TIERRA DE LIBERTAD

With their prior release (XX) the band produced a rather hard-rocking album. It was quite encouraging although not prog for a ?cent. At least, we got rid of some poor and romantic syrupy ballads or average (at best) pop-rock mood.

This album opens on Insomnia. The band has a lot of humour! They also have used Middle-East influences since En Al-Hakim released in '89 and they will do so as well on this album. I guess that it was all but normal during a song like Mora (Moor) but this album sounds more as an Egyptian record (for instance) sung in Spanish than a prog-rock album.

Songs as the folkish Se Me Olvidó or the popish Así Es Madrid aren't memorable moments of their musical career. While the upbeat Despierta is catchy during the (short) instrumental parts, vocals are pretty difficult to bear.

No escape of course to a love song (Ocaso De Un Amor). This time, the band decided to use a rocking mood instead of a dull ballad. But it leads inevitably to the same conclusion: this is hard to digest.

I don't know if it is on purpose, but the next one is called No Me Provoques (don't provoke me). Some sort of Arabian AOR. It is a real bad one. Press next of course.

The ballad one from this work is Un Hombre Feliz (which means a happy man; which I am not really while listening to this album). At this time of their career, I really wonder if the three prog albums they have ever released were an accident or if they were obliged to evolve as such after these releases.

Some can probably evoke the line up changes, since there is only one founding member present at this stage of their career. I don't know whether or not it is the explanation, but the result is there. Tierra De Libertad is not a good album, and prog is like a ghost.

One star. Que pasó???