VOLVIENDO A LAS CAVERNAS

Argentinian music has always been welcome here in my country, mostly those rock bands post-90s, acts that have nothing to do with prog, anyway, life is full of surprises and I can say there are a few Mexican fans of Pez, this prog rock band with alternative and heavy rock touches that has been on the scene since the 90s. I have listened to two of their albums, and I can say they are a good band, with time to compose and prepare forthcoming records. "Volviendo a las cavernas" is their latest studio album, which features eleven songs and a total time of 43 minutes.

It opens with "De cómo el hombre perdió" which is a heavy rock song, a powerful introduction to the álbum because since the first seconds we can appreciate an explosive sound, a solid structure. Just before the first minute the voice appears (in Spanish) and the music keeps the same rhythm. Later there are some changes, however the essence is never lost. "Lo interesante es por afuera" follows that vertiginous rhythm, and though the progressive rock in moments might not be that evident, it does exist. Here I like the keyboards as background, while drums and strings put the inherent power, of course, complemented by the voice.

"¿Y ahora de qué vamos a hablar? Passes the six minute barrier, being the longest song of the álbum. I like the lyrics and the vocals of both singers together, they sound pretty good; the heavy prog sound is always present, the guitar speaks for itself. After 2:20 there is a nice change, it slows down and shares a curious interlude, then the structure is being built again, with a cool and long guitar solo accompanied by an organ and drums that put a kind of fusion-esque style. "Cavernas" is a shorter but good track, with the same intensity than the previous ones, and with a nice instrumental passage where electric piano puts its grain of sand; then it explodes again, gives a guitar riff, and finishes heavy, as usual.

"El motivo" is the shortest song of the album, and it has some even more intense moments, where one of the singers screams, so if you have some rage inside, you can release it here. "Aferrándonos desesperadamente a lo poco bueno que queda" has cadency and softness, it starts with delicate drums and an organ that produce a delicious rhythm, then bass and vocals join and together produce a jazzy tune that contrasts with the songs that the album had previously offered, but wait a second, because after three minutes the music explodes,creating a heavy sound with some guitar riffs and a powerful ending. This is one of the album's highlights in my opinion!

"Seremos recuerdo" is a nice rockier track with a not so complex structure, but with the same energy than the past songs. This may be the single, or at least I would play it on a radio station. "Confrontación" follows with the same essence, however here what I would highlight is the use of keyboards as a more prominent instrument, it has a solo and also it produces some spacey effects as background while the mood is smooth and softer. "La última semilla" is another longer track, with nice use of keyboards but better explosion of drums and strings, though the sound is heavy, they bring a cool mood with some bright moments.

The album finishes with a couple of short tracks. First "El idiota" which has an splendid structure with that great heavy sound blend with some jazzy organ and some short changes, man, the energy these guys share is awesome. And second "Y por ahí escuché decir que aún existe ese lugar donde todavía hay humanos" which is an ironic title, full of criticism and hope at the same time. The music is alike to the other songs, a nice way to finish this great album.

If you like music full of energy and want to be irradiated by it, please do not hesitate and get this one, you will not regret. My final grade wll be four stars.

Enjoy it!