I Recommend...

avestin wrote: Hi stechell you can get the following at http://synphonic.8m.com: FRAGIL AVENIDA LARCO $16  CUENTO REAL $18 ALUNADO $18   SORPRESA DEL TIEMPO (LIVE) $15 LAGHONIA ETCETERA $20 TRAFFIC SOUND 1968-1969 $20 SAME $20

I honestly reccomend any starter in Peruvian Prog to avoid Anything by Frágil exzcept Avenida Largo and Sorpresa del Tiempo which are outstanding, pure Symphonic Prog, "Cuento Real and Alunado are more commercial oriented.

Laghonia Etcetera is a MUST HAVE.

And Traffic Sound I encourage to get any of the two compilations I mentioned if you can't get the original releases, there's a place called Inca Rock that has a lo of links for Peruvian Prog, also MUST HAVE.

Iván

I decided to choose one of the above mentioned albums to recommend.

It is MALDOROR - L'Arbre-Cimetière

As stated in their biography written by Lise, they have been together for ten years under two other names before recording this album. This album is I think quite an accomplishment as it manages to have the sound of "old prog" with recognized sounds from past bands, such as Genesis, Ange, King Crimosn and others and at the some time be original and create a sound of their own! The keyboards are excellent in giving the music a slightly depressive sound but full of passion and they are backed up by good guitar work. The vocals are IMO, excellent and fit the music perfectly. The msuci itself is beautiful and without knowing this is a concept album you can feel it from the music alone - you'll understand when you'll hear it. This is one of my favourite albums of the recent years.

Listen to it!

If anyone wants, PM me and I'll send you a song or two from this record.

Thanks, Guigo, that is quite a list. Definitely what I was meaning by recomm's.

I will try and find some of them that sound interesting according to your descriptions.

I've been listening yesterday and this morning to the album Io Sono Murple from 1974, the only release by the band MURPLE.

Teh album is made of 12 songs, but they are divided into two parts of connected songs that make up two long tracks of 17:38 and 16:37 minutes. Deeply based in the symphonic style, with heavy use of keyboadrs that alternate between slow and gloomy parts to dynamic evil sounding parts, with the guitars to back it up.

Apparently it is a concept album about a penguine named Murple (which is seen on the cover) that decides to leave his home and go see the big world and in his tavels he meets an evil man.

The music is beautiful and varied enough to keep us always waiting to hear what will be next. It may not be totally original, and you may have already heard that in pther bands, Italian and others alike, but it is done very well, and the musicianship is quite good and the pieces are composed in a good way. In the end it is a very beautiful music, and that is what matters to me.

I find this album very good and it is starting to be one of my favourites along ALPHATAURUS s/t album and others from the Italian Symphonic Prog scene.

 I like so much a band I discovered lately, IZZ. They have a very good album " My river flows " it´s  fantastic IMO.

http://www.izznet.com/

^^^

Great, I've been looking for people to help me fill up this list.

What about Colombia, Paraguay, Ecuador? Do you know bands/artists from there?

BTW - what update? For instance, Angulart is quite new (released their first album only this year).

Waiting for your next post with additional bands as you promised

See you.

avestin wrote: The Saturday routine - a day dedicated to a certain subject. Two weeks ago it was Italian symphonic day, last week a VDGG day. And today.... South American day. Not much credit is given in this site to the music from this part of the world. I hate to refer to it as South American because there is much diversity there and to treat it as one sort of music is humiliating, offensive and disrespectful. But I think in order to get attention to that I think I can allow myself to categorize it as one. I apologize to all those offended. I would appreciate it if Cesar Inca, Atkingani, ivan_2068 and also Chamberry and Anael. I know Mexico and Puerto Rico is not South America, but you have proven your knowledge here, and I am sure you have many things to contribute. would join us here and give us their recomm's, since I myself am not well versed in this field of prog. Recommended stuff by country: Argentina: AGNUS (already recommende that one if you remember) AMAGRAMA (that one as well) BUBU (excellent release they have. A must) ESPIRITU MIA SUPERNOVA CRUCIS (excellent) MÁQUINA DE HACER PÁJAROS, LA   Brazil: ALPHA III ANGRA BACAMARTE (Depois do Fim is an essential album) TERÇO, O MUTANTES, OS CASA DAS MAQUINAS MINDFLOW RECORDANDO O VALE DAS MAÇÃS A BARCA DO SOL SHAAMAN   Peru: FLOR DE LOTO (very good prog folk) FRAGIL LAGHONIA (this needs reinforcements)   Chile: AKINETÓN RETARD (very good) ANGULART (relatively new band. Check out the interview wth them here in the interview section) ERGO SUM EXSIMIO JAIVAS, LOS (the classic prog folk band. Legendary status) MATRAZ SARAX ENTRANCE TRYO   Venezuela: PIG FARM ON THE MOON KRÉ ESTRUCTURA TEMPANO ODRAREG FICCION   Uruguay: TIRELLI, ARMANDO   What about Ecuador, Paraguay and Colombia? Anyone knows bands from there? Please, take time to explore these. I promise a very rewarding experience. I won't bother you with my playlist of the day, it consists much of what is mentioned above. Good day / night to PA forum members.

Love South American Prog!! Good list, but you really need an update!!!

ARGENTINA

NEXUS - classic symphonic prog. Beautiful female vocals.

CHANETON - good Neo Prog band

BRAZIL

APOCALYPSE - Excellent Neo Prog band

PERU

SUPAY - Only listened a couple of samples, but what I've heard sounds great!! I'm waiting to get their album . Prog Folk

CHILE

AISLES - The Yearning a wonderful symphonic album

EOS (EndOfSilence)- If you like Rush, you may like this band.

JAIME ROSAS CUARTETO - The best SA band (IMPO) Superb Symphonic Prog.

SETI - Very interesting Symphonic Project. A must.

BARROQUEJON - Concerning the Quest, the Bearer and the Ring. A Nice mix of Prog Metal/Medieval and Symphonic. Based on Tolkien's LOTR. GORGEOUS!!!

Many more, I'll post them later. oncerning the Quest, the Bearer and the Ring
Concerning the Quest, the Bearer and the Ring

Not a recomm, just thoughts...

I've been thinking about the concept of originality a lot lately, due to bands like Wobbler and because of chats and comments by forum members such as DallasBryan. And he has a very good point. Much of the music (I refer to prog, because it is quite obvious for all the rest) is often more than reminiscent of other previously released music. The influence is noticeable in many groups (say, Anglagard). In some, it is like a clone (say Citizen Cain). The thing that matters is that even if you are influenced by some other group, you still manage to put your touches and your personality in it. Anglagard does that quite successfully IMO. Citizen Cain does not. That is not to say that the music in Somewhere but yesterday is not good. It is in fact, very good if you judge it by musical standards without bringing in the originality issue. But some of us have critical minds that cannot bare lack of originality. You need to put something into it that is your own, to twist the prime musical reference and put your mark on your music. Not to make it better, but to make it yours. So, should we judge albums by virtue of originality as well? It is done here everyday on PA when people constantly refer to Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull, Camel, Gentle Giant etc as the old masters. Their time refered to as the golden age. The music refered to as very original and never heard before. Their originality is one of the reasons they are still treasured and adored by even young prog fans to this day (there are more reasons, obviously). So we can not turn a blind eye on lack of imagination and originality. It is too a criterion by which music should be measured. Only, it is not the most important. I will still enjoy Citizen Cain and Sinkadus and other bands that bare a striking resemblance in sound to other bands. But, I will always appreciate the pioneers for their vision and talents.

I have not addressed this issue enough in previous recomm's. I wont focus on it from now as well, but I will comment about it when appropriate.

Another thing related to this, is I was thinking that all the prog we know and especially here on PA, we tend to classify it to genres and not to geographical locations. Even though we have had great threads of Spanish, Belgian, French, US, Italian, Russian and Japanese prog, the categorizations we made were based on the usual classification - symphonic, RIO, jazz-rock etc. Only when it comes to Folk does the geographical start to play a part. Geography is not always a sound determining factor in band's music. And sometimes it is.

Enough for now.

no offense, but upon close inspection I find Solaris in the same category with other eastern block bands from the same period, ie- Omega and Tako, following the trend of mid 70's Eela Craig from Austria, encompassing many styles and catchy as a whole. But with the time frame being early to mid 80's, I find their sound on the CHEEZY SIDE. Others may not have this opionion but I think by the 80's the really progressive sound was more mature.

Just my view on the progression of music.