is being built with a delicate and mellow sound that in moments is even sensual with the addition of the clarinet. However, as usual they change and produce different sounds and moods, which is part of the own style of Egonon. The album finishes with ‘Coda: 42km’ a two-minute ending track that is like the final experiment of the band. Case closed, turn the page, and wait for their new album.

What a wonderful experience I had with this album, now I am eagerly expecting for the new Egonon work, which will be sure a guarantee of good music.

Enjoy it!

Tracklist:

1. Phosforo (4:15)
2. Lacrime di Luce (6:49)
3. Risveglio (4:28)
4. Alma Senza Virtu’ (4:37)
5. L’Uomo Libero (5:24)
6. Voglio Essere Piccolo (4:05)
7. Golgotha (4:55)
8. Khamsin (1:31)
9. Maya (3:54)
10. Rosso Asfalto (5:40)
11. Tra la Notte e l’Alba (4:03)
12. Tutto Cio’ Che Avevo Era un’Anima (3:39)
13. Sul Lato Caldo Della Strada (3:51)
14. L’Abito Bianco (4:35)
15. Coda: 42 km! (2:03)

Line-up:

- Fabio Calo’ / vocals, guitars, piano, percussion, oud, sitar, sarangi, mellotron
- Roberto Parolin / drums
- Andrea Ghion / bass
- David Boato / trombone, flugelhorn (1, 5, 6, 7, 11, 15)
- Luigi Sella / tenor sax, soprano sax, clarinet 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14)
- Alvise Stiffoni / cello (2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 12)
- Stefano Crespan / bansoori (2, 3, 9)
- Michele Bonivento / piano (5)
- Davide Artusato / voice (3)
- Iman Mohammad / voice (3, 7, 9)
- Sheikh albahlool / voice (8)
- Mohammad Ghazil / darbuka (8, 14)

Wobbler – Rites at Dawn

They did it again!

Wobbler is still a young band, however they sound like they were on the musical scene for ages, because of the outstanding compositions they create, along with the high-quality performance of the musicians. Now in this past 2011 they released “Rites at Dawn” which is their third studio album so far, and a musical piece that challenges the big names of progressive rock. This album consists of seven compositions that make a total time of 45 minutes, divided in two short pieces, three mid-length ones and two epics.

The album opens with one of the short tracks. Almost two minutes in which “Lucid” shares a dreamy atmosphere. I imagine someone waking up, opening the eyes and see a new dawn. Later when everything is relaxed, a fast and busy day begins with “La Bealtaine”, where the already own Wobbler sound can be appreciated, with the great interaction between guitars and bass, accompanied by drums, voice and the prominent keyboards. Since this first longer song we can realize the complexity of their music, and the great musicianship of the members. I really love how they combine the instrumental passages with the vocal ones. Stunning!

“In Orbit” is one of the epics, with twelve minutes of first-class music. It starts with acoustic guitar, accompanied by a wonderful bassoon (congrats for adding this instrument) which produces a beautiful yet somber sound. A minute later we will listen to a drastic change in which all the musicians create complex, bombastic and vertiginous music that give as a result a very interesting passage. Another drastic change comes when the previous passage vanishes and a delicate vocal sound appears for some seconds, preparing the scene for guess what, another vertiginous change. The keyboard work is awesome during the whole track and album; the bass creates great melodies that do not sound ordinary or plain, following that complex spirit that Wobbler offers since their first album. There will be a moment in which Yes will come to your mind, I assume that classic band influenced them in a way, but it is worth clarifying that Wobbler is never a copycat band, never. Just listen to this wonderful and original song, so you will appreciate their own style.

“This Past Presence” has a mellow and pastoral sound at first. A laid back and peaceful sound where we can appreciate acoustic guitar, a delicate voice, flute and piano. But when you think the song will continue like this, it explodes all of a sudden creating that heavy symphonic tone they use to share. A series of mood and time changes will be found here, loyal at Wobbler’s style. “A Faerie’s Play” is like the second part of the previous track. The sound is pretty alike, with that lush mellotron accompanied by excellent guitar figures, the always imposing bass and of course, the top-notch drums. This song is simply amazing, it perfectly flows and offers us five minutes of pure heavy symphonic ala Wobbler prog. One of my favourite compositions!

A new element is added in “The River”, given the exquisite saxophone they implemented since the very first seconds. A vertiginous sound is shared here for the first minute and a half; later it slows down and creates a calmer rhythm that reminds me of some 70s acts such as Pavlov’s Dog (the music, not the voice, of course). Once again, the band put several jigsaws that together form the puzzle, each and every of them are essential to the success of the song. As I mentioned earlier, I love how they decide in which moments the voice enters and in which doesn’t, always in the precise moment. Here after four minutes we will listen to the probably most Yes-like sound in the whole album; later it slows down again, sax and acoustic guitar play for some seconds just before the music explodes once again. This is another excellent composition (which isn’t?).
Finally, this wonderful album finishes with “Lucid Dreams”, which is like the reprise of the first track, but this time with a glockenspiel playing. Now it is time to sleep, rest, relax and dream.

Wobbler strikes again with “Rites at Dawn”, an album that symphonic rock fans should not miss, but that is highly recommendable to any progressive rock aficionados.

Enjoy it!

Tracklist:

1. Lucid
2. La Bealtaine
3. In Orbit
4. This Past Presence
5. A Faerie’s Play
6. The River
7. Lucid Dreams

Line-up:

* Morten Andreas Eriksen – guitars
* Lars Fredrik Froislie – keyboards, marxophone, vocals
* Kristian Karl Hultgren – bass, saxaphone, glockenspiel
* Martin Nordrum Kneppen – drums, percussion
* Andreas Wettergreen Stromman Prestmo- vocals

guests:

* Ketil Vestrum Einarsen – flute
* Hanne Rekdal – bassoon

Uranian – La Ciudad de los Sueños

A great prog metal álbum from Argentina!

They are Uranian, whose debut album entitled “La ciudad de los sueños” offers the heavy side of progressive rock. Lately a lot of new bands and artists have emerged from South America, in Argentina particularly, we can find a wonderful amount of quality music in the last ten years, with progressive rock going from its most symphonic side, passing through the jazz-fusion one, and reaching the metal face of it. Uranian with their 2011 release, have entered to this wonderful realm, with a strong first album.

Instrumental progressive metal is what we will find here, with ten compositions that make a total time of 69 minutes; though I personally have some ridiculous issues with long albums, this time, I could actually enjoy all those minutes, which show the band’s high expectations and goals. Four members playing the “basic” instruments (bass, drums, guitar, keyboards) gathered and created this ambitious project, with well-crafted compositions, nice arrangements and clean performances.

It opens with “Amalgamas de soledad”, a few seconds with chording guitars and later the other instruments join creating that inherent heavy sound. What I like here is that since the very first track we can appreciate that the four instruments are essential for the composition, I mean, though there are some guitar riffs, it would not be fair to mention guitar leads the music, not at all, the four of them are indispensable parts of the puzzle.

“Alter ego” is a nice track where keyboards make a cool atmosphere, while drums mark the rhythm, and the strings perfectly complement the structure. Before reaching the second minute, the song slows down, the piano enters in a soft way, followed by very cool bass lines. Later it becomes more emotional due to a guitar riff; and then it creates multiple inner changes. “Regreso al origen” is closer to the symphonic side of metal, mainly due to the keyboard sound. The song progresses little by little, until after three minutes it reaches its climax, with a spectacular sound made by a guitar riff, a background keyboard and great drums.

“Melancólico recuerdo” is a much softer track, in which we can settle down our emotions a little bit; it has a melancholic, reflective sound whose guitar figures perfectly work as motifs. Some minutes later the intensity gradually increases, producing a vertiginous, yet emotional sound. “Paradoja ancestral” starts with nice and joyful piano, which seconds later is supported by acoustic guitar and drums. Later the electric guitar enters creating repetitive notes that continue with that nice and joyful sound, here they remind me a bit of some 80s/90s rock bands. Though later the song makes some good changes, contrasting its heaviest, with its softest side.

“0 bytes” is one of the longest tracks here, and I love how it begins, with a dramatic, suspicious atmosphere that let our imagination fly, in order to create our own story, our own scenes. This is a complex, ambitious track that let us know the band’s compositional skills, along with their performing capacities. There are various changes here, one of the best is when after five mintes it drastically slows down and shares a different mood; there are also great musical scales and also cool changes in the instrument leader. All in all give as a result one of the finest tracks of the album, without a doubt.

“En busca del sol” is a good song in which the bass player makes a wonderful work, easily appreciated. The musicianship is pretty nice (as in the whole album) and what I love is that they don’t really have a bombastic or mesmerizing sound, they actually keep a low profile in which there is no need of pretentious or see-how-good-i-am solos. “Transiciones” is a great track, I like how it starts with a calm rhythm and once again nice bass notes, and seconds later it becomes more powerful and emotional. Later we can listen to bass slaps, accompanied by nice rhythm and lead guitar, and cool keyboard background. Worth mentioning that the drummer also has its moments, he is very constant, but in a few passages he goes out the routine and introduces better figures.

The longest track is “La ciudad de los sueños”, whose eleven minutes clearly define what the music of Uranian is about. It starts softly, once again I highlight the bass; and then it becomes a bit heavier, creating a nice interlocution between all the instruments. There are different inner little passages in this track, like different pictures in one spot, but all highly related each other. The creative progressive metal sound is greatly represented here, with of course, the almost mandatory guitar riffs. And lastly, the album finishes with “Un tiempo después” which has at first a wonderful soft funky sound implemented by (guess who?) the bass, but later changes to that emotional prog metal Uranian get us used to. The song itself is involving us, until it fades out, so the album finishes.

What a great debut by Uranian, it is not the conventional bombastic prog metal, but I would undoubtedly suggest it to any fan of this genre.

Enjoy it!

Tracklist:

1. Amalgamas de Soledad
2. Alter Ego
3. Regreso al Origen
4. Melancólico Recuerdo
5. Paradoja Ancestral
6. 0 Bytes
7. En Busca del Bol
8. Transiciones
9. La Ciudad de los Sueños
10. Un Tiempo Después

Line-up:

* Fabián Castilla – Keyboards
* Sebastian Accordino – Drums
* Matías Bouquez – Bass
* Federico Larrosa – Guitars

Phlox – Quiver

Nice mellow psych-alt-prog!

Let me clarify something before we get confused, the band I am reviewing right now is Phlox, from Malaysia, please do not confuse with the Estonian avant-jazz band with the same name.
Well, so let’s start. “Quiver” is the name of the first full-length album of this young band, who had previously released a five-track EP back in 2009; in this occasion, they reunited ten compositions in which we can listen to their influences and style. This four-member band is trying to reach more listeners, so if you can go to their bandcamp site and help them, they would really appreciate.

So this 2011 release begins with “Quiver (part 1)”, which has a soft guitar in the few seconds, which later will be accompanied by drums and atmospheric keyboards. A minute later the atmosphere becomes tenser, with some kind of drama on it, we can appreciate it when the intensity increases. Later it slows down and finishes as it began. The second track is entitled “Speak to me”, here we can listen to a more aggressive sound created by guitars, which at the same time, and helped by the other instruments create a kind of soft psychedelic sound. In this track the vocals (in English) appear for the first time.

“High & Low” reminded me a bit of Gong due to the quirky voices and to the spacey and psychedelic sound in the beginning. Later it slows down a little bit with those mellow vocals, but only for a few seconds because it changes again to that increased intensity where the psych tones reappear. The track intercalates moods, the calm and the intense ones. “Morning Dreams” is a shorter piece with acoustic guitar and background keyboards, that create a nice and joyful sound.

It leads to “Quiver (part 2)” which happens to be the longest composition with almost eight minutes length. It softly starts and little by little progresses while the seconds pass, we can appreciate how it begins with a calm, barely listenable sound, and later becomes more intense. However this is a laid-back track, with charming vocals and delicate drums. The guitar work (both, acoustic and electric” is really good, nothing complex but always accurate. Though it is a long song, it does not really have notable changes, the sound and rhythm is the same during almost all the time.

“Everything Kills You” is another shorty with acoustic guitar and that joyful sound of the previous short track. “Where You Go” is one of those tracks with a sound closer to alternative or indie rock, this also reminds me of their EP, with this mellow, relaxed and friendly sound. This is a truly enjoyable song, though it is far from the progressive rock realm, but, who cares?

“Inside, Outside” retakes the spacey, atmospheric and soft psychedelic sound they previously shared. For the first three minutes the structure does not really changes, however in the last two it becomes more interesting, with some guitar riffs and a more intense sound. I dare say this is one of their finest moments, though I don’t like how it all of a sudden ends with the drums, I would have preferred a fade out.

“Bring me there” is the third and final short track with acoustic guitar, keyboards and joyful sound. And it leads to the final song of the album which is entitled “Quiver (part 3)”. It is actually my favorite of the quivers, due to its dramatic, yet emotional sound. I love how It is progressing, creating a wonderful psychedelic, spacey and atmospheric feast. Very good decision to finish the album with this track.

Phlox are an interesting and promising band, I am sure we will listen of them in the near future, meanwhile, spread the word and get their music.

Enjoy it!

Tracklist:

1. Quiver (part 1)
2. Speak to me
3. High & Low
4. Morning Dreams
5. Quiver (part 2)
6. Everything Kills You
7. Where You Go
8. Inside, Outside
9. Bring me there
10. Quiver (part 3)

Line-up:

* Hakim Tahar – vocals, keyboards, guitar
* Hanafi Rahman – electric guitar
* Syazwan Sazali – bass
* Ahmad Zulikhwan – drums, percussion

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