RC2

RC2 is yet another great Venezuelan band that has something interesting to say in the world of progressive rock for the new millennium. Their eponymous debut album is a well accomplished catalogue of melodic hard rock material refurbished in a modern symphonic frame: this specific frame is quite useful when it comes to enhancing and enriching the melodic potential of the compositions, not as much in terms of pyrotechnical complexity as in terms of emotional drive and intensity. Just to name a few points of reference, let me say that RC2's sound reminds me of Arena, Enchant, Pendragon, contemporary Marillion, Royal Hunt, and to a certain degree, post-Waters Pink Floyd. Mejicano's guitar soloing is impeccable and full of sensitiveness, but the main instrumentalist in the band is, no doubt, keyboardist Paz, whose work is the focus for almost every track's ambience - besides providing some excellent leads. Meanwhile, the rhythm duo of Benatar and Misle displays a solid foundation, and lead singer Duque performs his lines with enormous conviction in both the aggressive passages and the romantic ones. The intro 'Obertura' is a brief keyboard-centered piece that announces the energy of the first proper song, 'Joroprog': this one is based on a rock-bluesy motif effectively adorned with some folk-oriented nuances somewhere in the middle. A nice start, indeed. 'Nada' and 'Soledad' are the most emotionally charged songs in the album, but never getting corny or simplistically sentimental - the punchy guitar leads, the amazing keyboard orchestrations and Duque's robust singing assure that the spirit remains rooted in the grounds of good taste. The most complex and extended tracks are 'Fria' and the closure 'Se Pierde el Sol': the common major merit of both tracks is the organic feel that the band shows during the expansions of the main motifs and the occasional mood shifts. The brief guitar solos 'RM' and 'Voz de la Tempestad' bring an air of sheer serenity among the waves of emotion that go crashing on throughout the album. This is a very good album, perhaps not groundbreaking, but very interesting in itself: RC2 is clearly developing a style of their own with the material of the influences they receive from others - these guys are skillful enough to continue growing up as a band and capable enough to come up with new and better material in the future.

[I dedicate this review to my Venezuelan brother Milton]