ESQUIZÓIDE

What is one to make of a band that calls itself PROGNOISE emerging from the remote region of Rondonia, Brazil in the city of Porto Velho? The cover of the band's debut album ESQUIZ'IDE looks like its straight out of the early 70s with amateurish cover art and a moniker that makes you wonder if this is a proggier side project of Sonic Youth or Lighting Bolt but no way, this is a bonafide band from one of those regions of Brazil that wasn't too long ago in the past was part of the Amazonian rainforest before settlement went wild in the 80s. This band consists of Alessandro Amorim (bass), Alessandro da Cuna (drums), Zeno Germano (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards) and S'lvio Lopes (keyboards) and has released two albums so far.

ESQUIZ'IDE was released in 2014 and is an unexpected mix of 90s alternative rock, 70s Italian symphonic prog and Brazilian folk music. With only six tracks that misses the 27 minute mark, this is a rather short listening experience. What we basically get here is not Sonic Youth gong all King Crimson on us at all but rather a mix of grungy guitar parts that are straight out of the Stone Temple Pilots demo playbook along with more pastoral prog sounds that bring back the symphonic 70s along with occasional Jethro Tull flute inspirations. There are also psychedelic effects with atmospheric cloud covers and occasional.

This is really a band that doesn't know what it wants to be. Tracks like the opening 'Abertura Esquiz'ide' are dreamy and psychedelic and the lengthy 'No Ralar Do Dia' is like taking a trip in the way back machine as it elegantly evokes classic Italian prog of the 70s such as the symphonic folky infused sounds of Le Orme only sung in Portuguese with some Jethro Tull inspired flute runs for good measure. However 'Crimsoniana' and 'Espasmo' exhibit a 90s alternative rock approach although i think PROGNOISE was going for more of a King Crimson 'Red' sound on these tracks and while exhibiting progressive tendencies are more on the light side of things with a lazy drumbeat and more grunge sounding guitar riffing action.

Nice try guys but this one is really boring and awkward sounding. The unfocused nature of alternative rock and symphonic prog sounds stilted and the production is extremely amateurish on top of that. This sounds like the first time around for all involved and the results are a rather hodge-podgy display of influences without anything creative to add to the work table. The album cover is rather fitting actually. The music sounds like it's trapped in a bottle that's been floating around for 40 years and has gotten shaken up a bit. An unamused face tolerates it but would rather put something else on and the music is about as sophisticated as the album cover art. Average quality at best.

2.5 but not good enough to round up