Acidente - Quebre Este
Disco ($15.99)
South & Central American Progressive CDs
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Acidente - Quebre Este
Disco ($15.99)Quebre Este Disco is the remastered CD reissue of Acidente’s independently-released 1990 debut LP plus five
bonus tracks from 1994 and 2000. The band has existed since 1978, and some fans may know Acidente from the
two later progressive CDs they released during the 1990’s on their own label.
This album is instrumental except for one of the bonus tracks. It is exuberant,
straightforward symphonic progressive rock from a keys/guitars/bass/drums lineup. Technolorgy
(2002) is their seventh album (some have not been reissued on CD), 1970’s-style
instrumental progressive rock with influences including Focus, Camel, ELP, Rick
Wakeman, and others.
Alexl
- Triz ($15.99)
A brilliant new artist and album from Brazil, instantly one of the best
progressive rock albums to emerge from that country. You can tell the music is
from Brazil, and not just because the vocals are in Portuguese. A weakness of
the current generation of prog bands is that it’s difficult to hear anything in
their music that even suggests their country of origin, as they tend to play a
generic, international Anglo-prog. It wasn’t always so, and the first generation
of Brazilian prog bands such as Terreno Baldio, O Terco, Recordando o Vale das
Maçãs, and A Barca do Sol, to name just a few, had something unique in their
music. Triz relates to all those bands, roughly a combination of Gentle
Giant and Photos of Ghosts-era PFM, plus Brazilian elements. While Gentle
Giant is the major influence, there is only one track where that influence is
obvious, otherwise the influences have been absorbed and integrated into
something original. Perhaps the defining characteristic of Alexl’s music is the
combination of a pastoral feel with energetic, complex instrumental passages.
The music features a welcome balance of electric and acoustic instruments,
good male vocals and some female vocals. 60 minutes plus CD-ROM content.
Alpha
III - Ruinas Circulares ($14.99)Alpha III is a pseudonym for Amir Cantusio Jr., a Brazilian keyboardist who released many LPs during the 1980’s under difficult conditions. His output has varied between electronics and progressive rock. The Seven Spheres (1990) is the CD reissue of his 7th album; this one is melodic/rhythmic electronics, his best in that style. New Voyage to Ixtlan is a mid-1990’s CD that combines virtually all of the Mellow Records release Voyage to Ixtlan with a fair amount of new material. Joining Cantusio are other musicians on guitars, bass, and drums. This one is instrumental progressive rock and is quite good.
The
Aleph was recorded in 1986. It is progressive rock and is dedicated to Keith Emerson. One bonus track.
Ruinas Circulares was recorded in 1987, by which time Cantusio Jr was
recording on 24 tracks. Here he started to blend electronic music and
progressive rock to some extent, though it is still just Cantusio Jr on synths,
piano, and drums. Sometimes the electronics are reminiscent of Ralph Lundsten, a
peaceful symphony with electronic sounds suggesting enchanted natural places.
Two bonus tracks take the CD up to 61-minutes.
Sergio Alvarez -
Naturalezas Disonantes ($15.99)
These are fantastic Argentine keyboard-dominated progressive rock CDs.
Alvarez’s 1st, Pasaje a la Revelación (1999), is firmly in the style of
Rick Wakeman’s early classics, with some Emerson influence as well, and
featuring his excellent vocals in Spanish. This may be the best work in this
style in a very long time. We had to wait a while for
his 3rd, Naturalezas Disonantes (2006), but Alvarez has continued to hone
both his songwriting and arranging skills. Rather than being simply a keyboard
rock extravaganza, this album’s vocal passages remind one of several of the
great melodic South American progressive bands of the past. Instrumentals
dominate though, covering the styles of Banks, Wakeman, Emerson, and more. And
it’s unlikely any of those guys is going to make an album as good as this now. There is no one
else doing this style of music this well today.
Angulart
- Donde Renacen las Horas ($14.99)
As this album begins, you think it’s going to be a prog-metal album, but you
soon realize that Angulart is really an exceptional symphonic prog band with a
guitarist who very occasionally plays in the metal idiom. A Chilean quintet with
the typical vocals, guitars, keys, bass and drums lineup, Angulart has a singer
with a deep and dramatic voice, singing in Spanish, and a very good keyboardist
who even adds some accordion. The band combines many different progressive
elements in a very natural way, seducing the listener with their mesmerizing
blend. It often comes close to the Italian 1970’s bands. A consistently
impressive 67-minute debut.
Apocalypse - Live
in Rio DVD ($19.99)
SALE!
SALE!
Apocalypse
is a Brazilian symphonic progressive band beginning more Marillion influenced
but becoming more Yes influenced later on. They tend to have an exuberant,
triumphant spirit. Lendas Encantadas (1989) includes four
1996 bonus tracks; both it and Perto do Amanhecer (1995) are more
Marillion influenced. The Portuguese-language vocals are superb,
especially the harmony vocals with all four band members singing.
The Live in Rio
DVD (NTSC, all-region) is a video companion to their CD of the same name (CD
currently out-of-stock). In this 2005 performance,
Apocalypse played their old classics in new English-language versions. The DVD
is the same show as the CD but includes two additional tracks and features Dolby
Digital 5.1 surround audio. Extras include backstage footage and interviews,
photo gallery, bio and discography.
Ashtar - Urantia ($15.99)
This is a fascinating 2002 debut by a Brazilian band, though there is nothing
specifically South American in their sound. For the most part, this is a
sophisticated fusion of Celtic music and symphonic progressive rock. Others have
attempted this combination, yet Ashtar’s approach is unique. They employ female
vocals (English lyrics), but the vocal melody lines don’t adhere to the Celtic
tradition. Rather, they would not be out of place on a Squonk Opera CD.
Toward the end of this album, the Celtic influence disappears for stretches and
the music gets heavy at times. The only thing that mars the album is some sporadic death
metal vocal nonsense. Fortunately this is infrequent and
so, despite the lapses in intelligence, the
album still emerges a winner. While the Celtic-progressive fusion dominates, the
female vocals plus occasional metal elements may also attract fans of The
Gathering and their ilk.
Astralis
- Bienvenida al Interior ($14.99)
This is a very good 2006 debut by a melodic symphonic prog band from Chile,
singing in Spanish. For the most part, Astralis (not to be confused with Australis)
have the neo-prog directness, with some Yes influence apparent here and there.
Vocally though they often remind one of Le Orme in the quality of the singer’s
voice, the vocal melody lines, and the similar sound of the languages.
Australis
- TerrAustralis ($14.99)Australis is a Chilean instrumental progressive rock quartet led by
Entrance’s guitarist Richard Pilnik and Crisálida’s drummer Rodrigo Sanchez.
Founded in 2003, Australis plays a modern progressive rock strongly influenced
by jazz-rock and symphonic metal. Their debut TerrAustralis (2005) is a
joint release of the Musea and Mylodon labels and an outstanding one at that. It
sounds like a successful hybrid of UK (with Holdsworth on guitar) and Planet X,
with some spacey and more modern touches. The production is first-rate.
Australis is further proof that the best bands in Latin America are now coming
out of Chile.
Bandhada -
same ($14.99)This CD is a 2004 release, but the album was recorded 20 years earlier. Two
1984 live bonus tracks have been added. Bandhada was an instrumental quintet
from Chile, with a lineup of guitar, keys, bass, drums, and flute. As they had a
dedicated flute player, the music is flute-dominated progressive rock in the
Camel and Caravan veins, with touches of light fusion. Apparently, the band
later added a vocalist and switched to pop music, and three of the members now
reside in Los Angeles. Fortunately we now have this excellent album, recommended
in particular to fans of Snow Goose-era Camel.
Nono
Belvis & Kike Sanzol / M.I.A. - Qué están celebrando los hombres ($14.99)This is the CD reissue of a 1982 album recorded by two members of the band
M.I.A. during the last days of that famous Argentine progressive band. Belvis
plays acoustic & electric guitars, while Sanzol plays drums, vibraphone, and
percussion. Both sing but the album is almost entirely instrumental. Decidedly
non-commercial, there are two dominant styles present: jazzy acoustic
guitar-based instrumentals with Latin touches, and avant-garde sonic
improvisations. A lot of overdubbing was used to obtain a full sound. Two bonus
tracks have been added, apparently from the same sessions. Mini-LP sleeve.
Blezqi
Zatsaz - Rise and Fall of Passional Sanity ($14.99)1990 bombastic keyboard-dominated symphonic prog from keyboardist Fabio
Ribeiro plus a guitarist, bassist and drummer. This is a tremendous instrumental
classical progressive rock album, not really much like ELP, more like a cross
between Rick Wakeman and Italian 1970’s progressive rock, and never wanting for
energy. Not sure the album title translated too well though. Passional?
Cactus Peyotes - same ($14.99)On their 2001 debut, this Brazilian quintet plays a very high energy progressive rock
combining a lot of 1970’s progressive influences with some of the neo-prog
energy and directness, a good balance between keys and guitars and some welcome
touches of jazz-rock. With vocals in English, there’s almost nothing in the
music that would tip you off that this is a South American band.
Calix - Canções de Beurin ($11.99)
SALE!Canções de Beurin (2000) is the debut CD from one of the best young South American bands. This quintet
(not counting the collies) often sounds like a Brazilian Jethro Tull. They do use flute but their sound is
more dependent on acoustic & electric guitar, keyboards, and great harmony
vocals in the South American style (ala 14 Bis, a band most of you probably
don’t know -- so much for that comparison). A couple of their tracks are in the
acoustic folky style of the aforementioned 14 Bis, while one track is Calix’s take on Carmina Burana.
Lyrics are in Portuguese except for one song in English. To find the audio
samples at Calix’s Flash-based site, click the mp3 icon above, then click
“DISCOS”.
Jorge Campos -
La Ausencia de lo Sagrado ($13.99)
Chilean Jorge Campos (who now resides in Canada) is probably the most
important and innovative bass player in Latin America. He has been a long-time
member of both Fulano and Congreso. These CDs are the 2007 reissues of his
albums Machi (2000) and La Ausencia de lo Sagrado (2003). Machi
has four bonus live tracks that take the total playing time up to 75-minutes,
while La Ausencia de lo Sagrado has three live bonus tracks and now
runs 59-minutes. Campos plays various basses but also adds numerous other
instruments including electric guitar and keyboards. Three other musicians
appear on Machi while a larger number of musicians appear on La
Ausencia de lo Sagrado, though the lineup varies from track to track. The
music is mostly instrumental and the sound palette is much closer to modern King
Crimson than to the symphonic bands. Of course Fulano and Congreso are better
reference points for those familiar with those two Chilean prog bands. Campos’
music is best described as a blend of ethnic fusion and progressive rock with
particular emphasis on innovative bass sounds.
Miguel
Cantilo y Grupo ‘Sur’ - same ($14.99)The Viajero Inmovil label has rescued another Argentine rock relic. This
album was recorded in 1972 though not released until 1975. Miguel Cantilo has
gone on to record numerous albums and is a prominent figure in Argentine pop.
This record is from Cantilo’s hippie days and is a blend of psychedelic rock,
early 70’s hard rock, progressive and folk. Definitely a product of its time,
some of the tracks get pretty wild with acid guitar leads and that Jesus Christ
Superstar style of screaming vocals, while others are gentler with good vocal
harmonies. Mini-LP sleeve.
Canturbe -
El Vuelo de los Olvidados ($14.99)This is the first CD reissue of an Argentine LP released in 1980. This is in
what we’ll call the indigenous Argentine 1970’s progressive style, most similar
to the band Invisible but a style present in most of the Argentine 70’s
progressives. It is folk-influenced and fairly vocal-heavy (vocals in Spanish),
and the vocal passages are almost always mellow, with acoustic guitar playing as
important a role as electric. Charly Garcia guests on keyboards, but overall the
keys are of secondary importance. As was typical for South American bands of
this era, the vocals are male and in a higher register, gently emotional. Mini-LP sleeve.
Cartoon - Martelo ($15.99)
Martelo (1999) is the 1st album from this Brazilian prog band. On this album,
Cartoon sounds similar to Mutantes (a band who made some progressive albums in the 1970’s,
possibly Brazil’s first progressive rock band). All
of the four musicians (bass, guitar, keyboards, drums) also sing. The closest English equivalent is early
Yes, but the vocal style is unique to 1970’s South American rock, and has
otherwise become far less prevalent in South American prog rock from the 1980’s onward.
To find the audio clips on Cartoon’s Flash-based site, click the mp3 icon above,
click the Martelo sign, click “Ouvir CD Martelo”.
Cheiro de Vida - same ($15.99)This is the reissue of the 1984 album by the Brazilian Dixie Dregs.
Chronos Mundi - Luz & Trevas ($15.99)Chronos Mundi is a symphonic neo-prog band close to Tempus Fugit. Their 1998
debut Luz & Trevas is a very good one with the emphasis on keyboards and
delicate guitar pieces, and a decidedly Italian feel during the vocal passages.
Here are mp3’s of the tracks
Forest
Valley and
Symphonies.
Claudio
Cordero - Enlace ($14.99)
Chilean guitarist Claudio Cordero is a member of Matraz and also Cast. His
2007 debut Enlace is an
album of progressive-flavored guitar instrumentals, containing both scorching
rockers as well as intricate pieces using acoustic and clean tones. Cordero is
joined by other musicians on bass and drums, plus guests on guitar and keys. The
music shows influences of the usual list
of guitar heroes. The electric tracks are guaranteed to get your blood pumping,
while the open, more acoustic tracks often have a spacey flavor and demonstrate
more originality. Cordero likes to use two guitars with different tones at the
same time, either by way of guest guitarists or double-tracking his own, giving
the tracks a full, rich sound and adding complexity. See the interview with
Cordero in Progression magazine issue 50.
Crisálida
- same ($14.99)
2006 debut from a Chilean symphonic prog/prog-metal band with a very good
female vocalist singing in Spanish. When Crisálida play symphonic prog, it’s
quite good, though it’s the more modern, streamlined variety. And when they add
the metal elements, it’s... more like metal. To find the audio clips on the band’s
Flash-based website, click the mp3 icon above, then click ‘Musica’. Be
sure to scroll down the small window to see all the available clips. Listen to
the track Camino Secreto, which is a full track and one of the most symphonic.
Diapasão -
Opus I ($14.99)
Diapasão is a Brazilian instrumental keys/bass/drums trio debuting with
Opus I (2006). There is acoustic guitar on a couple tracks and violin &
cello on another, otherwise it's the keyboard trio format. The band is no doubt
influenced by ELP but overall is less of a rock band, playing a more
classically-influenced keyboard-centric prog on most tracks, while a couple
tracks are more jazz-oriented. Here is an mp3 of the complete track
Sonata.
Drama -
Inspiración ($14.99)
A new quartet from Uruguay(!), playing a lyrical progressive rock based on
symphonic keyboards plus melodic guitar, with good Spanish-language vocals.
Their debut Inspiración is roughly in the Genesis/Marillion vein, though a bit more
straightforward and mellow, while a couple tracks might pass as Italian
progressive. For a more specific reference, one might compare them to the Brazilian band Tempus
Fugit (though that may be one reference too many to the same Yes album).
Entrance
- Odisea ($14.99)Entrance is a hard-edged symphonic prog band with Spanish-language vocals
from Chile, some of whose members have gone on to form the Jaime
Rosas Cuarteto (see below). The style of the two bands is similar, except that
Entrance has a singer with a powerful voice, and vocals therefore play a larger
role in their music. This 2006
release is 77-minute live album recorded for the most part at Baja Prog 2003.
Equilibrio
Vital - Kazmor el Prisionero ($15.99)
The self-titled album is the CD reissue of the rare first album by the Venezuelan progressive band Equilibrio Vital, initially released in 1983, with some new songs added. Formed during the early 1980’s, Equilibrio Vital recorded several albums and are still active, though guitarist Marcos Chacon died in 2001; this CD is dedicated to him. Equilibrio Vital’s music is between prog rock and progressive hard rock, featuring flute and male & female vocals in Spanish, with English translations in the booklet. Of course it sounds a bit like Jethro Tull when the flute takes the lead, while most of it might be compared to Spanish bands such as Asfalto or Ñu.
Kazmor el Prisionero (1984) is Equilibrio
Vital’s equally rare 2nd album. It improves on their first, a bit more symphonic
and progressive with less hard rock, some spacey/psychedelic material, some
Tull-like folk-inflected material, all still firmly in the 1970’s style. Several
recently-recorded bonus tracks take this CD up to 62-minutes. The bonus tracks
are great: more acoustic and minus the hard rock, with flute, acoustic guitar,
and vocals the dominant features, they are dynamic and lively, reminiscent of
Passpartu-era PFM, and they have great sound. The master tapes of Kazmor
el Prisionero must have been lost, as the 1984 portion of this CD is
obviously mastered from vinyl. Of course the label doesn’t volunteer this
information, and few other retailers will bother to mention it (unless maybe
they read this). But the rarity and quality of this album justifies its reissue.
The CD comes with a 32-page full-color, bilingual (Spanish/English) booklet. These are still two of the top Venezuelan prog rock albums, and with the
addition of the bonus tracks, Kazmor el Prisionero is exceptional.
Equinox - same ($14.99)With the English vocals and quality production, you’d never know
this symphonic prog quintet hails from Panama. Equinox’s 1998 debut is a
50/50 mix of vocals and instrumentals. The vocal tracks sometimes veer a bit
toward AOR, but they’re all very well done, while the exuberant
instrumentals are in high-energy Camel territory, with stellar guitar work and
plenty of keys. With a couple radio edits tacked on, the CD stretches to 72-minutes.
Equinox showed a lot of promise in 1998; unfortunately their 2nd CD was a step
backward, and nothing further was heard from the band. Here is a Windows Media
Audio file of the short (radio edit) version of
Obsession.
Ergo Sum - same ($14.99)The self-titled 1997 debut by this Chilean quintet is flute-driven instrumental progressive
rock close to the style of Solaris or Jethro Tull, except for a few instances of metal riffing from the guitarist.
Evolucion
- Umbrales ($14.99)This Chilean progressive band led by keyboardist Pedro Muñoz Recabarren was
founded and active since the 1980’s, but had to wait until 2005 for their work
to be published. La Era de Piscis is a collection of pieces recorded
between 1982 and 1986. The album is all instrumental and the tracks fall into
two categories. At least half are in the flowing, melodic progressive rock style
of Camel, while the remaining tracks are melodic jazz-rock. The two styles are
not so distant from each other, but the division is pretty clear. The quality of
all the music here is uniformly high. It’s one of the best progressive albums
from Chile, so thanks to the Mylodon label for rescuing it from obscurity.
Evolucion continue with the same style of Camel-flavored melodic jazz-rock on
Umbrales (2006). This album was presented to the world at Baja Prog 2006,
where Evolucion played a well-received set.
Ficcion - Sobre
la Cresta de la Ola ($15.99) SALE!Sobre el Abismo is the spirited 2002 debut from this Venezuelan keys/bass/drums trio, an offshoot of the band Aditus. (It would be nice to see CD reissues of the Aditus LPs.) While most of the material was recorded in 1986, the rest in 2001, the band dates all the way back to 1976, so it isn’t surprising that the music is mostly 1970’s-style progressive. There are Spanish-language vocals with English translations in the booklet, though the music is predominantly instrumental. There’s a lot of ELP influence in the keyboards, but the music has that characteristic Latin American festive style and upbeat energy; they apparently don’t spend a lot of time brooding down there.
Sobre la Cresta de la Ola (2006) follows on from the last tracks
of Sobre el Abismo, those recorded by the reformed lineup. This 2nd CD was recorded between
2002-2005 and consists of five instrumentals and three vocal songs. Here they
are a trio plus Tempano’s singer and a few guests, including a violinist on one
track. The vocals are in Spanish, and it has to be said that South American
vocals have a characteristic sound, at least to Anglo ears, and these are no
different. The keyboardist is the composer and dominant player. He favors
vintage keys, and it’s apparent that Keith Emerson is one of his heroes. Like
Ficcion’s debut, there is a lot of spirited instrumental interplay, with some
symphonic jazz-rock in the mix.
Read Sea of Tranquility’s review here.
Fraktal -
Ask the Rabbit ($11.99)
SALE!
Fraktal is an Argentine quartet singing in English. Their 2005
debut Ask the Rabbit is in the Radiohead vein.
With its pervading melancholic mood, it is also reminiscent of Porcupine Tree or Anekdoten’s Gravity, though Fraktal’s sound generally
lacks symphonic elements. Their guitar-dominated sound is closer to that of
Brazilians Violeta de Outono. Read the
Proggnosis and
DPRP
reviews. There are videos and more reviews on
Fraktal’s site.
Mini-LP sleeve.
Eloy Fritsch - Atmosphere ($14.99)
Atmosphere (2002, 70-minutes) is the 6th album from
Apocalypse’s keyboard player. It is very much in the Vangelis style and every
bit as good, so much so that if you heard it without knowing the artist, you’d
just assume you were hearing a new Vangelis work. With the Greek guy not so
visible these days, this is the album to turn to for symphonic electronic music
with exquisite melodies and textures. Cyberspace
(2000) is Fritsch’s 4th solo album; this one is high-quality electronic music. Two tracks are in the Jean Michel
Jarre melodic/rhythmic style, most of the rest are firmly in the Vangelis symphonic style,
with doses of Tangerine Dream and Rick Wakeman added. Nothing meditative or abstract here.
Haddad -
Ars Longa Vita Brevis ($15.99)
Orion (1999) is the 4th album by this Brazilian soft symphonic
progressive rock band. Here Haddad is a duo of
brothers plus a guest musician. Nothing earth-shattering, just very enjoyable with well-crafted
melodies in the South American prog style, and some long tracks where they
stretch out a bit. Lyrics in Portuguese
except one song in English. Ars Longa Vita Brevis (2004) is their 6th
(recycling the title of an album by The Nice) and the first to gain release in
Europe. The band has expanded to six men, and this album is
not quite as soft as the previous ones, though it is never really hard or
intense. Four of the ten songs have vocals, three in Portuguese and one in
English, and the vocal work is very good. There are some nice lyrical electric
guitar leads as well as sax.
Hyacintus - Fantasia en Concerto ($14.99)Fantasia en Concerto (2003) is the 2nd concept album composed and played by Argentine
multi-instrumentalist Jacinto M. Corral, with several guest musicians on drums, bass, Stick,
keyboards, cello, vocals, etc. It improves on his first Elydian, instrumental (save
one vocal track) symphonic rock heavy on the symphonic classical, with electric
guitar leads soaring over the lush foundation in the manner of Mike Oldfield or
Björn Lynne. This will probably never get the attention outside of Argentina that it deserves.
Mini-LP sleeve.
iX -
Ora Pro Nobis ($15.99)This is the 2006 debut by a Venezuelan project led by Giuglio Cesare Della
Noce, the keyboardist of Tempano. The rest of the Tempano members also play on
the album, as well as a number of other musicians, but the album was composed by
Della Noce. This is a symphonic rock album that fuses so many influences and
covers enough ground that it’s no easy task to describe it. It is deliberately
paced and usually has a serious air about it; some of it is hypnotic and
soundtrack-y. There are some experimental passages with samples and voices
integrated, and a contemporary classical influence. And there is some
sophisticated symphonic rock with both electric guitar and keyboards,
occasionally spiced with brass. The album is mostly instrumental but there are
two songs with conventional vocals (male and female), as well as some wordless
vocals that are operatic or abstract. An ambitious work that is more arty and
less accessible than Tempano, and there may not be another album like it to come
out of South America. No samples on the web at the time of this writing, but
keep checking the iX website.
Jaén
Kief - Las Hadas no Vuelan Más ($15.99)This is subtitled I. Vagas Nubes, but the title is long enough as it
is. This is the 2006 debut by a symphonic progressive band from Colombia!
It’s surprisingly sophisticated, actually among the best albums to come out of
South America. Jaén Kief is a large ensemble that includes flute and sax and very good male and
female vocals (in Spanish). The music is melodic and classically-influenced,
with Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd among several influences that might be
mentioned, but it remains distinctive and much more European-sounding than Latin American.
Jinetes
Negros - Omniem ($15.99)
Jinetes Negros is an Argentine band formed by keyboardist Octavio Stampalia
of Anima. Their vocals are in Spanish. Their 2000 self-titled debut was a
symphonic rock album recorded with a 12-person choir. Their 2001 second CD Chronos was in
the progressive hard rock style, not metal but rather 1970’s style. Omniem (2007,
64-minutes) is their 3rd CD and a great one. It reverses direction, as though
there is some of the progressive hard rock style present, Omniem is their
most symphonic album, and their best. There are orchestral arrangements, flutes,
and excellent harmony vocals. At times it is reminiscent of the Italian and
Spanish 1970’s symphonic bands and of the first generation Argentine progressive
rock bands. The final track is listed as a bonus and has English vocals. Note the mp3 icon
leads to the band’s newer website, which is Flash-based. At least at one time
there were audio clips there.
YouTube videos here.
Lei Seca - Art Rock ($15.99)Art Rock (1999) is a respectable 2nd album by this Brazilian band singing in English,
though the album is heavily instrumental. Hard to pin down their style - it’s melodic
symphonic progressive influenced by the usual 1970’s suspects, not really neo. You have to love a
band who state in their liner notes: “Lei Seca’s adoption of Art Rock reflects their contempt for current commercially
successful musical genres... it is a humble homage paid to all rock groups
called dinosaurs or living dead by the media.”
Lummen - Ao Vivo ($15.99)This is the 1999 first album by a symphonic band
featuring guitar, mandolin, flute, violin, keys, bass and drums. The music is very accomplished, sometimes close to Tull, though when the violin takes center stage, it’s closer to Jean Luc Ponty.
There are also similarities to Focus, PFM, and O Terço. Lyrics in Portuguese,
but heavily instrumental.
Mantra - Contos do Plano Mental ($13.99)This is a really great debut CD by a new Brazilian symphonic progressive
band. Unfortunately, the disc ends 29 minutes after you start it. This quintet sounds like Mutantes (Brazil’s pioneering 1970’s prog band) might if they were still going
in 2002 (and retained their youthful energy). But Mantra’s CD is actually better
than any of Mutantes’! If you aren’t familiar with Mutantes,
Mantra’s music is close to 1970’s Yes, with some wonderful Steve Howe-like
guitar work. O Terço is another good reference. Lyrics in Portuguese, with all five members singing.
Alexandre Maraslis - Spiritual Awakening ($15.99)The keyboard player from Chronos Mundi delivers a 2000 solo CD with several
other musicians helping out. Most of the first half of the album contains
full blown progressive rock, perhaps even better than Chronos Mundi, while the
second half is given over to beautiful and exceptional keyboard/new age music
along the lines of Vangelis.
Matraz -
Gritaré ($14.99)
The annual Baja Prog festival always features one surprising band that few
have heard of beforehand but won’t forget afterwards. In 2004, that band was
Matraz from Chile. The 61-minute Gritaré (2004) is their 2nd CD. On this
CD, Matraz mixes styles and elements in a novel way that always keeps the listener guessing
what will come next. Metal guitar sits alongside Canterbury jazziness. The
keyboardist plays a lot of piano in addition to synths, and his classical and
jazz chops give the music much of its character. They never play prog-metal for
longer than about 30 seconds at a time, and the guitarist also adds jazz as well
as traditional prog styles. Matraz has a good female vocalist (singing in
Spanish), though the music is heavily instrumental. The sophisticated
arrangements make this a contender for the best symphonic rock record ever from Chile.
Tiempo was recorded in 1999. It has male vocals rather than female, and
while there is more of the chugga-chugga metal guitar, it still exhibits
many of the same qualities as Gritaré.
MIA -
Magicos Fuegos del Tiempo ($17.99)Magicos Fuegos del Tiempo (1977) was the second of three studio albums
for this Argentine band led by keyboardist Lito Vitale. MIA was one of the top
Argentine progressive bands, with similarities to the Italian symphonic prog
bands. This album has more of a pastoral flavor than their others. Five bonus
tracks from MIA’s live 3LP Conciertos take the CD running time up to
65-minutes. For those who own the LP, the sound on this CD is vastly improved.
Rigel Michelena - Bartok’s Room ($11.99) SALE!Michelena is a talented Venezuelan multi-instrumentalist (primarily guitars,
also keyboards, programming, percussion). On his 2001 debut, several other
musicians assist him in producing ten instrumental pieces of jazz-rock close to
the style of Allan Holdsworth. To what is admittedly becoming a well-worn
musical style, Michelena adds a great deal of invention, so we can recommend
this to fans of energetic, progressive fusion.
Lelo
Nazario - AfricAsiAmerica ($15.99)
This is the fifth solo album by Brazilian keyboardist/composer/arranger Lelo
Nazario, who has performed with Hermeto Pascoal, Grupo Um and Pau Brasil. This
is a contemporary jazz record with many novel twists. Among the musicians on
this album are electric guitarist Felipe Ávila (Sexo dos Anjos, Percussônica)
and Teco Cardoso (Pé Ante Pé, Pau Brasil) on flute and sax. Digipack.
Litto
Nebbia - Fuera del Cielo ($14.99)Fuera del Cielo (1975) and El Vendedor de Promesas (1977)
are from the progressive phase of this popular Argentine singer and musician. On
both albums, the band is a trio with a bassist, drummer, and Nebbia handling
keyboards as well as electric and acoustic guitars. On keys, he favors electric
and acoustic piano. The music is typical Argentine 1970’s progressive rock,
jazz-tinged with Latin touches, melancholy Spanish vocals and a generally mellow
feel. In fact, this music could only have been made in the 70’s. The
instrumental arrangements are intricate and there are many similarities to the
early-70’s Italian progressive bands. Both titles include three bonus tracks and
come in mini-LP sleeves. Start with El Vendedor de Promesas.
Nenê -
Minuano + Bugre ($15.99)
This reissues two LPs on one 80-minute CD: Bugre (1982) and Minuano
(1985) by Brazilian drummer/pianist/composer Nenê. Nenê has been a member of
Hermeto Pascoal’s and Egberto Gismonti’s bands as well as Pau Brasil and is now
one of the most respected Brazilian musicians. Bugre was his first solo
album. Minuano, his third, is generally considered his masterpiece. Both
were recorded with top musicians and are similar to Gismonti’s style of
jazz/jazz-rock: intricate, melodic, and sometimes exotic, with Brazilian music
integrated at times. This is easily recommended to fans of the ECM label.
Octohpera - Bons Amigos ($14.99)The 2003 debut by this Brazilian quintet is a great surprise, as it sounds
like it came straight out of the 1970’s. While Mutantes is one reference point,
we’d say that Octohpera are the Brazilian PFM, specifically early PFM, up
through Photos of Ghosts. Those delicate, nuanced passages that most
modern bands seem incapable of are here in abundance. Vocals in Portuguese.
OdraReg -
God’s Garden ($11.99)
SALE!This is the newest project out of the Tempano camp. Tempano (see entry below) is the top
Venezuelan progressive rock band, whose first album appeared in 1979. OdraReg is
not some Middle Earth name, it’s just the first name of Tempano drummer and
founding member Gerardo Ubieda spelled backwards. Sorry to destroy the mystique.
Every member of Tempano assists on this mostly-instrumental album, so the end
result is of a similar quality. The compositions seem to have been around for 20
years; one hint is that Ubieda is credited with some keyboard programming on an
Atari 1040ST. The music is on the border of sophisticated jazz-rock and
progressive rock, with elements of modern King Crimson and Yes, but with
creative stylings and novel sounds that make OdraReg unique. Dynamic, vivid,
adventurous and modern, God’s Garden is an impressive addition to the legacy of Tempano.
Omnia -
Hormonal ($14.99)
Hormonal is the 2003 2nd album by this Argentine neo-symphonic
quintet. Omnia sounds more European than many South American prog bands, with a
strong, passionate vocalist singing in Spanish.
All the essential symphonic prog elements are here. Their music blends the
energy and directness of the neo-prog bands with some of the sophistication of
the classic prog bands, ending up somewhere in between. Of the lesser-known
active prog bands, Omnia is one of the better ones and deserves more exposure. Mini-LP sleeve.
Las Orejas y la Lengua - La Eminencia Inobjetable ($14.99)This Argentine instrumental band plays quirky, adventurous, RIO-style progressive rock with touches
of jazz, close to the music of Stormy Six, Picchio dal Pozzo, Miriodor, Dün, Congreso, and Frank Zappa.
The music on La Eminencia Inobjetable was recorded in 1996 and released in 2002.
The CD comes in a mini-LP sleeve.
O Terço - Criaturas da Noite ($15.99)These are the two best albums by one of the pioneering (and best) symphonic
progressive bands in Brazil. Criaturas da Noite is from 1975 and
Casa Encantada from 1976. You have to put up with a few dated tracks, but
overall these albums have an Italian feel to them (which is why they were
previously issued in Italy), comparable to the softer side of early PFM, with
soft, multi-part harmony vocals worthy of CSN&Y. Criaturas da Noite is the better of the two. These are
the latest editions on EMI Brasil and include copy control technology.
OVNI
- The True Purposes of God ($14.99)
OVNI is El Salvador’s top (only?) progressive rock band. Their name is the Spanish acronym for UFO. Humans But Not Terrestrials (2004), also known as Humanos Pero No Terrestres, was a huge step forward for the band. This 79-minute sci-fi concept album is sung mostly in English, with a few songs in Spanish. OVNI come closest to Yes on this album, though that’s only an approximation. The songs sung in Spanish tend to have a slightly different feel, sometimes suggesting Italian progressive rock, and some of it could probably be called neo-prog. One might spot ELP, Jethro Tull, or Pink Floyd here and there, but OVNI have their own melodic-prog style. There are some epic statements here, the longest track a 23-minute suite. The usual keys/guitar/bass/drums instrumentation is augmented by mandolin, flute, and various South American stringed things. [Only the first audio clip on OVNI’s site (follow mp3 link above) is from the Humans... CD, and it isn’t particularly representative of the album as a whole -- it features a guest female vocalist. The other clips are from Entre Seres y sus Raices and though labeled mp3, are actually RealAudio.]
The True Purposes of God / Los Verdaderos
Propósitos de Dios (2006) is a 74-minute concept album which is also sung in
both English and Spanish, with English in the majority. The description of Humans But Not Terrestrials
also applies here, though this album seems to emphasize the pop side of OVNI’s
songwriting a bit more, an aspect of the band that has been present from their
earliest albums. OVNI’s melodies tend to sound more British than those of other Latin American
prog bands, from a Beatles influence on some tracks to a 1980’s neo-prog
influence on others. Another very good album.
Pacifico -
La Bella Epoca ($14.99)Reissue of an obscure 1972 Argentine progressive folk album from a trio plus
members of Aquelarre playing on at least two of the seven tracks. Pacifico rely
heavily on flowery acoustic guitars and flutes, the focus on light and breezy
instrumental work and songs with great harmony vocals (in Spanish). The result
is like the South American equivalent of Harmonium (on their first album) and
similar Québecois bands. This should also appeal to fans of the folkier
Argentine bands such as M.I.A. and Seru Giran. Mini-LP sleeve.
Parthenon - Mare Tenebris ($11.99)Parthenon is a Venezuelan progressive band that was founded back in 1979,
disbanded in 1981, and revived again much later. Parthenon’s keyboardist is
Robert Santamaría, who moved to Spain to form the band Amarok, then returned to
Venezuela to make these recordings. This CD was recorded
between 2000-2004, except for the last three tracks which are from the archives.
Tracks 9 & 10 were recorded in 1980-1981 at the band’s rehearsal site and Track
11 was recorded live in 1980. The audio quality of these older tracks is of
course not up to the quality of the rest. But the album proper is superb,
influenced heavily by ELP, though Parthenon does have four instrumentalists
including an electric guitarist. Aside from a couple moments when you expect the
band to launch into Pirates, it’s not overly derivative and will feel a
bit like a new ELP album to fans. Parthenon have some beautiful female vocals in
Spanish, but there is more instrumental music than vocal. Very impressive both
in terms of playing and composition. Inexplicably, neither the booklet nor the
traycard is full-width. 66-minutes.
Platurno -
Núcleos ($14.99)
This is the 2007 debut by a Chilean progressive rock trio (keyboards &
classical guitar, guitar, drums) playing a well-crafted, almost entirely
instrumental progressive rock derived primarily from King Crimson. A bass player
and violinist appear as guest musicians. There are many bands today influenced
by King Crimson, but many have no keyboardist and tend to be one-dimensional,
lacking symphonic textures. That’s not the case with Platurno, who also add a
little spaciness.
Pocos & Nuvens - Provincia Universo ($15.99)A Brazilian band with a 1970’s progressive aesthetic, with flute, violin,
acoustic guitar and soft vocals (in Portuguese) added to the standard symphonic rock lineup.
There is a fair amount of Jethro Tull influence here. Provincia Universo
(2001) is their 2nd album.
Julio
Presas - Amaneciendo en la Cruz del Sur ($14.99)One of the best on the Viajero Inmovil label, this excellent Argentine
progressive album contains material recorded in 1978 but not released until
2003. Presas is the former guitarist of Materia Gris, and his band here
includes, among others, keyboardist Carlos Cutaia (a well-known name in the
Argentine prog scene) and drummer Carlos Riganti (ex-Alas). This album is quite
different from Materia Gris. It is instrumental aside from one track sung in
English, though there are some wordless female vocals. This is intricate,
intimate, delicate and refined progressive rock that stands apart from the rest
of the South American prog of the era. Much of it is reminiscent of the Mexican
band Flüght for the way it incorporates classical influences with slight spacey
touches. For the nearest European equivalents, think of early Mike Oldfield and
Kerrs Pink, Gordon Giltrap, Snow Goose-era Camel, and some of Anthony
Phillips’ work. It comes in a mini-LP sleeve.
Projeto Caleidoscopio - O Sete ($11.99)
SALE!A short (33:48) but enchanting CD featuring a female
singer with a gorgeous voice. No less than Annie Haslam writes liner notes,
saying this album reminds her of her early days in Renaissance. The music is a
light progressive mélange that includes elements of pop, jazz, and Brazilian music.
The project includes musicians from Bacamarte, Quaterna Requiem, Topos Uranos, and more.
Rael - Mascaras Urbanas ($14.99)1992 Argentine Genesis Lamb-era sound-alikes, with convincing vocals
mostly in English.
Raiz de Pedra - Ao Vivo ($15.99)This is the CD reissue of a 1989 LP, an excellent-sounding live recording of
this Brazilian instrumental jazz-rock band with strong progressive overtones.
The instrumentation is flutes/sax, guitar, piano/synth, bass and drums. 68-minutes.
rc2 -
rc2 ($11.99)
SALE!This is the debut by a Venezuelan symphonic progressive quintet. Vocals are
in Spanish, and the singer has a mid-to-high register male voice common among
South American rock singers. They have a fairly typical prog sound for 2003,
which is a progressive-minded keyboardist supplying all sorts of symphonic
textures and synth lead lines, offset by a guitarist who half the time is
playing in the hard rock or metal idiom. So although this cannot really be
called prog-metal, how you feel about prog-metal may dictate just how highly
you’ll rate this. Certainly much of it is very good. 69-minutes.
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Recordando o Vale das Maçãs - 1977-1982 ($15.99)This CD reissues the band’s original 1977 LP As Crianças da Nova Floresta,
plus the two sides of their 1982 single. This was one of the most sought-after
Brazilian progressive rock albums. The booklet has a detailed history of the
band, with notes on each song and dozens of rare photos from the seventies. The
sound quality is state-of-the-art and the booklet is in both English and
Portuguese. The music has a pastoral flavor, a mix of electric and acoustic
textures, the latter coming from guitar, flute, and violin. The highlight is the
18:10 title track, which evolves gently from one theme to another. Vocals in
Portuguese. Note this CD has little to do with the Progressive Rock Worldwide CD
from the 1990’s, which was actually a new recording using the old LP cover.
Redd
Land - De Tiempos Pasados ($14.99)Quite a find for the Viajero Inmovil label, this album compiles unreleased music by the bands
Redd, La Pequeña Banda de Tricupa,
La Piedra, Vassa, and Trigémino. Back in 1982, bass player Esteban Cerioni
decided to record these songs belonging to the bands he had been a member of,
assisted by a large number of renowned Argentine musicians of that time (Lito
Vitale, for one). These recordings remained unknown until now and were almost
forgotten. Whatever its origin, this sounds like a lost first
generation Argentine progressive rock record, a cohesive album that you can
file alongside Pablo el Enterrador, Espíritu, and the other great Argentine
bands of that era (too numerous to mention actually). Mini-LP sleeve.
Raimundo
Rodulfo - The Dreams Concerto ($14.99)
out-of-stock
Venezuelan Raimundo Rodulfo is a highly-skilled guitarist, whether playing
acoustic, classical, electric, or bass guitar or even mandolin. He leads a large
cast of musicians, including keys, drums, flute, violin, and sax. The Dreams
Concerto is his latest, a 78-minute large-scale work also featuring a chamber
orchestra and female lead vocals. Tempano’s singer Pedro Castillo guests.
Rodulfo often sounds like a South American Steve Howe or Gordon Giltrap, playing long tracks of a bounteous,
symphonic style of guitar-dominated prog rock, often with electric guitar
playing lead while acoustic guitar provides a foundation, solo acoustic
guitar passages contrasting with full ensemble sections. Beautiful packaging
on these CDs, featuring the works of British painter Peter Rodulfo; The
Dreams Concerto has a full-color 40-page booklet inside a slipcase. Both are
highly recommended.
Jaime
Rosas Cuarteto - Creciendo ($14.99)
out-of-stock
Consisting of former members of the Chilean prog band Entrance, the Jaime
Rosas Trio is a keyboard power trio a la ELP or the final UK lineup, though
their bassist does play some guitar. Extremos (2004) is their 2nd CD, a
mostly-instrumental affair. It mixes predominantly fast, high-energy,
technically-adept classical rock workouts with a few breathers centered around
classical piano. The material is well-composed and not just flash and bombast.
With Creciendo (2005), they’ve added a guitarist to become a quartet (And
Then There Were Four?). This album is again heavily instrumental, with
quality vocals both wordless and in Spanish. Much of the instrumental material
is in a high-energy, fast and demonstrative symphonic prog style, leaving no
doubt that JRC can play. The electric guitar gives this material a harder edge.
But this is balanced by more sensitive tracks employing vocals and acoustic
guitar. Rosas’ keyboards are still the highlight, often very classically
influenced. After clicking on the mp3 icons above, scroll up to read reviews.
Alex Saba - Missa Universalis ($13.99)A one-man instrumental effort, more new age than rock, with Alex Saba playing
keyboards, flutes, guitars, and percussion. This is incidental music for the
Christian Mass, but includes musical influences from outside the tradition.
Sagrado Coracão da Terra - A Leste do Sol, Oeste da Lua ($14.99)
Saeculae Saeculorum - same ($15.99)The greatest Brazilian progressive/symphonic band, Sagrado’s first work dates from 1979 and all are
based around the genius of violinist and multi-instrumentalist Marcus Viana (also composer
and arranger). All the Sagrado CDs are must-haves. Viana must be
conservatory-trained as not only is he an incredible player, it’s
clear he knows how to orchestrate and, consequently, Sagrado’s epic tracks make
many other bands sound like minor-leaguers. Great male and female vocals
too. On the 70-minute A Leste do Sol, Oeste da Lua (2000), Viana may be getting more romantic in
his old age, but the familiar Sagrado style is still there, with some world
music elements added. Grande Espirito is from 1994, Farol da Liberdade
from 1991. Saeculae Saeculorum was Marcus Viana’s first band. This album, from 1976, is even more progressive than
Sagrado!
Scars
Souls - Highbreed ($14.99)
Interesting 2006 debut by a Brazilian prog-metal band with a quality female
vocalist singing in English. As prog-metal goes, this is excellent. The
progressive parts are very good, with some Rush influence as well as more
symphonic stylings. Of course it’s periodically dragged down to metal level, but
that apparently is intentional. Overall it’s more progressive than metal though.
This is the special edition, which adds a slipcase.
Sleepwalker
Sun - same ($14.99)
This is a new band out of Brazil that is going to please a lot of fans from
the prog-metal side of things, though Sleepwalker Sun sound like they could be
from anywhere. They have a female vocalist with a beautiful voice singing in
unaccented English. They blend some heavy, metallic guitar with lots of ornate,
symphonic keyboards. Violinist Marcus Viana (Sagrado Coracão da Terra) guests on
two tracks, including the 14-minute opener, and keyboardist André Mello (Tempus
Fugit) guests on the 10-minute final track. Of course there are frequent
contrasts between the metal elements and everything else, but metal always
contrasts with everything else, and once you’ve heard that contrast once, it’s
entirely predictable and not very interesting. Sleepwalker Sun could dump the
metal and be an even better progressive rock band with some Renaissance-like
qualities, but as it is, they have plenty going for them. This is the special
edition, which adds a slipcase.
Solis - Gemini
($15.99)Nice debut by this Brazilian band that plays symphonic progressive rock with both forceful and
delicate passages, closest to the styles of Yes and ELP, with quite a lot of
acoustic guitar. Vocals are in Portuguese (except one song in French) and
resemble Secos & Molhados (basically a vocal style you hear only in South
American bands). Exceptional artwork rounds out the package.
Subterra -
Cautiverio ($14.99)
Subterra is a Chilean band founded in 1996 as a Marillion (mainly Fish-era)
cover band, so not surprisingly, their 2001 debut
Sombras de Invierno is in the early
Marillion style. Cautiverio (2005) shows the band developing a more
original style, with little Marillion influence apparent. While the keyboards
evoke 1970’s progressive rock, the guitarist and drummer add slight metal
touches, and the music is darker and heavier than on their debut. Lyrics in Spanish.
Supay - Confusión
($14.99)Confusión, the debut album of Peruvian band Supay, was first released
by the band in 2004 (with a different cover), then re-released in 2006 by the
Mylodon label. It is instrumental flute-led prog, more structured and symphonic
than Flor de Loto or Koiak (two other contemporaneous South American flute-led
prog bands). Supay includes two woodwind players in addition to keyboards,
guitars, bass and drums. The woodwinds include the quena (a traditional Andean
end-blown flute), the quenacho (a bigger quena), the tarca (another traditional
Andean wooden flute), the zampoña (double panpipes), and the toyo (another bunch
of bundled pipes). The music is symphonic prog enriched by Andean folk music.
Not surprisingly, that folk element is generated mostly by the Andean flutes
while the rest of the band is playing in a symphonic rock style, though the
guitarist and keyboardist occasionally slip in a folk-based melody. Think of Los
Jaivas at their most progressive.
Tanger - La Otra Cara ($14.99)La Otra Cara (2002) is the 2nd album from Tanger, an Argentine instrumental flute/guitar/bass/drums quartet.
Their brand of flute-driven progressive is a bit like a jazzier Focus, more
structured and melodic than the likes of Flor
de Loto or Koiak, who are South American bands with a similar lineup but with a
looser, jamming style. Mini-LP sleeve.
Tarkus - Ao Vivo em Niterói
CD ($14.99)
This is the 2006 edition of A Gaze Between the Past and the Future,
first released in 2002, now with a 6:32 bonus track and
a better cover. There was a band named Tarkus in Peru during the 1970’s, but
this Tarkus is Brazilian. This is their first album and is sung in
English. The underside of the traycard is a collage of famous album covers, to
which Tarkus have rather optimistically added their own. These give a clue as to
their heroes -- there are albums by Jethro Tull, ELP, Focus, King Crimson, Yes,
Argent, and others. Despite their name, Tarkus doesn’t sound particularly like
ELP. On this album they are a six-man band with a dedicated flute player, so
this is symphonic rock with flute featured prominently. The first track on the
album includes the intro to Argent’s The Coming of Kohoutek, while
another track is excerpts from Devil Doll’s Dies Irae. Tarkus’ style does
seem to fall between the British and Italian 70’s prog styles, the latter more
PFM than Devil Doll though. Such homages are rarely up to the level of the
original bands, and this is no exception, but it is a very enjoyable 70’s-style
symphonic rock album, especially for those who love flute used in this context.
Ao Vivo em Niterói is a 74-minute live CD
recorded in 2005, with excellent audio quality. The DVD (NTSC, all-region)
appears to be the same show as the CD but includes two additional tracks and features Dolby
Digital 5.1 surround as well as 2.0 stereo audio. DVD extras include backstage footage and interviews,
photo gallery, bio, and discography with audio samples. On this CD and DVD, Tarkus
are a quintet with two keyboardists but no flute player, and the vocals are in
Portuguese. They sound more Yes influenced here, not so much the entire band,
but at least one keyboardist loves those Wakeman-esque lead synth lines. It
appears these are all new songs, so with the great fidelity, this should be
looked upon as Tarkus’ 2nd album.
Tau Ceti - same ($15.99)Tau Ceti is a Brazilian all-instrumental ELP-ish keyboards/bass/drums trio
playing classical progressive rock with organ dominating, quite good. This 1992
CD is their only album.
Tempano - Childhood’s End/El Fin de la Infancia ($15.99)
These exceptional Venezuelan musicians first made their mark
in the progressive rock world at the end of the 1970’s, became pop stars in
their own country during the next decade, then were rediscovered by progressive
rock fans during the 1990’s with the reissue of their excellent first album
Atabal-Yemal (1979) and a new prog album Childhood’s End - El Fin de la Infancia
(2000), plus an appearance at the Baja Prog festival. Childhood’s End features some lovely
vocals but the album is predominantly instrumental and combines a Genesis/Camel/Happy the Man
melodic sense with a more fusiony feel, plus the South American festive touch. After Crying’s
cellist guests. The Atabal-Yemal CD includes three 1998 bonus tracks totaling 24-minutes.
Check above for the related bands OdraReg and iX.
Tempus Fugit - Tales from a Forgotten World
remastered ($14.99)
Tempus Fugit was one of the best South American progressive bands to emerge during the 1990’s. They sing
in English but are predominantly instrumental, their music lying in Genesis, Marillion, and Camel
territory. Tales from a Forgotten World is their 1997 debut album and probably their best.
This is the 2007 extended and remastered edition, which comes in a slipcase and
adds two bonus tracks, 1993 demo versions of two of the album tracks. Note the
mp3 icon above links directly to a single mp3 from the CD. The “official bootleg” is a great quality 1998 recording of the last show with the original
lineup, including three new tracks.
Tryo - Dos Mundos ($14.99)Tryo is a mostly-instrumental Chilean trio who play both electric and
acoustic music. In their electric version, they are an electric
guitar/bass/drums power trio. In acoustic mode, they play acoustic guitar,
cello, and percussion. The first six tracks on Crudo (1998) are live and
contain a blend of King Crimson and hard-rocking fusion, after which they switch
to acoustic mode for the second half of the album. The acoustic tracks are a
chamber music that at times has similarities to Flairck or to Le Orme’s two
acoustic albums, but overall is significantly jazzier. Patrimonio (1999)
improves a bit on Crudo, with the electric material dominating. Dos
Mundos (2002) continues in the same vein as Patrimonio, exploring
both their electric and acoustic sides. But Dos Mundos may be their best,
as they seem to perfect their Rush-Crimson-jazzy electric style, offsetting this
nicely with the more introspective acoustic numbers. Crudo and
Patrimonio are the Mylodon Records reissues; Patrimonio now has two bonus tracks.
Wejah - Springtime ($15.99)
Brazilian progressive rock band Wejah was last heard from in 1996 with their Senda CD
on the now defunct Progressive Rock Worldwide label. Their first album was
released in 1988, so one has to be patient with this band. Springtime
(2007) is their 3rd, and whereas Senda was instrumental, Springtime
has vocals in English, though the vocals still take a backseat to the
instruments. The music is not neo at all. It is flowing in the way Camel’s music
is, but Wejah have a more open, less symphonic sound, slightly more jazzy and
spacey, and less polished in the production department. Not that Wejah play much
actual jazz, but their guitarist favors a ringing, jazz tone, occasionally
adding a little crunch. Keyboards are present but it’s the guitar that defines
Wejah’s sound.