SELECTIVE MEMORY

Since about four years ago I'm familiar with the Venezuelan band TEMPANO, always recognized the quality of their music but never reviewed one of them because there was nothing that I could found spectacular....Well now I confidently go with "Selective Memory" which I consider a complete masterpiece, so will make something I have never done, give a perfect rating of 5 stars before writing the review.

"Victoria Pírrica" (Pyrrhic Victory) is a very complex opener, even though you can perceive the typical GENTLE GIANT dissonances, KING CRIMSON complex structures. Atmospheres in the style of Gabriel's GENESIS plus heavy guitars and a strong melody, it's the perfect balance between the experimental and melodic.

The tempo changes are extremely radical while the heavy atmosphere falls as a thick mist over the listener. Giuglio Cesare Della Noce combines Mellotron, Hammond B3 and Moog as few keyboardists are able, and is supported by the distorted guitar of Pedro Castillo, excellent way to start a great album.

"Falling Senses" begins as a point of encounter between the acoustic and the electric, the soft but mysterious breaks are complemented with fluid organ passages with a GLASS HAMMER mood.

But not everything is soft, heavy and frantic sections with a sort of electric Flamenco touch and drumming in the vein of Carl Palmer jump one after the other. The vocals are absolutely unusual and even the strong accent is adequate for the atmosphere, not a weak moment.

The acoustic guitar intro "Argos" and the organ solo remind me of ·"On to Evermore" by Glass Hammer, the mood is almost the same albeit more elaborate due to the excellent use of Mellotron that makes the difference,

"Despair, Shout" is the most mysterious track up to this moment, with a heavy atmosphere and haunting chorus introduce us into Jazz territory, but the organ creating weird sounds that are complemented by the guitar and bass, after this dense and long intro a soft "scat" passage with some violent screams introduced randomly, lead to an almost Post Rock section without loosing the Jazz atmosphere. Four songs, four masterpieces.

If this wasn't enough "A Farewell to the Seasons" rises more the level of the album, the dramatic and powerful intro where piano, vocals and violin are combined with great skills is something no music lover can miss. The vocals give a bit of relax but not for long, because an elaborate explosion of music and dissonances take us to another level of complexity.

"Irus" continues in the dark mysterious mood, again with radical and abrupt changes and dissonant passages a great contrast with the lighter "The Blind Crow", more melodic with massive use of Mellotron in the style of Genesis.

"Path" is clearly inspired in KING CRIMSON (Larks' Tongues in Aspic era) with excellent keyboard performance and strong drumming, extremely complex and elaborate.

"Embestida" (Attack) reminds me strongly of the Peruvian band FRÁGIL, based mostly in the strong keyboard performance and a GENESIS inspired sound...Well, at least until the middle when they approach to the jazzier side in a beautiful and imaginative contrast.

In "Cristalizado" TEMPANO surprises us more with a Space Rock sound based in heavy atmospheres and a fluid performance with gradual changes to end with a strong guitar section, but everything has to finish and this excellent album is closed with "Aguas Redondas" (Round Waters) a soft and unexpected track with lyrics in Spanish, again enhanced with Mellotron and Moog.

Don't have much to add to what I said in the first paragraph of his review, an essential masterpiece that deserves no less than 5 stars

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