ORIGINALLIS

I hadn't heard any Cast prior to listening to Originallis - I knew of them mostly as an extremely prolific Mexican band who hit the scene in the mid-1990s with the feat of releasing five albums in the space of two years. Nobody can accusing them of lacking a work ethic - but does this rapid release schedule mean a lack of editing and care?

Well, apparently not - at least, not on the strength of Originallis. Many acts would struggle to knock out a 90 minute album of all-new music a mere year after their latest release without stuffing it here and there with filler, or belabouring the point to the extent that the 90 minutes drag out. If anything, Orignallis does the opposite, with its musical journeys keeping up my attention to the end and its running time flying by like a breeze, though I must admit that at points the production seems a little fuzzy.

What you get here is largely pleasant symphonic prog with strong instrumental performances and the occasional pastoral touch, played in a style distinctive to Cast but with a broad range of influences from the major bands of the 1970s to more local scenes. Not a classic, but far from an embarrassment.