ARION

Arion is a new five piece band from Brazil, this is their debut-CD. In general the sound on the seven tasteful and melodic compositions shift flowing from dreamy to bombastic featuring warm female English vocals, lots of fiery electric guitar work and varied, subtle keyboard play. My two highlights are Eyes Of Time (dynamic with wonderful keyboard work on Minimoog and Grand piano and a bombastic eruption with a sensitive Rothery-like guitar solo) and Natureza Mistica (alternating and surprising, from the native vocals and propulsive percussion to a howling guitar solo and nature sounds). This is a promising and very pleasant sounding progrock band but (still) not on the level of other new bands like French Nemo, Argentine Nexus or Spanish Kotobel. And although I hear elements from Seventies inspired symphonic prog like Yes, ELP (the keyboard player wears an ELP t- shirt on the back cover) and Renaissance, in my opinion the balance is a bit more on music in the vein of neo-prog like early Marillion. Anyway, I am curious to more reviews about this wonderful music, they deserve more attention!