SONUS UMBRA

What a wonderful album!After a first audition of this trully amazing album,all I can say is that I discovered indeed something exceptional and so well done that I am more than impressed! This album is the third of this so talented band and I must confess that I didn't had for a long time such a musical revelation!It's definitelly intelligent music,intelligent texts and amazingly well performed!Wonderful musicians,great vocal parts and a shadow of RUSH is around and sometimes PINK FLOYD moments with noisy interludes,in the sense thet some water are flowing...coins are making their specific noise and so on!Impressive musicianship and well contured musical ideas on this album!Marvelous piano parts assembled with inspired guitar riffs ,very clever use of synthesizers ,modern keyboards sounds too and 2 beautiful voices- LISA FRANCIS is perfect as always -and the shadow of KURGAN'S BANE is very present and PETE LARAMEE-not only a fabulous drummer but a very likeble vocalist too!DIGGING FOR ZEROS is a strong concept album and has all the ingredients for a very exciting audition,all serious prog rock lovers will be plenty satisfied!The whole album is catchy and full of wonderful musical ideas,rich in it's expression and message ,varied and attractive from the very first to the last note!I repeat,the first word that it cames in my mind to appreciate this album is intellligent!A strong release from the talented musician LUIS NASSER-the true masterimid behind the concept, and we hope it isn't the last one,because this band has a huge potential-absolutelly huge!4.5 STARS without any discussion!

This is SONUS UMBRA's third studio recording,and like the last one it is a concept album. Their vocalist has left so Lisa from KURGAN'S BANE has gone form a guest on the last album to a full time member. The male vocals are performed by the new drummer Jeff laramee. This album is more dynamic than the last one with more highs, but also more lows. Tough to pick a favourite between the two. There are 20 tracks over the 61 minutes of music but some of them blend into one another.

"Zero" opens with atmosphere as the guitar comes in sounding great. A beat follows then vocals come and go. It blends into "Scream" and kicks into gear. "Sleepwalkers" features a guitar melody and female vocals. It's fuller when it blends into "Children Of Cain". "The Laughter Of The Dead" opens with bass and marching styled drums. Synths then female vocals follow. It's heavier 2 minutes in. "Foreshadows" is filled with some cool samples. "Invisible World" opens with acoustic guitar as vocals join in. Great sound when it kicks in. Contrasts continue. "Serial Grounds" is atmospheric with spoken words. "Infestation" is a big low for me. Don't like this one at all especially the chorus. "Spleen" has a beat with guitar and reserved vocals. It does get fuller.

"Bloodstains In Paradise" opens with female vocals, drums and atmosphere. Guitar 1 1/2 minutes in. The tempo picks up after 3 minutes. It blends into "Meme Puppet Waltz" has lots of drums and acoustic guitar. "Dead Numbers" has female vocals and piano early. Synths, drums and male vocals follow as it blends into "Devil's Promise". "Aleph" has a nice heavy sound as vocals join in. Chunky bass too. "The Great Fall Inwards" has female vocals, acoustic guitar and is quite mellow before it kicks in. "The Music Of The Palms" opens with bass as vocals and acoustic guitar join in. It blends into "From The Ashes". "Pariah" features dual vocals and it gets heavier. "Infinity" opens with piano and builds slightly.

3.5 stars. I really think this band is worth taking a chance on.

SONUS UMBRA are a band from Mexico, this is their second record and it's a concept album. I must say there's no way I thought i'd be debating about giving this 4 stars after the first couple of listens, but it has grown on me big time. The male vocals are mostly reserved with an accent and there is a guest female vocalist (Lisa from KURGAN'S BANE) helping out. She'll take on a greater role on the next album. The band thanks ILLUVATAR, CHAOS CODE and CEREBUS EFFECT among others.

"Bone Machines" opens with some atmosphere before these banging sounds come in followed by a fairly heavy soundscape. Vocals join in with female backing vocals helping out. The bass is killer throughout this album. "Fool's Arcadia" opens with the sound of the wind as acoustic guitar and keys come in. Bass comes in followed by vocals. A fuller drum led section comes in around 3 minutes. It settles back 6 minutes in. "Man Of Anger And Light" opens with percussion and drums with acoustic guitar before the vocals join in. The bass is chunky. Nice guitar solo 3 minutes in. "Fascinoma" opens with some atmosphere before the piano comes in. The tempo picks up before 1 1/2 minutes. The guitar makes some noise after 3 1/2 minutes. "Self-Erosion" opens with acoustic guitar as vocals and a full sound join in quickly. Love the chorus. The guitar is good after 5 minutes. My favourite track.

"Amnesia Junkies Part I" opens with guitar as different vocal samples come and go. Male then female vocals. A calm before 4 minutes as we get some atmosphere to end it. "Amnesia Junkies Part II" has more spoken word samples then it picks up before a minute as piano, vocals and drums stand out. "Timequake" opens with vocal samples then we get music with vocals before a minute. The guitar sounds great 1 1/2 minutes in. A heavy sound comes and goes. "Rust In My Sleep" kicks in quickly. I'm reminded of the band UNDER THE SUN here. "Snakes & Ladders" opens with acoustic guitar as reserved vocals come in. It gets fuller as female vocals come and go. It's heavier 4 minutes in. Spoken words around 5 1/2 minutes. It kicks back in with some fat bass lines.

3.5 stars but i'm still listening so the rating may go up. Regardless this is a good album.

Sonus Umbra is a Mexican six piece band (with additional guest musicians) that has released their third album late 2005. The running time is at about one hour and this CD contains 20 melodic, tasteful and very varied compositions: an electronic atmosphere with wonderful interplay by acoustic - and electric guitar along pleasant sounding keyboards in Zero, lots of shifting moods (from dreamy with twanging guitars to mid-tempo with a fat guitar riff or sultry with swinging piano) in Invisible World, first propulsive, then mellow and in the end fiery guitar with howling licks in Infestation, prog metal with raw vocals and biting guitar in Aleph and dreamy with piano arpeggio's and ... English horn in Infinity. My highlight is The Great Fall Inwards: first dreamy, then a mid-tempo with fiery guitar and flashy synthesizer flights and a final part featuring a bombastic climate with propulsive drums. If you are up to varied and melodic prog, this album is fine one to checkout.

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Sonus Umbra is a Mexican group or should I say that they are of Mexican origin because it seems that they live in the USA nowadays. Their music can be described a mixture of symphonic and neo-progressive. However, it does have this melancholic, almost gothic, feel that is not usually prevalent with groups of the same style. It's a good thing and gives some originality. The overall feel is quite soft despite this dark atmosphere. The music is very accessible, maybe even a little too commercial for my taste.

This debut album is very average. The music isn't bad and it is clearly professional but it just doesn't grab me in any way. It could be that the partial neo-progressive sound prevents my enjoyment of this album. There is quite a few interesting bands coming from Mexico these days but I do not include Sonus Umbra in this group of bands based on this release.

Conclusion: A rather uninteresting album.

Did you ever hear of Spiritual Vertigo? The band Sonus Umbra knows what it is. The point is clear on their new release. This project is all about having a fear of being spiritual and standing up tall without getting dizzy and falling because we believe in a God of our choosing. This serves as a reminder that we are indeed spiritual beings regardless of whom or what we choose to call our God. The problem since the beginning of time is all the arguments humanity has created over this subject, which makes for a "Fool's Arcadia" that promotes "Self Erosion." This album is an improvement on the 2001 release Snapshots From Limbo, which was an excellent release. I was pleased to hear that the band is progressing and developing since their last studio outing.

This music is very progressive, combining the elements of rock and jazz. This band is comparable to a tropical bird displaying its splendid plumage, showing off their colors with a wealth of fusion elements within each track. The Alan Parsons Project came to mind frequently while listening to this CD, particularly with the vocals of Andres Aullet. I did not recognize that aspect on the last album, which indicates that they have indeed improved. The lead guitar playing of Ricardo Gomez (Carlos Alomar, who recorded some great albums with David Bowie, may have been an influence at some point) is superb and the rhythm section of Luis Nasser (bass, keyboards, acoustic guitars) and Jeff Laramee (drums, vocals) are an outstanding team that lays the foundation that this musical stronghold is built upon. Nasser is a fine multi-instrumentalist with an acute ear for the rhythm of each musician in the band; he is the beating heart of the unit.

Most of the tracks are typical prog-rock compositions with extended run times and the complexities that you would expect in a song over three minutes. Their magnum opus is the nearly 11 minute closer "Snakes And Ladders," which ends with a brief empty space . an eerie silence, which has you thinking the album is over, but it is not. A woman starts singing to the sound of a honky-tonk piano and you then hear a disgruntled individual groan, then suddenly a loud gunshot goes off, which will scare the hell out of you, and then the CD ends. This ending comes as no surprise, considering the premise of the album. This is how many arguments in the name of God have ended. It is sad but true, as the history of humankind has shown us that the acceptance of one another for who we are is our biggest downfall.

This recording will not require many listens to understand, however you will want to hear it several times, as it grows on you with each subsequent listening experience. Trust me, this one was well worth the wait.

Sonus Umbra (formerly Radio Silence) is Ricardo Gomez (electric & acoustic guitars), Luis Nasser (bass, Korg 01W, acoustic guitar, vocals), Jeff Laramee (drums, percussion, vocals), Andres Aullet (lead vocals) and special guests Lisa Francis (vocals), John Grant (electric & 12 string acoustic guitars), and Tapabrat Pal (tabla).

This is the kind of music that continually intrigues and challenges you to find more in each song with each listen. The first thing that starts a thought process is the fascinating cover. Many folks may say it is weird; yes it is different...but doesn't it make you wonder what it stands for? Progressive rock has always had colorful artwork on the cover of their recordings (thank you Yes and Roger Dean) with a science fiction or mystical spaced out theme.

All of these songs are filled with the beauty and savagery of the music. To me that is the very essence of prog rock, the ability to combine both of those factors and successfully project images interpreted by each artists through their own thoughts and feelings throughout the music. Sonus Umbra's Snapshots From Limbo is a consistently strong album from start to finish. "Doppleganger" and "Seven Masks" are each over seven minute compositions that are filled with lush and striking magnificence. The guitar is gorgeous and attractive then it changes quickly to a hammer of the gods that shakes and moves you like thunder and lightning, thus the difference between the acoustic and electric guitars. The keyboards of Luis Nasser are what the music is built upon, and the main instrument that thrust the other instruments into a cascade of picturesque musical splendor. Nasser also plays a commanding bass to sync the rhythm section with the odd time signatures that are the norm in prog rock. Wake up and smell the coffee all of you music lovers, progressive rock is in the middle of fabulous growth period that is a complete joy to partake in. Join me now.

The melodic neo-progressive and symphonic hard rock band SONUS UMBRA was formed out of the band RADIO SILENCE. They have both female and male vocals. The songs have great melodies with an overall beautiful, calm, dark and melancholic mood. The music is a mix between ALAN PARSONS, CAMEL, FISH, KURGAN'S BANE, MARILLION and PINK FLOYD with a 70's progressive sound with lots of acoustic guitars and some complex moments. Some of the songs are brilliant while some are middle-of-the-road stuff. The highlight are the opening "Ghosts From The Past", the complex instrumental RUSH-influenced "Doppelganger", "Demons", "The Eagle Has Landed", " Homo Homini Lupus" and the instrumental "Erich Zann". Some of the songs are a little bit to calm and uninteresting, but overall this is a nice album with great musicians. The Moonchild label are unfortunately no longer in existence, but the band has been signed to the Musea label so eventually they will get a worldwide distribution.