INSTINTO

Even though the Psychedlic/Space Rock band from Mexico called 'Ekos' was formed in 2005 as a cover band for Pink Floyd, they didn't release their first album until 2012 after they first started creating their own material and felt that their band was solidified enough as the quartet of Ana Camelo (vocals, keyboards), Jesus Torres (guitar, voices), Victor Juarez (bass) and Ricardo Castro (drums). After releasing their debut album, however, in 2015 Castro was replaced with Carlos Cleriga, and the band released a second album.

Early in January of 2020, the band, retaining this line up, produced another album called 'Instinto'. This album is made up of 6 tracks ranging from over 4 minutes to over 14 minutes and has a total run-time of over 43 minutes. Both vocalists take part in the tracks on this album, yet I am not sure which one is which. The lead singer for the first track 'Vuelve a Mirar' (6:01) has a higher vocals and the other has a definite different, more mature sounding vocal, which can be heard on the second track 'Fiel Obsesion' (4:39), where both vocalists sing and the listener can tell the obvious difference in their vocal tone. This helps a lot with the variety in the sound. These first tracks are definitely accessible and easy enough to listen to with a lot of balance between all of the instruments, but neither one of them featuring a lot of instrumental work, mostly driven by the Spanish lyrics. The music is catchy and drives forward quite well, but really doesn't sound much like a psychedelic or space rock band.

The guitar riffs are more apparent in 'Mi Vida en Ti' (4:31) with a more progressive and heavier sound which softens when the vocals come in. There is enough going on in the music to keep the listener interested, but it also continues to be mostly accessible and contains more guitar work which also helps bring the music up a level and the build up of energy in the track also creates the emotion that is needed. 'Creando Vacios' (14:43) begins with a chanting crowd followed by bass, drums and guitar churning and rolling along, creating excitement and interest in what starts to develop into one of the standout tracks on the album. The music calms, then floats along in the first semblance of psychedelia so far. Vocals finally come in and a bit of intensity develops as the music becomes more expressive along with the singing. After 4 minutes, things really start getting interesting as guitars darken the mood and keys come swirling in heralding in an extended instrumental orgy of amazing music and ever changing textures. It took a while, but now the album has become quite exciting. All of the instruments get chances to shine, and they do with organs, guitar, bass and drums all working off of each other a progressive style, but, again, not delving so much into the psych or space rock realms as much as the Heavy Prog sound. Vocals return after 9 minutes when the music softens again, but the instruments take over again even before a minute has elapsed as the guitars get a chance to show off in some rousing solos. Excellent track.

'En ' Contraste' (5:14) is driven by a heavily strummed acoustic sound and is soon joined by the vocalists. One can hear a bit of the Pink Floyd influence here, but its done quite well. Halfway through, the bass and drums join in. The song is nice, more ballad-like, yet nice, filled with acoustic riffs and hooks and a nice vocal melody. The album ends with 'Mi Ultima Voz' (8:29). This one starts off with acoustic guitar, atmospheric keys and vocals, soft and mellow like the last track, but developing into more forward movement as the drums come in later. The tempo speeds up and becomes more involved after the 5 minute mark.

The music on this album is very pleasing and nice, but the best part of it is in the last three tracks, which, fortunately, contain the two longest tracks on the album. Except for 'Creando Vacios', the level of progressive style is light, but the music is still very enjoyable and has a lot of depth. The lyrics are all in Spanish, but that is hardly noticeable because the music is so well composed and played. When all is said and done, it is an album I would return to, even if it doesn't have a strong progressive feel or even if it isn't exactly what I would consider psychedelic or space rock, it is still well done. To me, it definitely leans more towards a 4 star album.

They did it yet again and this time reinventing their sound. Ekos has woven a sonic tapestry filled with various styles that produced a cohesive album whose sound is paradoxically hard to pin down. They sound better than ever studio wise, the keyboards are on a whole new level and Jesus's voice sounds so ethereal it's heart breaking.

Every track is meticulously crafted, showing the bands prowess without being unnecessarily technical. We can hear how good they play their instruments but that's not what they're here for. They want to play their music and take us on a journey. Carlo's drums are tight and rhythmical, Vic's bass has never sounded so powerful and Jesus's guitar is still mesmerizing, melancholic. Like I said, Ana's keyboard playing is just outstanding and her arsenal of sounds has expanded even more. One needs only listen to "Creando vac'os" and "En-contraste" to appreciate the size of the spectrum their new sound covers.

I've given the album two spins and I know I need a few more to appreciate what they've done and understand the departure from the purely prog rock sound to their own sound. The "Eko's sound". But my God is it a happy departure because I can't wait to hear more of this new Eko's sound. It's really, really good.

As 2020 arrives, Ekos release their long awaited third album, Instinto. The songs show their musical background, their current interests and the great musicianship the band is known for. Going from rockier moments to moodier ones, passing through catchy songs and of course with a great Prog epic which is where they flex their musical muscles creating a song which has quickly become my favorite from the band. The particular situations Ekos went through during the recording of the album helped them create a diverse range of songs which show them as mature musicians and clever lyricists. One can't help noticing the clarity of the voices and the interacting of both lead singers (Jesús and Ana) which have become a staple of the band along with their instrumental prowess. The songs: 1. Vuelve A Mirar (Look Again) is very energetic, with intense singing and a streamlined sound away from what the band is known for, with a very direct message on the lyrics which advise us not to follow what is established if we don't feel comfortably with it. 2. Fiel Obsesión (Faithful Obsession) is an accessible and catchy song which showcases one of the trademarks of Ekos, which is the lead vocalist complementing each other, with tasty keyboard and guitar fills. Iit can easily broaden the spectrum of fans for the band. 3. Mi Vida en Ti (My Life In You) has a beautiful intro, a somewhat melancholic song adorned with tasteful work on guitar, pleasant ambients and an abrupt but nice ending. 4. Creando Vacíos (Creating Vacuums) is the tour-de-force of the album, a great Prog epic on which all the members have a chance to be in the spotlight, with a strong beginning that slows to a calm section which builds up to an awesome instrumental section on which a great keyboard solo sets the pace for a rollercoaster of musical emotions on which all members have an opportunity to shine. Surely it will become a most requested song live. 5. En-Contraste (In Contrast) is an acoustic song with a double-entendre lyric on which once again both vocalists complement each other very well. The acoustic guitar playing is excellent, departing from the sound the band is known for, with very subtle but tasteful contributions from the rest of the band. 6. Mi Última Voz (My Last Voice) ends the album on a quiet and melancholic mood, enhanced by beautiful ambients and the rest of the band joining in a strong ending. Overall a diverse and very enjoyable album on which every song has its own personality, and with the right length of nearly 44 minutes, it really should attract the attention of a broader range of followers of this excellent band. Five stars.

Review originally published at www.therocktologist.com

Freedom and instinct, two concepts we all should embrace!

Ekos has become one of the most amazing Mexican prog bands this millennium, fortunately, people around the globe are aware of their talent so their music can reach ears of different cultures, and the reason is simple: their music is extraordinary.

Years of hard work have rewarded the band with the release of three wonderful albums; three different works that explore diverse paths not only regarding the sound, but also the musician's minds and the context that have surrounded them, as persons, and as a whole. Though their music could be labelled as progressive rock, progressive metal, and maybe due to their early influences, as psych/space rock, one thing I love from Ekos is that they don't have boundaries, they play what they want, they follow their instinct, and that is something we should applaud and appreciate.

For this third and newest album entitled 'Instinto', Ekos wanted to make 2020 a big year, but for conjunctural reasons their plans have been kind of stuck and the promotion of this album has not reached the level they wanted to. This is when us, the fans and reviewers enter, because it is important that we can spread the word and help those talented minds that simply deserve the best.

So be prepared because this new album has some big surprises.

It opens with 'Vuelve a mirar', a song that was a single and now is truly loved by their fans. Here, Ana has a main job because she amazes us (as usual) with her keyboard playing, but also she is the one who sings it. Since this first track we realize there will be aspects that make difference from the previous albums, the vocal balance between Ana and Jes's is one of them. Musically this song is flawless, all four members are studied people and we can notice it while listening to it, all of them add different figures and nuances, even different emotions, which is why we can also find a mixture of sounds and genres, I mean, here we listen to rock, prog, metal and even electronic. Victor's bass has some amazing notes here, as in the rest of the album, which is one of the things I would like to highlight, I think his bass sound was given much more relevance in this record. Thumbs up for that.

'Fiel Obsesi'n' is a shorter track that has that nice vocal balance I mentioned above, here Jes's starts but later Ana join forces. The music is evidently different from what Ekos have offered in the previous albums; in Mexico (and Latin-America) there is a musical concept 'or genre? named Rock en Tu Idioma (rock in Spanish), of course we all in this side of the world are aware of it and have some influences, and those influences can be clearly noticed in this song, that has hints of some bands such as Caifanes or even Soda Stereo.

This change on their musical direction is one of those surprises that come with this album, all is a matter of tastes, because some people would prefer the 100% proggy Ekos rather than this one, but others, thank the band expands their horizon and do what they want to do. Another example of this new phase is 'Mi vida sin ti' which starts with piano and electronic drumkit, putting a somber but melancholic sound on it has hints of a heavier piece due to the introduction of strings. However, the calm prevails and then female vocals enter so a new structure is being built up; different nuances and emotions are spread on this track.

Well, now we are talking. 'Creando Vac'os' might be the best song the band has ever created, it is a 14-minute masterpiece and believe me, they have released gems such as 'Apocalipsis', 'Obscuridad' or 'Orillas del Tiempo', but this track is like OMG, please don't end, please extend to 20 or 30 or 40 minutes because you are beast, a god, an astonishing being. With this song of course the prog rock label is back, and that is one of the peculiar aspects of this album, that it is not a truly prog one, but their best prog song ever was delivered here. As you can imagine, this song is divided in different passages. It starts with a rock-ish and heavy sound, but just before reaching the second minute, it slows down and provides a calm sound with beautiful lyrics sung by Jes's, and a spacey background made by Ana.

Worth mentioning that Carlos' drums are incredible in every apex of not only this song, but the album. At minute four there is a chaotic passage that later is enchanted by a majestic keyboard solo that could perfectly fit in any Ayreon album. But this beauty of course doesn't ends there, because the next passages are also amazing. Hidden vocals here and there, hypnotic guitar notes and heavy drums put their grain of sand in this journey, just before an extraordinary bass solo enters to blow our minds. Wow, what I described is only half the track, your homework is to discover its whole beauty, because it is really an amazing gem.

Curiously enough, the next song is a contrast to what we just experienced. 'En-contraste' is a short acoustic song that has a 90's feeling, to my mind came firstly names of some alternative rock or even grunge bands, but then some latin bands that sing in Spanish also appeared. The song is very nice, yeah, but after that bombastic 14- minute track, I felt it like a cold water bucket, in spite of that Floydian reminiscence it also has.

The album finishes with 'Mi 'ltima voz' and it follows a little bit that melancholic sound of its acoustic predecessor. The Floydian essence is still there somehow, you will noticed it by the guitar sound and even the atmosphere; but what prevails the most is the new path Ekos wanted to take, and I want to congratulated them for that. They are friends and understand each other, they have grown up as musicians, and it can be perceived with their music here, which I repeat, is surrounded by their freedom, by ther instinct, and of course, by their love.

Enjoy it!