THE ALEPH

Alpha III is the project of the Brazilian musician Amyr Cantúsio Jr. The Aleph (1989) is his most famous effort and his 6th record. The album was in fact composed in 1986 and it was inspired by the book of the same name by the Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges.

Amyr Cantúsio Jr. is sometimes mentioned as the Brazilian Mike Oldfield because of this record. Because here Amyr plays everything, just like Oldfield: electric piano, organ, synthesizers, arp strings, whistles, Steinway grand piano, bells, drums, bass and vocals. But that's the only comparision you can make between both musicians.

The Aleph (1989) is divided into 2 long parts, but in the CD reissued in 1999 by Rock Symphony we got 2 bonus tracks too: 'Eternal Circle' and a track that is not mentioned anywhere else, not even in the booklet.

The Aleph (1989) is in fact a good composition and I can see it with a full band. But unfortunately here we have a very amateurish production and poor instruments sounds all over, also Amyr playing is very poor with the exception of the keyboards, his main instrument.

'Part I' is divided into 4 parts: Overture, Dark Ocean, The Light and Visions. It clocks over 21 minutes. It is mainly based on keyboards and it haves an almost horrible drum play all through it. 'Part II' is also divided into 4 parts: Into The Storm, Windows, Piano Solo and Final Flight. It clocks 16 minutes. Here the drums continues with the bad playing, but now joined by the bass, everything terribly mixed. 'Into The Storm' is completely out of place with the rest. 'Windows' has vocals, good ones. And it starts the good music in the album. 'Piano Solo' is very good with E, L & P influence.

The bonus track 'Eternal Circle' steals APP melodies and the unnamed track was clearly not recorded during the same recording sessions.

The Aleph (1989) isn't a good production, at all. I would give it 2.5 stars if I could for he had recorded everything alone, because of the daring act of releasing this kind of record independently in 1989 in a market like the Brazilian one that was used to consume something completely different.

Key tracks: Part II b) Windows and c) Piano Solo.