Progarchives, the progressive rock ultimate discography

OBSCURE KNOWLEDGE

Guapo

RIO/Avant-Prog


From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Guapo Obscure Knowledge album cover
3.77 | 73 ratings | 2 reviews | 26% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

Write a review

Buy GUAPO Music
from Progarchives.com partners
Studio Album, released in 2015

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Obscure Knowledge Part I (25:39)
2. Obscure Knowledge Part II (4:38)
3. Obscure Knowledge Part III (12:39)

Total time 42:56

Line-up / Musicians

- Kavus Torabi / guitar
- Emmett Elvin / Fender Rhodes, Hammond organ, synths
- James Sedwards / bass guitar
- David Smith / drums, percussion, keyboards, noises, co-producer

With:
- Michael J. York / woodwind
- Antti Uusimaki / keyboards, effects

Releases information

Artwork: David Smith

CD Cuneiform Records ‎- Rune 404 (2015, US)

LP Cuneiform Records ‎- Rune 404 (2015, US)

Digital album

Thanks to lunarston for the addition
and to projeKct for the last updates
Edit this entry

Buy GUAPO Obscure Knowledge Music



GUAPO Obscure Knowledge ratings distribution


3.77
(73 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(26%)
26%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(35%)
35%
Good, but non-essential (29%)
29%
Collectors/fans only (8%)
8%
Poor. Only for completionists (2%)
2%

GUAPO Obscure Knowledge reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Mellotron Storm
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars Once again I'm left spellbound by the sheer power of the music from this band just like I was when I first heard their "Five Suns" album. Without question this record will be on my "Best of" list for 2015.

"Obscure Knowledge Part I" is the almost 26 minute opener and man what a ride this trip is. Sounds pulsate as the atmosphere becomes uncomfortable then it kicks in hard before 2 minutes followed by the guitar lighting it up. The guitar reminds me of Steve Howe here. Powerful organ runs as well then the guitar rips it up again before turning Howe-like. It's winding down slowly around 5 minutes as pulsating keys join in and those powerful sounds that drone in and out. It starts to build and we get this repetitive sound but it does have different shades to it as it plays out. A change before 13 minutes and I love when it turns into an ANGLAGARD-like sound around 15 minutes with the angular guitar, organ and more. This continues until it changes before 22 1/2 minutes. Man that section is priceless! They then seem to jam almost to the end in a very groovy way. Love the Fender Rhodes. Just before it ends we get this bagpipe-like note that goes on and on as it blends into "Obscure Knowledge Part II" and it continues this way throughout this over 4 1/2 minute track as experimental sounds come and go. The most avant-garde piece on here.

"Obscure Knowledge Part III" opens with the bass, guitar and keys coming and going until it picks up with drums joining in. The angular guitar is awesome. It settles back but it will shift in tempo and mood throughout. This track really infatuates me. How intense is this before 9 minutes! And this will continue to the end.

Man this can be so experimental but they give me enough melody to balance it out really well. This is an intriguing album that will appeal to Avant fans especially.

Review by BrufordFreak
COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars Despite a growing frustration with the high and vocal early praise that Guapo releases garner, I have decided to press on regardless in my patient getting-to-know, give-em-a-chance attitude to this band. Though my first exposure to them, the universally acclaimed 2004 release, "Five Suns," helped convince me that this might be (one of) the new direction(s) of Zuehl, I have now decided that the music of this band is less Zeuhl and more Avant Garde/RIO (which is probably the band's intention after all).

1. "Obscure Knowledge (Part I)" (25:39) Opens with a fairly exciting six-minute section that is straight out of the Zeuhl textbook, but then transitions into a rather-prolonged ten-minute SWANS-like section which is all founded upon the repetetive ejaculation of a single guitar chord. The sudden switch into a kind of 1960s BLACK SABBATH blues-rock. At 17:30 the music leaps into a series of YES-like machine gun explosions which is then followed by a brief Steve Howe-like passage which is then transformed into a Robert Fripp-like riff which becomes the new theme foundations for a five minute section of continuous experimental sound discharges. This is then ended by the band's quick discourse into a Crimson/VDGG-like fabric which then gets the Kavus/Fripp treatment from the lead guitar. Nice section that ends in the 25th minute with a brief return to a variation of the SWANS-like theme. This is quickly cast off in favor of a very thick, heavy King Crimson patch. But, alas, this is too good to last as the band falls back into a prolonged single-chord format for the song's final section in which the bass, organ, Fender Rhodes, and second guitar are (thankfully) more prominent (though Kavus' single chord guitar is still far in the foreground). (42.5/50)

2. "Obscure Knowledge (Part II)" (4:38) is an organ and bagpipe-led piece that again can't help but remind me of a SWANS song. All kinds of incidental "wind"-like sounds are thrown into the cauldron by the various other musicians, making for an interesting cacophony of babeldom. I actually quite like it! (9/10)

3. "Obscure Knowledge (Part III)" (12:39) opens with some real blues playing before settling into a kind of Hendrix Haze. Still, this is real music, with foundation in real chords, keys, and scales. (21/25)

Four stars; an excellent contribution to the modern catalogue of Avant/RIO.

Latest members reviews

No review or rating for the moment | Submit a review

Post a review of GUAPO "Obscure Knowledge"

You must be a forum member to post a review, please register here if you are not.

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password

Copyright Prog Archives, All rights reserved. | Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Advertise | RSS + syndications

Other sites in the MAC network: JazzMusicArchives.com — jazz music reviews and archives | MetalMusicArchives.com — metal music reviews and archives

Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.