OMPHALOS

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This is the new CD by the interesting Spanish formation Kotobel, it is their fourth studio effort since the debut album Structures from 1999.

1. Ra (11.30) : The first part is dreamy feturing flute and classical piano, then a very dynamic atmosphere with a propulsive rhythm, here Kotobel showcases their huge potential: fluent interplay between organ and guitar, sparkling flute work, soaring Mellotron, howling electric guitar and a fiery duel between flute and guitar. The most remarkable element in Kotobel their music on this CD is the opera-like female voice that sounds powerful with a wide range. It will not be everybody's cup of tea but to me the vocals sound as an extra dimension to the captivating Kotobel prog!

2. Excellent Meat (8.51) : The dynamic, often violent music with lots of heavy parts evokes early King Crimson, especially the fiery electric guitar and powerful drum beats, halfway interrupted by a mellow part with flute and acoustic guitar.

3-8. Pentacle's Suite (30.11) : In this half hour 'magnum opus' we can enjoy Kotobel at their best delivering great shifting moods, strong breaks, excellent interplay and exciting soli on several instruments. My highlights are a howling electric guitar solo in Mercury Pentacle, a wonderful classical intermezzo in Venus Pentacle (including piano and cello) and lots of changing climates in the alternating Mars Pentacle (swirling flute, powerful bass runs, a fat synthesizer sound and virtuosic interplay)

9. MetroMnemo (4.15) : A fluent rhythm with Fripperish guitar work and again many varied and captivating musical ideas.

10. Joropo (4.53) : A dynamic composition, from dreamy with flute and piano to a fluent rhythm with splendid interplay between flute and piano and a strong, flashy synthesizer solo.

11. Omphalos (6.57) : The final song is the titletrack, it starts mellow but gradually turns into more dynamic and bombastic, the vocals sound outstanding between the lush sound of the keyboards, flute and guitar, a great end!

This CD is a very captivating musical adventure, Kotobel prooves that 40 years after the birth of the progressive rock, bands are still able to make progressive rock in the true meaning of the word!

The Spanish-Venezuelan band Kotebel has delivered quite a magnificent symphonic opus for the current times: 2006 is made a great year for prog music thanks to splendid works such as Kotebel's "Omphalos". This is a band that I've just come to discover in recent weeks, and I've learnt to appreciate their musical vision very quickly. In fact, this album has grown on me since listen one despite its complexity and challenging exquisiteness. The Ancient Greek mythology alluded in the album's title is correspondent to the colorful bombast displayed throughout the repertoire, but that's where all connections stand. The album's overall sound is based on a fluid condensation of your typical pompous, well-crafted symphonic prog and the sophisticates meanders of stylish jazz-rock, plus various exotic sources that come into the fold now and then. The input of the two keyboardists serves as a recurrent nucleus for the development of the tracks' motifs, but the flute and the lead guitar are mostly the instruments with a major presence on the fore. The excellent opener 'Ra' comprises an exciting diversity within a frame of perfect cohesiveness: the hooks and inventive surprises are well administered across its 13 minute span. Everything works well here: the dialogues between the two keyboardists, the playful lines on flute, the energetic guitar phrases and solos, the tight rhythm section, Carolina Prieto's pleasant contralto timber. The follower 'Excellent Meat' keeps up the pace of creativity with a harder edge, yet not entering the hard rock territory, but staying, to a certain degree, closer to the more energetic aspect of Gentle Giant style - the main merit for this goes to the multiple keyboard amalgams. This track also includes a soft interlude based on dual acoustic guitars, which brings a flow of serenity before the closing reprise of the initial motif. 'Pentacle Suite' occupies six tracks, that is, six individually titled sections. Starting with a brief exotic opener (very reminiscent of Amarok's Arabic excursions), the comes 'Sun Pentacle', a mesmerizing example of good symphonic prog with clear jazzy nuances. 'Mercury Pentacle' turns into bucolic territory, emulating Anthony Phillips and Mike Oldfield at their most introspective. The alternations between voice and flute are magic and mysterious, which is coherent with the track's tenuous cosmic aura. The last minute bears a moderate climax, not disturbing the ambience. The flute-cello intro of 'Venus Pentacle' is segued, creating a solid expansion from there, an expansion that includes elements of South American folk. 'Mars Pentacle' kicks off with a 7/8 bass riff, soon joined by the whole band. The ensemble recovers the sense of energy and counterpoint-based complexity that has characterized some parts of the brightest previous tracks. The Epilogue section is delivered on a slow tempo, which facilitates the cinematographic pomposity that is so usual in progressive occasions like this. Bearing the burden of following the suite, the three remaining tracks (the first two, instrumental) happen to be effectively appealing on their own terms. 'MetroMnemo' finds the band exploring their jazzy side a bit further - in fact, guitarist César García Forero makes his guitar sound in a very Holdsworth-ish way. 'Joropo' is a number constructed on a 3/4 tempo in a mood typical of the Venezuelan folk dance after which the track is called. This is not really a fusionesque track, but a stylish reconstruction of Latin American folk under symphonic rules. Finally, the title track closes down the album in a melancholic mood, which is given a mysterious flavor thanks to the captivatingly weird chord progressions that conform the main motif and Prieto's evocative singing. The guitar textures also help very much to build the track's proper atmosphere. This is a great closure for a great album: "Omphalos" is a masterful treasure not to be missing in any good progressive collection.

This is already fourth release by Spanish-Venezuelan Prog band KOTEBEL being initially mainly a project by keyboardist Carlos Plaza helped by guest musicians but grown meanwhile to a real band with regular members. It might be considered their best effort so far, for sure it's their most matured and versatile one combining both pomp and filigree of classical with the power and energy of rock music in a really superb way.

Carlos Plaza's playful and multi-parted compositions are clearly based on classical music and especially a track like the opener "Ra" could be well suitable to be played by a classical ensemble. But fortunately (for us rock fans) there are as well the typical rock instruments guitar, bass and drums as excellent counterparts. What Kotebel is presenting us here can be absolutely called unique or even idiosyncratic and finding similar comparisons is almost impossible (maybe ELP and Renaissance from the classical influence but this band here sounds much more modern and rocking). Casting for the classical and lyrical moments are of course the keys, mainly the piano as well as the flute having strong antagonists with César Garcia Forero's guitar in particular and the powerful bass played by Jaime Pascual. In fact the interplay between the different instruments works really perfectly in this group and for example the moments when the flute comes more to the foreground duelling with the guitar mark only some of the numerous highlights of this album. Another important part of Kotebel's distinctive sound is of course Carolina Prieto's vocal contribution whose haunting soprano might be appreciated not that easily by those people (including me) who don't like too much opera singing style. But as a comfort for those the instrumental sections are prevailing here anyway. Most of the music has been composed by mastermind Carlos Plaza except the two more rocking tracks "Excellent Meat" and "MetroMenemo" being written by guitarist Forero. All lyrics apart from "Shanti Path" derived from a Hindu Sanskrit mantra are based on poems by Carlos' wife Natalye Engelke. I'd recommend to anyone who's interested in learning more about the concept behind "Omphalos" and the band in general to follow the link to an interview with Carlos Plaza on the band's website.

Finally I can just say that this work goes far beyond your standard symphonic Prog and stands as their previous releases for a brilliant example of well-elaborated modern progressive music (or "art music", a term Carlos Plaza prefers). This album should be considered an essential addition to any Prog collection and a must-have for all fans of Symphonic Prog, 4 1/2 stars really!!

KOTEBEL create very serious symphonic music that is complex with a classical flavour.Certainly the soprano,operatic female vocals only add to the high-classed climate of this music.Lots of piano and flute on this one. Ra is the 13 minute opener that features a lot of tempo changes.It opens with flute and piano.Throughout this album you would swear there is mellotron but apparently it's string-synths.There are some nice outbreaks of guitar before 4,6 1/2 and 8 minutes.The vocals though really make it hard for me to enjoy this song. Excellent Meat is really different from the other tracks and it's my favourite.This is one of only 2 songs that were written by the guitarist.It features a nice heavy soundscape with some ripping guitar after 2 minutes that goes on and on.A calm after 3 1/2 minutes where strummed guitar and flute lead the way.It kicks back in a minute later with more scorching guitar. The Pentacle's Suite is over 30 minutes long and is divided into 6 parts.It starts with the Prologue a short intro with dark guitar with those female vocals before the other instruments join in. Sun sounds really good with the flute leading the way as bass,light drums,piano and synths help out.Guitar comes in sounding excellent.Waves of sound follow before we get a calm,then a fuller sound comes in. Mercury opens with vocals as acoustic guitar joins in.Eventually bass,cymbals,flute,drums and guitar are added one at a time.The guitar play is beautiful.Cool song. Venus features some guest cello with piano,string-synths and flute. Mars opens with some good bass as drums come in and build.Flute is added.I love the band interplay before 2 minutes.Guitar before 3 minutes followed by a calm and string-synths.Heavy bass is back.An uptempo melody to end it. Epilogue is more laid back with flute and slow paced drumming.Bass and vocals follow.String-synths 1 1/2 minutes in followed by a tasteful guitar solo a minute later.Piano and flute to end it. MetroMnemo is the another song i like.It's an instrumental of mainly guitar,bass and drums. Joropo is led by piano and flute before synths then guitar come in 2 1/2 minutes.Drums and fat bass 4 minutes in. Omphalos is really more of the same including vocals.It's all good.Actually a guy came in the store when i had this on and asked who it was, saying he really liked it.He then asked me if i'd heard of TRANS SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA,to which i told him i had three of their cds.He said he's seen them 4 times in concert. This deserves at least 4 stars because of the quality of the music.In my rating system though it gets 3.5 stars because i have to really like any record i give 4 or 5 stars to.The vocals make it difficult for me.

Ouroboros, 2009's release from Kotebel was my introduction to the band, masterminded by keyboard player Carlos Plaza and was an album of such inventiveness and exciting musical diversity that it made my top 10 of the year. Naturally I felt compelled to start investigating their back catalogue and Omphalos seemed the logical place to start.

It treads similar territory to Ouroboros with its haunting melancholic vibe where symphonic prog collides with jazz influences. Classical touches are also clearly evident. Where it differs is the operatic vocals of Carolina Prieto, which play a crucial role where on its successor vocals only appear on the final track. A very good vocalist she is too in the classical tradition but I do find myself tiring of them ocasionally. Flute also plays an important role in the sound here and while the music has that melancholic vibe it's often lighter and more airy than the dark and brooding sound created on Ouroboros.

The centrepiece of the album is the lengthy six part Pentacle's Suite which truly captures the essence of the band. The haunting introduction, highlighted by the operatic vocals, gives way to unison flute and liquid bass runs overlaid with stark synth chords then drifting into a fusion tinged symphonic sound. A vocal backed classical guitar interlude gives way to flute and piano building with some pleasing mellotron before the bass and drums bring it back into more upbeat territory. It ends on a mellower note, operatic vocals reappearing.

As excellent as Pentacle's Suite is, I have a slight preference for the harder edged Excellent Meat with its pleasing and more upfront electric guitar work, a track more in keeping with what was to follow on Ouroboros. It is however an album of fairly consistent quality, revealing its secrets more and more with repeated plays.

Initial impressions had been that Omphalos fell short of the excellence of Ouroboros, and while I still have a preference for its successor, which reaches heights of musical excitement greater than here, there's no doubting that this is still an album of enormous breadth and scope and deserving of four stars.