Acidente - Quebre Este Disco ($15.99)
South & Central American Progressive CDs
Titles are arranged alphabetically with the latest additions highlighted in yellow.
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.
Aether - Visions ($15.99) 
Aether is one of the standout Brazilian progressive bands, influenced primarily by early Camel and Steve Hackett. Like both, instrumental content takes precedence over the vocals, which are in English and bear some similarity to Camel’s melancholy vocals circa Moonmadness. On their debut Visions, they add some elements not typical of Camel, however, such as violin on two tracks courtesy of Glauco Fernandes and some very beautiful, serene pieces.
Aisles - In Sudden Walks ($12.99) 
Seems like a rather mundane name for a band, but The Yearning, the 2005 debut of Chilean symphonic prog band Aisles, is anything but. This is a young band with two keyboardists, two guitarists, and a singer who also plays flute. Three of them are brothers. Their music is clearly connected to 1970’s progressive rock, but they are not at all retro. They are highly original and yet somehow familiar, musically mature beyond their years. In stark contrast to the majority of today’s bands, Aisles’ music is delicate and refined. The closest comparisons would be early PFM and Shingetsu. Even if Aisles don’t sound particularly like those bands, they have the characteristic dreamy, gentle passages with lots of acoustic timbres, punctuated by energetic and majestic outbursts. Overall the music sounds more British though, and in the most general terms only, you could compare them to Camel and Genesis. The vocals are in English; the blend of lead and backing vocals is a highlight of their sound.
In Sudden Walks (2009) is their second, and while the elements are familiar (Genesis, Marillion, Yes and Pink Floyd could be mentioned), there is no direct comparison for the music of Aisles. Only a few elements strike the listener as Latin American. What does strike the listener is the production quality, how crystal clear the instruments are and the separation between them, and how refined the music is. The instrumental palette is rich and detailed, with no one instrument dominating. The result is an original yet accessible symphonic prog album, one of the best from Chile.
Alpha III - Ruinas Circulares ($14.99)
Alpha III - The Aleph ($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 seventh 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.
Anachronos - Aquí y Afuera ($15.99) This is the 2009 debut by an instrumental symphonic prog band from Chile. Being a young band, the drummer and especially the guitarist play in the metal idiom half the time, but it is keyboardist Alonso Quijada that distinguishes Anachronos from your garden variety prog-metal band. The guitar may be mixed as loud or louder than the keys even when doing nothing more than chugga chugga as metal guitarists are wont to do, but the music is dominated by Quijada’s classically-influenced keyboards, primarily piano. Everything of harmonic interest is in the keyboard parts, and Quijada uses samples for occasional touches of South American folk that add spice. Recommended to fans of modern bombastic prog.
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 - The Bridge of Light ($15.99) out-of-stock SALE!
Apocalypse - Perto do Amanhecer ($11.99) SALE!Apocalypse are a Brazilian symphonic progressive band beginning more Marillion influenced but becoming more of a classic prog band later on. They tend to have an exuberant, triumphant spirit. Perto do Amanhecer (1995) is more Marillion-influenced. Refugio (2003), their fifth studio CD, propels Apocalypse into the major leagues, with a Yes influence dominant over the Marillion influence. The Portuguese-language vocals are superb, especially the harmony vocals with all four band members singing. Keyboardist Eloy Fritsch has never impressed more; he saves his gentler material for his solo albums, so Apocalypse gets all his progressive energies. It all has an exuberant, triumphant spirit. Two live bonus tracks round out the 64-minute package.
The Live in Rio DVD (NTSC, all-region) is a video companion to their CD of the same name. 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.
The Bridge of Light (2008, 71-minutes) has been slow making its way out of South America, so consider it a 2009 CD. It appears to be all new material, but it was recorded live in late 2006, with excellent sound. Apocalypse sing in English now. New singer Gustavo Demarchi has the voice and command of English to sing for any number of American stadium rockers, and if that wasn’t enough, he also plays flute. A guest electric violinist appears on four tracks, so with all these additions, Apocalypse have their most powerful sound ever. Eloy Fritsch still likes to build a fort out of his many keyboards, and there are 3-4 guys adding backing vocals. You’ll spot ELP, Jethro Tull, Marillion, Kansas, Saga, and other influences.
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 - Voces del Bosque ($15.99) out-of-stock Bienvenida al Interior (2006) is a very good 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 on this CD, 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.
Voces del Bosque (2009) is their second and an improvement on their first. The neo-prog of the first CD is less prevalent, and there is a lot of instrumental content. Astralis now concentrate on flowing symphonic rock with melodic guitar leads, often reminiscent of Camel, also with some Pink Floyd and Mike Oldfield influence. It’s a more original blend, and one of the better prog CDs to come out of Chile.
Australis - TerrAustralis ($14.99) Australis are a Chilean instrumental progressive rock quartet led by Entrance’s guitarist Richard Pilnik and Crisálida’s drummer Rodrigo Sanchez. Founded in 2003, Australis play a modern progressive rock strongly influenced by jazz-rock and symphonic metal. Their debut TerrAustralis (2005) is an outstanding one that 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 are further evidence that the best bands in Latin America are now coming out of Chile.
La Banda del Gnomo - El Canto del Angel ($14.99)This 2009 CD on the Mylodon label is the work of a Chilean progressive rock band active from the early 1980’s until 1988 who were evidently well-known in their homeland. La Banda del Gnomo recorded the bulk of this album in 1984, but it remained unreleased until this CD. The first half of the album features a female vocalist, then a male vocalist for the second half, all lyrics in Spanish. Many of the songs feature flute played in a Jethro Tull style, and the dominant style is flute-led progressive hard rock similar to early Tull, while some songs are in a 1980’s neo-prog style. At the time of this writing, a full song from this CD can be found on the Mylodon label’s MySpace page, though it won’t remain there forever. There are Spanish-language band bios here and here (they can easily be translated using Google or another service) and a video of the band live in 1983 here. Mylodon reports that the band is working on a new studio album.
Bandhada - Open Cage ($14.99)The self-titled Bandhada CD is a 2004 release, but the album was recorded 20 years earlier. Two 1984 live bonus tracks have been added. At this time, 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 on this CD is flute-dominated progressive rock in the Camel and Caravan veins, with touches of light fusion, recommended in particular to fans of Snow Goose-era Camel.
Three of the original members now reside in Los Angeles, and that’s where most of the second Bandhada CD Open Cage (2009) was recorded. The album is again instrumental until the final track, a 10:37 epic with vocals in Spanish. In addition to the core quartet of keys/guitars/bass/drums, there are other musicians on sax and flute. This outstanding CD has one foot in progressive rock and one in melodic, symphonic fusion. Camel is still a noticeable influence, but hardly the only one, as there are flashes of UK, Happy the Man, and other prog bands. These influences are blended with influences of the best 1970’s fusion bands. Clearly these are highly-skilled, seasoned musicians, and this is a classy progressive and jazz-rock album in the classic style.
Barroquejón - Concerning the Quest, the Bearer and the Ring ($15.99) From the title, you may gather that this is another (unlicensed) album based on The Lord of the Rings. Musically though, you haven’t heard anything quite like this. The work of Chilean David Hanus, this 2003 CD combines the grandiose, heroic movie soundtrack style with symphonic progressive rock. Almost impossibly epic-sounding, it is lovingly pompous and musically quite sophisticated, much more convincing than either Rick Wakeman’s or Ayreon’s attempts at a similar style. If you weren’t told otherwise, you wouldn’t suspect that this is the work of one man, and you’d probably assume it came out of England. Hanus not only plays piano, organ, synths, acoustic & electric guitar, and drums/percussion, he also adds some recorder to give it that Middle Earth feel, and overdubs his voice to create the choirs. These choral arrangements remind us of The Cardiacs, changing chords as rapidly as the listener can handle. Though Hanus lists some prog-metal bands among his influences, he wisely leaves the metal out and focuses on the orchestral – in the hands of a metal band, this would have been a disaster, instead it’s a guilty pleasure for fans of epic symphonic rock.
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.
Sergio Benchimol - A Drop in the Ocean ($15.99) Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Sergio Benchimol was a member of Semente and True Illusion. His 2004 CD A Drop in the Ocean, An Ocean in a Drop is mostly-instrumental progressive fusion, airy when flute is used, earthier when the woodwind player switches to sax. Other musicians contribute drums, percussion, cello, oboe, and vocals. There are world music and classical elements as well. Two songs are sung in English, two in Portuguese. The detailed description on Benchimol’s MySpace page (mp3 icon above) is accurate.
Blezqi Zatsaz - Rise and Fall of Passional Sanity ($15.99)This 1990 album contains 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 prog, and never wanting for energy. Not sure the album title translated quite right though. Passional?
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.
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 - Raco ($15.99) Crisálida are 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 -- dramatic and powerful, though of course it’s the more modern, streamlined variety. And when they add the metal guitar, it’s... prog-metal. (Pity there are so few progressive guitarists in the current generation.) The self-titled CD is their 2006 debut. Raco (2009) is their second.
Daltonia - Observador de un Universo ($14.99)Observador de un Universo is a very good 1999 neo-progressive album from Chile. The vocals are actually spoken word in Spanish, but the music is heavily-instrumental. The music flows nicely, with slight spacey touches and as much Pink Floyd influence as Marillion.
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 ($15.99) This Drama is a quartet from Uruguay playing a lyrical progressive rock based on symphonic keyboards plus melodic guitar, with good Spanish-language vocals. Their 2002 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).
Efecto - Efecto ($15.99) This is the debut CD for Efecto, a six-man Chilean prog band, initially released by the band in 2006, remastered in 2009 for this new edition on the Mylodon label. Efecto have somewhat novel instrumentation, using both synthesizers and vibraphone. They actually have two keyboardists and two drummer/mallet percussionists, plus guitars (electric & acoustic) and bass. Their music straddles fusion and a flowing style of symphonic prog, with vocals (in Spanish), but instrumental content dominates. To some extent, Efecto are of the lineage of Congreso, Fulano, and Los Jaivas, three great first-generation Chilean prog bands, and as such, they are one of the most sophisticated bands on the Mylodon label.
Entrance - Entre Dos Mundos ($14.99) Entrance is a hard-edged symphonic prog band with Spanish-language vocals from Chile. Their members include guitarist Richard Pilnik, who also formed the band Australis; keyboardist Jaime Rosas, who has his own prog band Jaime Rosas Cuarteto; and singer Jaime Scalpello, who released an excellent prog album of his own in 2008 (check this page for all of these). The style of Entrance and Jaime Rosas Cuarteto is fairly similar except that Entrance have Scalpello, who has a powerful voice, so vocals play a larger role in their music. Entrance are also slightly more metallic. Odisea (2006) is 77-minute live album recorded for the most part at Baja Prog 2003. Entre Dos Mundos (2008) is their third studio CD. Read the review at Prog Archives.
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 second 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.
Ergo Sum - Mixolidio ($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. Mixolidio (1999) is a mix of studio and well-recorded live tracks that demonstrate a further development of their sound, featuring flute and vibraphone as well as some harder-rocking, guitar-centric passages.
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 second 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.
Flor de Loto - Madre Tierra ($15.99) "Lotus Flower" are a Peruvian progressive rock quartet of flute, guitar, bass and drums, whose first CD was released in 2005. Madre Tierra (2007, 47-mintues) is their second and superior album, and the first to feature vocals (in Spanish), though still primarily instrumental. Flor de Loto have an early 1970’s progressive sound led by flute and guitar, both acoustic and electric. Madre Tierra shows a strong Andean folk influence and elements of psychedelic and hard rock. This album is less jam-based, less psychedelic, and better composed than their debut. Some of this actually does sound a bit like Jethro Tull (or Solaris), that is if Ian Anderson had grown up in the Andes. Read reviews at ProgArchives.
Fragil - Sorpresa del Tiempo ($11.99) SALE!This Peruvian band is famous in Peru, having existed since 1975. Fragil released five albums beginning in 1980. Avenida Larco is the CD reissue of their fine (and very rare) 1981 LP, their best studio album. As you may guess from their name, Fragil are influenced by Yes, but also by Genesis, with a strong South American identity. Excellent vocals in Spanish dominate their very melodic, generally soft symphonic rock. Sorpresa del Tiempo is a 2002 live album, recorded by the five musicians (bass, drums, keys & flute, guitars, Spanish-language vocals) with a 26-piece symphony orchestra! It includes almost all of Avenida Larco. The music is excellent melodic symphonic rock, full of positive vibrations, with the enthusiastic crowd singing along on some of the songs.
Fraktal - Ask the Rabbit ($9.99) 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 sixth 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. Mythology (2001) is Fritsch’s fifth album and is more rock-oriented than his first four. This is primarily in the Rick Wakeman style, with touches of Vangelis.
Cyberspace (2000) is Fritsch’s fourth 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 - Eros & Thanatos (2CD, $19.99) 
Orion (1999) is the fourth album by this Brazilian soft symphonic progressive rock band. Here Haddad (the name of the family) is a duo of brothers plus a guest musician. Nothing earth-shattering, just very enjoyable with excellent vocals and 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 sixth (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.
Eros & Thanatos (2009) is Haddad’s latest studio album, a double-CD packaged in a fat digipack with a 24-page full-color booklet. The band has expanded further, with flute, violin, viola, and a third guitarist, now including three generations of the family Haddad! There are again some English vocals, mostly Portuguese, a mix of shorter songs and four tracks over 8-minutes. The album is full of great melodies, the songs often reminiscent of the Italian romantic style. Read the DPRP review. Counts as 1.5 CDs for shipping.
iX - Ora Pro Nobis ($11.99) SALE!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.
Jaén Kief - Las Hadas no Vuelan Más II. El Agua de Frente ($15.99) I. Vagas Nubes is the 2003 debut by a symphonic progressive band from Colombia, released by Musea in 2006. It’s surprisingly sophisticated, certainly among the better 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 as European-sounding as Latin American.
II. El Agua de Frente was released in 2006 in Colombia and by Musea in 2009. “To me it sounds more mature and elaborate than their previous effort and I am delighted by the typical Latin-American touch, that melodic and pleasant blend of several styles, presented by very good musicians. The climates range from dreamy to up-tempo rock, from classically-inspired to folky to 24-carat symphonic rock, and the instrumentation is very lush: pleasant and often warm Spanish duo-vocals (male/female), swinging acoustic rhythm guitar, powerful saxophone, cheerful flute, tender grand piano, fiery and moving electric guitar solos, an adventurous rhythm section, Spanish guitar and wonderful classical keyboard orchestrations... The 10 beautiful compositions deliver lots of variety, emotion and excellent skills on a wide range of instruments, a sound to discover!” [DPRP/Erik Neuteboom] No audio there at the time of this writing, but check Jaén Kief’s website for updates.
Jinetes Negros - Omniem ($14.99) 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 third 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.
Kharmina Buranna - El Arte de Seguir Vivos ($17.99) This is the 2008 debut CD by a symphonic prog band from Peru. To date, Peruvian progressive rock has consisted of the first album by Fragil and the albums by Flor de Loto and Supay. Kharmina Buranna are likely to be the most popular of all these, as they play all-purpose 1970’s-style progressive rock that, apart from the Spanish-language vocals, sounds like vintage British or Italian prog. There are aspects of many different 70’s prog bands, not dwelling on any one band’s style long enough to sound derivative. Read Cesar Inca’s review at Prog Archives for greater detail. Digipack.
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.
Mahesh - Procesos ($14.99) This is the 2008 debut CD by a Chilean band featuring ex-Matraz bassist Inti Oyarzún, playing a unique hybrid of fusion, progressive rock and metal, with female and male vocals in Spanish. Their fusion by itself would make Allan Holdsworth and Pat Metheny proud. Some of the music is a heavy fusion-tinged progressive rock, and the vocals integrate with both those styles well enough. Then there’s the metal, which is, um, an interesting addition. There’s a whole generation of musicians who believe that adding metal to anything is a good idea. Double-pedal drumming and machine gun guitar rarely blend with anything more refined (which is just about everything); they only obliterate it until they go away. Fortunately in Mahesh’s case, the metal only occasionally overstays its welcome. 54-minutes.
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.
Mar de Robles - Indigena ($14.99) MdR (2003) is the debut by an excellent Chilean band combining some of the Rush and King Crimson energy with elements of fusion and South American folk textures. They can be complex and intense without getting overly dissonant or difficult, and the acoustic instruments (especially the flute) provide a necessary balance to the electric instruments. In a way, Mar de Robles incorporates the style of countrymates such as Los Jaivas into a more electric and aggressive music, with great technical skill and arrangements that leave little time for the listener to catch his breath. Vocals are in Spanish, but the music is heavily instrumental. Indigena (2007) continues in a similar vein but is almost entirely instrumental and shifts a bit toward more ‘difficult’ music: more electric, more challenging, more complexity-for-complexity’s-sake.
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 second 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.
Os Mutantes - Haih or Amortecedor ($12.99)This 2009 CD is the first new music from the legendary Brazilian band in over 30 years. Unsealed digipack.
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 by Brazilian drummer/pianist/composer Nenê on one 80-minute CD: Bugre (1982) and Minuano (1985). 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.
Nexus - Metanoia mini-LP ($15.99) Metanoia (2001, 72-minutes) is the second CD from this powerful Argentine progressive band with female vocals (in Spanish), equally influenced by ELP and Genesis. “Their sound is classic symphonic progressive rock all the way, influenced by Genesis, ELP, Hackett, Orme and Crimson, but with enough originality to sound fresh in an age when so many treading this well worn style barely rise above mediocrity. Keyboards, guitars and the golden voice of Mariela Gonzales drive the show, with the rhythm section providing a solid supporting structure. The sound can be big and bombastic, or gentle and delicate, and the band is masterful at both ends of the spectrum, with a penchant for dramatic arrangements and blazing aggressive passages punctuated with guitar and synth soloing. There’s a lot of music here, so be prepared for a symphonic overdose, but also be prepared for an exceptional performance that breathes new life into an old style that few bands of late have been able to innovate. Indeed, Nexus adds little new stylistically to the sound, but refines and perfects it in a way that makes it all sound fresh and exciting again.” [Exposé] This mini-LP version is the 2009 limited edition released by the MALS label under license, which comes in a heavyweight cardboard sleeve.
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 second 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.
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 are 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.
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 mini-LP ($15.99) This 1992 album is the only album for Argentine band Rael, who are Genesis Lamb-era sound-alikes with convincing vocals mostly in English, some in Spanish. There is also more than a hint of early Marillion. File next to Citizen Cain and The Watch. The mini-LP version is the 2009 limited edition released by the MALS label under license from Musea, which comes in a heavyweight cardboard sleeve.
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 - Future Awaits ($12.99) SALE!RC2 are a progressive rock band originally from Venezuela. The self-titled CD is their 2003 debut, which was released on the French Musea label. The vocals on this album are in Spanish, and RC2’s singer has a mid-to-high register voice common among South American male rock singers. This album has 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.
Four of the five original members relocated to Barcelona, Spain in 2004, but the lyrics on RC2’s second CD Future Awaits (2008, 60-minutes) are in English. Looks like it was the guitarist who didn’t make the trip, and their new guitarist understands the difference between progressive rock and metal. As such, Future Awaits is a pure progressive rock album, with space in the mix and a balance between keys and guitar that bands with metal-minded guitarists rarely achieve. The compositions are more sophisticated as well, making this a big upgrade from their debut.
Zózimo Rech - Pictures of a Solar System ($15.99) 
Brazilians Zózimo Rech and Adrianne Simioni have combined their efforts under the name Astronomusic. The cover artwork may suggest new age, but both musicians play guitar as well as keyboards and both combine synth music and instrumental progressive rock unlike anyone else. Unlike some electronic musicians who have little formal training or experience in bands, Rech and Simioni have both, and they certainly can play. In addition to time spent in rock and fusion bands, they were both in Orquestra Profana in the early 1990’s, an ensemble dedicated to the interpretation of classical music with electric and electronic instruments. The Life of a Star is by and large a loud, bombastic progressive rock album that uses a lot of synths, but electric guitar prevails. It was recorded back in 1997 but not released until 2006. Pictures of a Solar System (2006) is considered the sequel. This one has some electric guitar and some rock but is more of a symphonic/melodic/rhythmic synth album along the lines of Synergy, though with higher energy, and sometimes touching upon the style of Fonya. It is compositionally the more mature album.
Simioni plays electric & acoustic guitar and electric violin. Rech has arranging, co-arranging, and/or co-writing credits on all the songs on her 2006 album The Intelligible Sky, produced the album, and took care of the keyboards and sequencers. It is an album that is more progressive rock than synth music. It has more than enough energy and complexity for progressive rock fans, yet is full of sophisticated synth textures, both symphonic and spacey. The drums on all these albums are programmed, but they are well done; a human drummer would not have added much. The booklet for Pictures of a Solar System is particularly beautiful, 24 full-color panels featuring astronomy images created by Frank Hettick. Progressive rock fans should probably start with The Intelligible Sky, synth music fans with Pictures of a Solar System, but those open to both prog rock and synth music will find great music on any of these.
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.
Retsam Suriv - Exégesys ($13.99) Exégesys is the 2009 debut by this Argentine symphonic prog band with powerful female vocals (in Spanish), though much of their material is instrumental. They have a slight metal influence but should definitely not be saddled with the prog-metal tag. For one, their primary composer is their keyboardist. The metal influence manifests only as a slight crudeness in a few spots, mostly early on, otherwise they have a sophisticated style comparable to other mainstream, bombastic South American prog bands such as Nexus, Crisálida, Entrance, and Matraz. Not sure what the significance of Virus Master spelled backwards is though. Read reviews at Prog Archives. 69-minutes.
Raimundo Rodulfo - Mare et Terra ($15.99) 
Venezuelan Raimundo Rodulfo, who now makes his home in Miami, 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. Sueños/Dreams is his 2000 debut. The Dreams Concerto (2002) is a 78-minute large-scale work 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 progressive 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.
Mare et Terra is Rodulfo’s 2008 studio CD, recorded in the US, Spain and Venezuela between 2004-2008, featuring the usual large cast of supporting musicians, among them Carlos Plaza, keyboardist and leader of Kotobel, Tempano’s Pedro Castillo (vocals) and Gerardo Ubieda (drums), musicians on violin, cello, woodwinds and trumpet, and more male and female vocalists. It’s an imposing 77-minute rock symphony of great sophistication, primarily instrumental, with more Yes influence than on Rodulfo’s earlier works, especially in the guitar and bass. Think of this as Rodulfo’s Tales from Topographic Oceans, but distinguished by the inclusion of Spanish/Latin American, classical, and jazz-rock colors. Impressive.
Jaime Rosas Cuarteto - Viajero Astral: Live in Brazil ($14.99) 
Consisting of 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 second 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.
Viajero Astral is 73-minutes of JRC live at the 2005 Rio ArtRock Festival and one track recorded in Mexico in 2004.
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 ($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. Farol da Liberdade is from 1991. Saeculae Saeculorum was Marcus Viana’s first band. This album, from 1976, is even more progressive than Sagrado! Here is a RealAudio excerpt from the track Sagrado.
Jaime Scalpello - El Rugido de los Dioses ($14.99) Jaime Scalpello is the singer for Chilean bands Entrance and SETI. His 2008 debut El Rugido de los Dioses is an excellent symphonic rock work featuring musicians from Entrance, SETI, Subterra, Angulart, and Jaime Rosas Cuarteto, sort of a Chilean all-star progressive rock band. Scalpello has a powerful voice, and the Spanish-language vocals suit it better than if he were to sing in English. The music is fairly modern sounding, with slightly heavy guitar, but never crossing over into metal. 59-minutes.
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.
SETI - Life Signs ($14.99)SETI is a side project of Claudio Momberg, keyboardist of the Chilean band Subterra, with the participation of the other Subterra members as well as other musicians. The music is dark symphonic prog generally in the Genesis, early Marillion, and Pink Floyd styles, with strong vocals in English. Read reviews at Prog Archives.
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.
Sol y Medianoche - Poeta y Cantor ($15.99) Santiago, Chile’s Sol y Medianoche (Midnight Sun) are known to prog cognoscenti for their 1984 LP 33º 33 Latitud Sur, their most successful album, reissued on CD in 2007. They released a half dozen albums between 1982-1990, and they were an important national band in Chile. After a long absence, they’ve returned in 2009 with Poeta y Cantor on the Mylodon label, still featuring their excellent female vocalist Soledad Dominguez and bandleader Jorge Soto (guitars and keys), with a new bassist (Soto’s and Dominguez’s daughter!) and drummer, plus several guest musicians. Their music is a 1970’s-style (early-80’s in Chile but 70’s for most of us) mixing symphonic prog, hard rock, pop and folk, probably encapsulating the Chilean rock scene during those years. Several of the songs on this CD are new versions of the band’s hits. Soto sings the album’s final song, which is one of the best.
Spin XXI - Contraponto ($15.99) 
It seems this Brazilian quintet has been around for a long time in one form or another because the music on this 2006 CD was composed during the 1970’s. It was recorded between 2002-2006 however, so what we have here is a classic 1970’s-style symphonic prog album with the benefit of modern sound and production. If this had been released in the 70’s, it would already be considered one of the classic progressive rock albums to come out of South America. The influences of all the major progressive rock bands can be felt in the music, yet it integrates them so well that it sounds fresh, with its own character. The Portuguese-language vocals further reinforce the illusion that this is a lost classic. Note the Windows Media icon above links to a Windows Media playlist that streams the whole damn album at 64kbps!
Subterra - Abrir la Herida ($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.
Abrir la Herida (2007, 75-minutes) is a live CD with seven tracks taken from a 2000 concert, three tracks from a 2005 performance, and two bonus tracks (one is a 2003 demo).
Supay - El Viaje ($14.99) Peruvian band Supay play instrumental flute-led prog, with (initially) two woodwind players in their lineup 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.
Their second CD El Viaje was first released by the band in 2007 with a different cover, then by Mylodon in this 2009 edition. (The El Viaje album was preceded by an EP of the same name; this is the full-length CD.) There were some lineup changes and only one woodwind player remains, so there is slightly more guitar and less flute than on their debut, but Supay’s style is largely unchanged. More info at Prog Archives.
Tanger - La Otra Cara ($14.99)La Otra Cara (2002) is the second 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’ second 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 - The Agony & the Ecstasy ($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 Agony and the Ecstasy (2002, 66-minutes) is another bold statement that shows their maturity. There are subtle Latin influences, more so during their acoustic passages, but otherwise you’d be hard pressed to tell that this album was from a South American band. Their singer could pass for American or English, sounding a bit like Sting at times. The band’s instrumentals have a fusion edge to them, complex arrangements perfectly executed, occasionally in Happy the Man territory. The vocal tracks are warmer and more introspective, but it is all top-notch, original progressive rock from musicians seemingly capable of playing any progressive or fusion style. The CD booklet has beautiful reproductions of paintings dating back to the Italian Renaissance to illustrate the texts. Check above for the related bands OdraReg and iX.
Tempus Fugit - Chessboard ($15.99) Tempus Fugit are one of the best South American progressive bands to emerge during the 1990’s. They sing in English, though their 1990’s albums are predominantly instrumental, their music lying in Genesis, Marillion, and Camel territory. Tales from a Forgotten World is their 1997 debut album and maybe still 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. Here is an mp3 excerpt from the track A Song for a Distant Land.
Their third studio album Chessboard (2008, 50-minutes) is again a refined, melodic symphonic prog album, roughly a blend of early Marillion and Camel and likewise straddling classic and neo-prog. There are somewhat more vocals now, with a guest female vocalist appearing in spots to add another dimension. Beautiful tri-fold digipack. Here is an mp3 of the complete 11-minute track The Game of Life. Read reviews at Prog Archives.
Trem do Futuro - O Tempo ($15.99) Brazilians Trem do Futuro released their first CD in 1995 and this, their second, not until 2008. A seven-piece band, they sing in Portuguese and augment their sound with a lot of flute and some violin. Their style is purely 1970’s-style sympho-prog, coming close to the sound of various early-70’s Italian progressive bands who used flute. Released on the same label around the same time as Tempus Fugit’s Chessboard, O Tempo doesn't sell as well here, probably because of Fear of Foreign Vocals, and though the two albums are apples and oranges, this one deserves just as much attention.
Tryo - Patrimonio ($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. These are the Mylodon Records reissues; Patrimonio now has two bonus tracks.
Violeta de Outono - Volume 7 ($15.99) Brazilians Violeta de Outono appeared in the mid-1980's and rescued the psychedelic essence of the 1960’s and the floating atmosphere of the 1970’s. For most of their career, their primary influence has been early Pink Floyd plus a progressive mysticism a la Gong. The Live at Rio ArtRock Festival ’97 CD is the complete 63-minute performance and includes covers of Astronomy Dominé and The Beatles’ Tomorrow Never Knows, which should give you a good idea where they’re coming from. Very nice psychedelic progressive rock from a guitar, keys, bass, drums lineup. The originals are sung in Portuguese, the covers in English.
Volume 7 (2007) is their seventh studio album, and this one is different. This is far and away their most progressive CD, loaded with keyboards, especially Hammond, and influenced primarily by early Camel and early Caravan, plus some of the best symphonic space rock around. Two of the eight songs are sung in English, the rest in Portuguese. The CD includes a bonus video clip playable on a computer. These guys can really conjure the magical atmosphere of that time, making this one of the most pleasant surprises of 2007.
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 third, 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.