ALUX NAHUAL

First review of the first album of the first Guatemalan band in PA! Well, Alux Nahual (that's Spirit of the Goblin in mayan language) made their debut in 1981 and quickly became one of the most succesfull bands in the country. Their unique musical style completely separated them from the rest of the bands at the time, but far from getting disregarded by the public they attained a massive following of fans and admirers from all over Central America. Their distinctive approach to music is what makes them so very hard to categorize. Even though they are included in Crossover Prog, I would rather describe their sound as Prog Folk but that's just my opinion. Alux Nahual is really a fusion of different genres and styles blending rock music with mayan folk, blues, flamenco and many others.

The album opens with the instrumental "Cola de Golondrina", a fiery piece filled with violin and acoustic guitar that shows the great talent of all the members. "A Ti" and "Un Poco de Paz" are both sung numbers and both display the folkier side of the band. The first gem of the album comes then with "Un minuto de Ilusion". All the instruments blend togheter perfectly to create great memorable melodies until the very end. The next song, "La Fabula del Grillo y el Mar" is simple in structure but it's beauty lies in the story it tells and the message one can learn from it. Finally, the last two pieces "Posada" and "Hombres de Maiz" bring the album to it's climax. The first one is slower and melacholic but perfectly executed. The later being the apex of the album, with high speed playing, swift tempo changes and wonderfull atmosphere. The best way to close the album. The only thing I regret is the raw sound quality of the recording but even so, it doesn't take away anything from the music.

If you want to get to know the band this would be the ideal place to start. I highly recommend it to Prog Folkers but Alux Nahual has a particular way of pleasing anyone, no matter what type of music they listen to.

It's surprising that, even when I'm from Guatemala, Alux Nahual is a very recent discovery for me. I knew about this band only from their greatest hits compilation "Leyenda" and thought they were a very good rock band. A couple of tunes drew my attention because of their proginess, specially "Hombres de Maiz". When I heard this album for the first time, I was amazed at the fact that Alux Nahual was actually a full blown prog band, at least in a phase of their career.

Well, on to the music. The album, as Hans said, is very folky, but also very symphonic. Jack Schuster's violin and Paulo Alvarado's cello dominate the arrangements in every song, while the songs itself are based sometimes on bass, guitar or piano. I'd like to congratulate specifically Jack Schuster because of his playing on this album. The violin is top-notch. Because of the violin and cello, the sound is something like Kansas, but the main difference is that they play a lot more in slow tempo and the guitar isn't as hard rocking.

I, opposing to Hans, think that "Alux Nahual" is a crossover album, because of the shortness of the songs, and the references to popular music.

The album opens up with "Cola de Golondrina", an instrumental based on a flamenco theme ("La Malagueña"). For me, "Cola De Golondrina" is the a highlight of the album, because the band gets to flex their instrumental muscle. Then we get two beautiful, but not too astonishing symphonic ballads, "A Ti" and "Un Poco De Paz". The first one is sung by the lead vocalist, Alvaro Aguilar, and the second one by the guitarist, Ranferí Aguilar. Both are full of acoustic guitar, which makes them very folky.

The first climax of the album is next, in my opinion. "Un Minuto De Ilusión", starts off very slowly, like the previous ballads, but builds up to the last instrumental part were the violin, cello, drums, and specially the bass go nuts. After that song, the album slows down to yet another ballad, "La Fábula Del Grillo Y El Mar" this one slower and less symphonic than the previous two. This song will grow to be one of their classics. "Posada" another symphonic-folk ballad shows what will be a constant in Alux's sound, which is the use of native Guatemalan instruments. In this case, they use the "Turtle" which is percussion instrument used in the tradition of the "Posadas". The closing number, "Hombres de Maíz", in contrast to the other songs opens up with a blast of cello, mandolin, guitar and drums, and doesn't come down from there. This song rocks very hard but focusing on cello and acoustic guitar, instead on a conventional rock instrument. Only the main riff is played on electric guitar, maybe too loudly.

An extra for this band is the message in their songs. They are very down to earth and easily understandable. For example, "Un Minuto De Ilusión" is about a woman that has lived her life superfluously, and regrets this at the end of her life. "Hombres De Maíz" is about us, Guatemalans. We are the people of the maize. The song portrays very beautifully the concept of the world according to the indigenous people from Guatemala, which is simple and humble, but also adaptable to change.

I don't think that this is a perfect album, but maybe this is best from "Alux Nahual". The biggest let downs from this album are the voice of Alvaro, which isn't as mature as it will be later in their career, overuse of the slow tempo and the sound quality. For me, neither the slowness nor the sound qualities are a problem. It makes the album feel organic and real.

This album is unique when put in the context of the centralamerican rock scene of the early 80's. Alux will keep a similar sound for their next album, but will gradually lose the symphonic side.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5, because of my love and pride for Guatemala's music.

This is a great album. It shows quite well the origins of this emblematic band. Is heavly oriented to the symphonic elements, with a lot of violin solos and usuall unisons between guitars, bass and cello. It's a very interesting album for people who likes to dive into a fresh atmosphere, music with sense and soul without a doubt. The first track, "Cola de Golondrina" is one great effort, mixing folk-fussion elements with symphonic and regular rock phrases. Great instrumental song. Other two standout tracks are "Un minuto de Ilusión" and "Posada". Both, nearly instrumental, 'cause the lyrics are quite short and give just what the song requieres to have an idea of the subject. Posada, speccially brings some interesting concept 'cause is based on a traditional phrase played in the Christmas hollidays with turtle percussion. The songs follows with guitar and violin solos. Maybe the best song of the album is the last one, "Hombres de Maíz", a seven minute song with a lot of symphonic parts. A very thoughtfull song that talks about the social life in Latin America. Great album, way above the average of the most latin rock, well written and with a lot of soul a meaning trhough the whole piece...

One of Central America's most successful rock bands, ALUX NAHUAL was formed in Guatemala City, Guatemala in 1979 by brothers Alvaro Aguilar (acoustic guitar) and Plubio Aguilar (bass) along with their cousin Ranferi Aguilar (acoustic and electric guitars) soon to be followed by drummer Javier Flores, cellist Paulo Alvarado and violinist Jack Schuster. Flores would then be replaced by Orlando Aguilar before this band's debut release. The early endeavors of the band were to perform covers of 70s classic rock acts like Kansas, Led Zeppelin, Toto and other bands that added symphonic touches that bordered on prog rock however ALUX NAHUAL would soon move into original music that would become progressive folk tinged rock. The band's name means "The Spirit of Music" in the indigenous Mayan language which is fitting because Spanish rock was frowned upon in the 70s given the Latin cultures dynamic and energetic music forms that include salsa, merengue, marimba and cumbia just to name a few.

Given these roadblocks for rock on Latin American radio stations mostly due to the English language dominating the genre, ALUX NAHUAL recorded its own unique style of progressive folk rock that contained lyrics exclusively in Spanish and after a few years of becoming a popular live act was signed to a local record company and once this self-titled debut hit the market, the audience responded with enthusiasm as the band became an instant hit and has enjoyed a long and prosperous career ever since becoming popular in not only Central America but all throughout the Spanish speaking world, As a result ALUX NAHUAL is known as the band that broke down the doors that allowed rock music to expand into a part of the world where it had not gained the popularity as it had in English speaking nations as well as Europe.

While ALUX NAHUAL was considered a rock band by many, it was not a typical sort of rock band by any means. Along with the usual instrumentation of guitars, bass, keyboards and drums were the unlikely sounds created by the violin and cello. While all lyrics were sung in Spanish, there are very few references to the musical styles of any Spanish speaking countries except for a small amount of flamenco here and there. In fact when the album starts, the opening track "Cola de Golondrina" sounds more like a rock version of an Irish jig with its busy violin runs screeching up and down the scales along with a heavy drum presence and catchy dance melody however on the second track "A Tí" things slow down a bit and the mood changes more to the symphonic prog sounds of Argentina from such classic bands as Crucis, Alas and Invisible only ALUX NAHUAL crafts it all with more accessible pop melodic hooks and keeps the proggy aspects firmly under control.

"Hombres de Maiz" shifts again to a more rocking sound with funky electric guitars and hyperactive violin parts that channel the Mahavishnu Orchestra's best Jerry Goodman. The album is really all over the place as the following "La Fabula del Grillo y el Mar" which reverts back to a lush folky ballad that is perhaps the most awkwardly corny of the album. Perhaps a single? I don't know but it kind of feels out of place. Tracks like "Posada" and "Un Poco de Paz" offer more proggy workouts. Using acoustic prog folk as the canvass to paint upon, the violin and cello add interesting counterpoints and the intricate rhythmic complexities create some of the most interesting tracks on the album for those seeking the more prog oriented sounds. The album comes off an eclectic batch of tracks that were obviously formed at different stages but still must've sounded like a breath of fresh air for a region of the world unaccustomed to such musical styles commingling without a touch of the local flavors included.

ALUX NAHUAL's first album really sounds like no other that i've heard. The influences of English speaking classic rock and symphonic prog can be detected but the mix of folk and the classical elements such as violin and cello give this debut a flavor unlike any other. Straddling the line between the accessibilities of folk fueled rock music with controlled elements of more sophisticated prog, ALUX NAHUAL took the region by storm and this album literally sold out within days which was a huge shock to the music industry which erroneously assumed that Latin rock was of little interest to the public. Everything changed with this album but despite the success of this album it has never seen a reissue beyond the original vinyl LP that was printed in 1981. This is a fascinating slice of proggy folk rock from a region of the world where you would never suspect such a style of music would be able to emerge from.

Before talking about the album, I feel I need to bring up some things about the band behind it. Skip two paragraphs if you want to read about the actual album.

This is a band not many people have heard of (I originally found it on a Wikipedia list of prog rock acts), though they played an enormous role in Central America's rock scene in the 80s and onward. Alux Nahual, formed in 1979 by the brothers Plubio and Alvaro Aguilar (on bass guitar and lead vocals/guitar respectively), might be the most important rock act to come out of the small Central American country of Guatemala. Two big reasons they stole people's hearts are the fact that they produced rock sung in the country's native language Spanish which was unusual for the region's music scene at the time, and that their lyrics were very relatable for the country's inhabitants for the time, being tinged with Latin American political and social themes. Interestingly, they had their commercial peak well into their career, playing at a sold-out concert in Los Angeles in 1995.

Their roots are in progressive rock, making use of instruments such as violin, cello and flute and implementing folk elements in their early works. The group originally performed with songs from bands such as Kansas, Led Zeppelin and Toto (you will hear the Kansas influences in their early releases). They moved on to a more straightforward, arena rock-based sound in the late 80s, but continued to be a very important music act in Central America nevertheless. Anyway, let me begin on the album.

The first half of the 80s was not a good time for prog rock in general. Many of the classic prog bands had more or less successfully moved on to pop, or they had broken up entirely. However, that was when the humble little band Alux Nahual from a hidden corner of the world entered the arena with their self-titled debut, in 1981. It never really took off commercially since the local radio stations deemed the songs unfit for playing, so the album had to be spread by mouth. Yet to this day, it remains a hidden gem of progressive rock, which is a real shame since it is arguably a real masterpiece which deserves to be listened to, part of the reason why I am writing this review.

First, let me talk about the album's sound. As I wrote in the third paragraph, Alux Nahual's sound has influences from Kansas, which is especially evident in the heavy use of string instruments such as the violin and the cello The acoustic guitar is an important element, adding elements of folk music to the overall sound. When I listen to music, I do not always think too much about the bass guitar, but this is a special case; instead of creating a foundation for the rest of the song, the bass sounds very melodic and does not hide in the background, which helps create a very bright, upbeat sound. The drums give the sound another Latin American touch, with the toms sounding high-pitched and dull, almost like congas. The band tends to switch between very energetic and balladic playing between songs, creating good contrasts through the entire album. The sound is not overly polished; sometimes the instruments are not perfectly in sync, and sometimes the tempo even changes a few BPM, all resulting in a very raw, genuine sound.

Let me move on to the actual songs. The album commences with the energetic, symphonic instrumental piece "Cola de Golondrina" (3:57), built around a reoccuring violin melody and a hard-slapping bass tune. The song gets enriched by the acoustic guitar duet starting about one third into the track. It even features two wild guitar solos in the second half of the song, adding another touch of rock to the otherwise symphonic and folky song. Overall, a great introduction to a great album by a great band.

The second song, A Ti (4:05), begins more laid-back, sounding much like a love song (the title even meant "to you"). A violin accompanied by a cello plays a delightful, balladic melody over a rhythmic but mellow acoustic guitar riff. The harmonies in the choruses really help bring out the romantic feeling from the song. The tempo increases after two and a half minutes, and slows down in the outro after yet another minute. The song stands amazingly against the more lively opening track, but is also simply an amazing song on its own.

Un Poco De Paz (3:19) is another pretty calm song (even the name apparently means "a little peace") which sticks to the same flow and feeling throughout the entire song, like a tranquil beach with waves slowly rolling up on the sand. The string work, acoustic guitar and slow tempo puts this song in ballad territory, however, the rhythmic arrangements keep themselves in the foreground a lot. A great song regardless of what you want to call it.

Un Minuto de Ilusión (7:19) might be the proggiest track on the entire album, spanning over 7 minutes and frequently switching between mood and tempo. First, you have a soothing piano intro getting accompanied by a cello around the one minute mark, and half a minute later the tempo and energy increases and all the other instruments join in. You can say the actual song begins at around 2:15, at which moment the song's energy decreases, with the vocals coming in twenty seconds later. This part of the song lasts until the four minute mark, where the song becomes very energetic again, a mood that will last for the rest of the track. I could not talk about this song without praising the amazing bass solo coming in at 5:53, or the brief drum solo in the end as the cherry on top. I would call this song a highlight on the album and a perfect finisher of the A-side.

The B-side is opened up by the soothing "La Fabula del Grillo y el Mar" (5:57). The title means "the tale of the cricket and the sea" (according to Google Translate), and the reason I bring this up is that you hear a cricket singing and the sounds of crashing waves making the acoustic guitar company in the intro. This helps set the mood for the song, sounding incredibly romantic throughout its whole duration. Its feeling revolves a lot around the aforementioned acoustic guitar as well as the atmospheric string arrangements and the beautiful vocals. Judging by its mood, I expected it to be a love song before I knew what the title and lyrics meant. Putting the lyrics through Google Translate made me appreciate the song even more, revealing it to be what I assume is a political allegory represented with a cricket singing to the sea but getting no reaction from it. Lastly, I heavily recommend checking out the symphonic live version of the song on Youtube.

"Posada" (4:07) is in a similar case as "Un Poco De Paz", with a slow tempo and mellow melodies but with a drum arrangement that takes up a lot of space. That is, though, the part that I love the very most about the song, especially the heavy use of cowbells gives the song a big Latino touch. I also have to appreciate the acoustic guitar solo over a 4/7 beat in the second half of the song.

The closer "Hombres de Maíz" (7:23) might just be the best song on the entire album, which I say even after calling every other song amazing. It masterfully ties the sack together with very energetic and upbeat compositions almost impossible not to dance to. From the sections of intense strumming on the guitar to the rich percussion and the vocals, it is really hard to pick what I love the most about the song. Out of curiosity, I gave the lyrics the Google Translate treatment and discovered another brilliant side of the song I would have not paid attention to otherwise. The lyrics seem to be about living a life without a care for the government or the air pollution and instead appreciating the simple things about life. The title which means "Men of corn" might be a reference to the Mayan myth about the gods creating humans out of corn, which is very relevant to the band's Guatemalan origins. And that concludes Alux Nahual's debut album.

To finish off the review, as I said before, part of the reason why I am writing it in the first place is to make it more known about. I am very glad I discovered it myself, even more so for the fact that a pretty obscure album made it to the top 15 list of my all time favorite albums. If you like bands like Kansas and Jethro Tull, this album is an absolute must, and if you like it, you should check out their follow-up "Conquista" and the following two albums (if you can find them, they are sadly not available on Spotify). They never stopped making good music though, and I recommend checking out their non-prog material such as "Alto al Fuego".

10/10.