BACAMARTE

There's simply everything. I feel like in prog paradise. It's maybe blasphemy (it's against everything I've believed so far), but it's far better than all these Pink Floyd's and Genesis), but I would easily nominate this as one of the best albums of all time (sorry Rolling Stone magazine, I don't believe your Aretha Franklin at all). It's beautiful old and nostalgic sound (anyone familiar with Nuovo Cinema Paradiso? if this film would be less artistic and more proggy, it could have this music). Yes, it's hidden gem, but this is why we're digging so deep and so furiously to find such treasures. This music simply can't leave anyone cold in heart, it's so moving and its message is so clear (messages, it's trying to be and it's well successful.

For example in first song UFO, classical guitar work is great. Reminding Andres Ségovia (but done in prog style), then 2:00-2:30 guitar is breath-taking. This is legend. Forgotten by most, but looked onto with flame in heart by few of us who know it.

5(+) dig dug

Also, the band consists of excellent instrumentalists. Drummer Marco Verissimo, who gives us quite a load of fast drum rolls, reminds me sometimes of Eduard Schicke from Schicke Führs Fröhling. Mr. Paul plays some subtle percussion to hold things in balance. Sergio Villarim plays different kinds of keyboards, and sometimes you can hear Rick Wakeman - like patterns, but he is also adding some atmospheric mellotron parts, and the moog is also a lot to be heard, and then there's the piano... Guitars (acoustic as well as electric, Spanish as well as more Western-European) are a treat, played very well by Mario Neto. Delto Simas is also a master on his acoustic and electric basses, and the flute of Marcus Mora (sometimes reminding of Thijs van Leer or Ian Anderson) and the powerful vocals of Jane Duboc (reminding me somewhere of Nanny de Ruig from Hoelderlin, Patricia Paay on "Patricia Anglaia" from Kayak, or Marie-Claire Creemers from Coda's What A Symphony") are like the cream on the cake.

The record has many different influences, and every half a minute or so you are thinking where you heard this or that part before. So they are not the most original band, but that doesn't matter on this record, given all the positive aspects. This record is like a punch in the face. A bit fragmentary perhaps, and they are not building epics in any way, but it sounds like they don't want to be the band for that, there's a certain restlessness in the music, as if they want to show you as much places to go in their music as possible. This is not like showing off, but this is more a joyful record, a record that makes you feel in love with prog again. Because the band paints a musical palette that is a offering a lot of things within the timespan of three quarters of an hour, that makes you forget the shortcomings. This is vintage prog, brought with conviction, a lot of energy, a powerful sound and with some virtuosity as well. This must have been a very powerful live band as well, since there is a definite live feel on this studio record. The record is really happening.

References? I can only tell you what the band reminds me of: Crack (the band, not the drug), Epidaurus, PFM, Sandrose, oh well... too many to be mentioned. Keep in mind: vintage prog sound, a lot of powerful fragments, great playing by all group members... Naive in its joyfulness and mature in its sound.

Bacamarte's Depois De Fim is one of those albums that many newcomers to Prog Archives find on the Top 100 and wonder, "What could this possibly be?" Among the RPI, Harmonium, and a few extreme albums, Bacamarte is one of those obscure gems that is the reward of digging for obscure records. Like those others, it requires becoming comfortable with a foreign language (dragonvoice in the case of extreme metal), in this case Brazilian. And like those other foreign language gems, once the mind starts to register the voice as simply another musical instruments and lets go of lyrics, still there remains a remarkable piece of work.

Depois de Fim was made during the death throes of prog, 1978. In fact, because disco was pushing prog steadily out of popular circulation, the album was held until in 1983, when a true vacuum existed for the very RPI-like music it contains. The sound combines classical, acoustic guitar (with Brazilian flavors), soaring romantic vocals (female here), and prog keyboard textures with excellent electric guitar work to produce a delicious helping of prog, well deserving of its high place on PA's charts.

The mastermind behind this album is multi-instrumentalist Mario Neto, who provides the primary guitar, some keyboards, and background voices. But the band itself is quite accomplished with singer Jane Duboc's voice matching any of the male RPI singers in grand expression with a strong clear tone. She is a great finishing touch on a complex music that relies primarily on composition and instrumental flavoring for its power. Neto takes the sound of Steve Howe and expands the classical-flamenco ideas more authentically, along with a few more modern (especially for the time) electric techniques. The band is especially adept at stomping the gas pedal and pulling out frenetic, fast instrumental sections that satisfyingly dazzle. At the same time, the sense of composition shows through with good use of light and shade, busy and open mix, slow and quick, variation on multiple levels. There are no low points on this album that I can find. "UFO" and "Ultimo Entardecer" are some highlight tracks, but all are good.

Basically, I think all RPI fans should own this album, as they will not be disappointed. Certainly the Brazilian lineage adds some new flavors, but the overall sound will feel very familiar. For American / English fans, this is as good as any album to venture into classic world prog as any. IMO, it matches anything by PFM or the Italians, who usually form the entry point into that new world. The closest album I own to this is Semiramis, who matches (or eclipses) the dark, energy-packed taste for speed and skill, but doesn't incorporate pastoral or classical elements to quite the same degree, and whose male Italian vocals are not as singular as Bacamarte's Brazilian diva.

One of the obscure masterpieces of 70's prog. Should be in any prog hound's library.

This album is highly regarded and with good reasons. It is a synergy of most prog rock styles and it's creates it's own universe. This universe is beautiful in it's extreme. It is also playful and folky. The haunting, folky female vocals is brilliant. The playful, jazzy and sometimes haunting melodies are backed up by accoustic and electric guitars, piano and keyboards. The feel is most definate in the PFM style. Lovers of the Italian prog scene will love this album. The rest of us also fall in love. It is listed as one of the best symphonic prog albums of all time and I have no issues with that. This is simply a masterpiece and I urge you both to buy this album or read the other reviews if you are in any doubts. I am not worthy !

4 stars

Brazilians aren't noted by their patriotic behaviour. I know a lot of my countrymen feels very happy in seeing Bacamarte's first album quoted so high in this site's list of top progressive albums in popularity, but besides the obvious musical quality of this piece I can't see why it's rated so high.

There's little of brazilian folk music in Bacamarte's. With the exception of the guitar introduction from the first track what I hear all through the album is a very good band inspired by Genesis, Yes and EL&P (in some passages). Nothing more than that. It's an achievement for a bunch of musicians from the third world, isolated from the major rock scene (and the original release date shows how far from the then-current music scene they were), but it's neither original nor folkish. Los Jaivas represents far better what would be a latin-american prog sound than Bacamarte and their lecture of the patterns from the symphonic prog giants.

It's really a mystery to me why they are rated so high because I don't believe they're original enough. They're good but not essential. Go to italian prog to find a real apropriation of the symphonic prog classic sound in a non-english, latin trend.

"UFO" A solo classical guitar workout opens the album, giving way to what I would consider Brazilian Genesis music with some Baroque flavors.

"Smog Alado" Thick, warbling bass grooves underneath some breathy flute and flat-sounding guitar. Airy organ and synthesizer provide the backdrop for duller guitar swells that conclude the piece in a magnificent way.

"Miragem" The main guitar and bass riffs dance around chords, as the former sounds like the musical equivalent of an elusive housefly. This is one of my favorite tracks on the album because of that.

"Pássaro De Luz" Lively classical guitar dances underneath the soaring female vocals.

"Caño" Here is a somewhat disjointed track at first, with spurts of bass and accordion that eventually mold into dramatic, long chords for a time, before charging ahead into a very good, but very short, instrumental.

"Último Entardecer" The lengthiest track has a fairly simple acoustic guitar chord progression that gives way to piano, then synthesizer, as the powerful singer enters. The synthesizer lead is not so much a solo as it is a repetitive theme. After frenetic business (reminiscent of "Sound Chaser" by Yes), things calm down as the singer breathes new life into an already lively piece of music. A classical guitar interlude, punctuated by bursts from the rest of the band, introduce the next segment. Overall, it's a difficult piece to follow, but well worth the effort.

"Controvérsia" If "Five Per Cent for Nothing" lasted four times as long, this is what it would sound like- two minutes of almost goofy randomness.

"Depois Do Fim" After a boisterous synthesizer introduction, bass and acoustic guitar sway underneath the vocalist. I don't care as much for her performance here. However, this track contains some of the tightest instrumental work from this band, particularly from the guitarist and bassist.

"Mirante Das Estrelas" Bacamarte would have done well to have ended their album with the previous track. Instead, they peculiarly chose to end with this outlandishly eccentric track that unfortunately sounds like the goofy progressive music created in the 1980s. The drums sound like loops from a cheap Casio keyboard.

Ok, let´s be fair: the musicians are terrific, Jane Duboc has a beautiful voice (and a solo career of her own), the production is good and the songwriting is quite strong. The main problem here seems to be the fact that the songs don´t really make a very cohesive whole. It seems that Depois Do Fim Is like a collection of tunes written through the years as it often happend in Brazil during the late 70´s and early 80´s (recording facilities were expensive and not nearly as easy as they are today, let´s face it). But that´s the CD only real weakness. Other than that I found the tunes to be inspired and strong, even if a bit uneven in terms of style and identity here and there. The playing however is always brilliant. All led by the brilliant guitarrist and leader Mario Neto.

There are no real fillers to be found. and I believe that anyone who likes 70´s classic prog will love Bacamarte´s sound and textures. There are many references to the great icons of that decade (most notably the italian prog scene, but also from the likes of Jethro Tull, Rick Wakeman and even Jazz rock/fusion plus strong classical and brazilian popular music influences).

All in all I found Depois Do Fim a powerful collection of songs that any prog lover should listen to. Not really a materpiece in my humble opinion, but excellent anyway. Four stars.

This record is mostly instrumental, but it's one of those rare ones where the artists are skilled enough to entertain you throughout a whole song of nothing but instrumental performances linked together in an incredible way. All the musicians on this album are top-notch, adding a ton of feel and swing to each song. What I've found to be most enthralling is the bass-playing, which is incredibly active and marvellously drives the songs forwards.

As many have said before me; yes, the female singer (Jane Duboc) has an incredible voice. Sometimes it makes you wonder what on earth she's doing in an obscure Brazilian prog-rock band when she has a voice fit for... well, anything.

Sit down, make yourself comfortable and enjoy one of the best musical rides there has ever been. There are not many albums in this world which can contend with the incredible effort recorded here.

So I decided to let time pass and play it repeatedly over a period of a few weeks. Something was bound to give and show me that it wasn't as perfect as my first impression would have me believe.

Boy, was I wrong! It got better.

OK, allowing for personal taste, this wouldn't be THE sensation amongst the prog-metal crowd, but if you're the type that sometimes like your music a bit quieter, than this is your thing. I'm really into say, 'Train Of Thought', so I'm generally not a sappy sod. But this is something else!

Not that this albums have its putting-the-boot-in moments, but they're most certainly not on the level of Meshuggah, Tool, or Motorhead.

The album has moments of quiet beauty, acoustic passages that suddenly swing onto some tricky finger-knotting excess, underpinned with some of the most inventive rhythm section work that you're ever likely to hear.

Then there's that beautiful voice of the female singer Jane Duboc. And for once, just for once, I don't mind the lyrics not being English; and I'm a bit of a nut when it comes to that.

There's a thread loose here somewhere asking about moments in music that make you cry. Now I'm a hard bastard (ask my wife), and I don't go in for anything of that sort, but if I should name a record that could reduce me to a quivering heap of jelly, this would probably be it.

But no way is this a sappy record either.

What would I compare it to? I really don't know, but there are moments that Gryphon's Red Queen to Gryphon Three with occasional vocals springs to mind. But no, that's wrong as well. It's much more exquisite than that (at last a reason to use that poncy word).

Tell you what, why don't you just have a listen and judge for yourselves and then come back to me. I'm open to abuse at any time.