TIEMPO

Before achieving recognition with their impressive sophomore album "Gritaré", Chilean band Matraz were already making good almost completely instrumental music as a quartet. Their debut album "Tiempo" had been originally released in 1999, but only a few years later would it resurface as a Mylodon item. "Tiempo" is a sort of concept album based on the periods of the day: the few lyrics ar eexcerpted from Gabriela Mistral's poems that describe the emotions inherent to the dawn ('Aamancer'), the morning ('Mañana'), the portion from afternoon to evening ('Atardecer') and the night ('Noche'). Yes and ELP are featured classic prog references, but this band also included many hints to prog metal standards as well as to jazz-fusion and gracious neo-prog nuances. The constant interaction between Diego Burto's keyboards and Claudio Cordero's guitars elegantly enhance the intense dexterity of the more bombastic passages and the eerie magic of the clamer ones. The rhythm duo is more than capable to keep up with the various tones and shifts that come all the way through. Tracks 1, 2 & 4 are all well ensembled progressive suites in which the band clearly states their multifaceted vision: in this way, 'Aamancer' opens up the album in a very characteristic manner. The versatility and pomposity demanded by the compositional ideas are handled by al lfour musicians with skill and taste, comprising the diverse musical sources in 10 to 13 minutes spans with confidence. Arguably, things are not always as cohesive as they should, and sometimes th eband seems to be happy indulging itself into roads of sonic excess, but most of the times the flow of ideas turns out to be set in a fluid amalgam. My favourite suite is the second one, 'Mañana', which kick off with a gentle duo of piano and tuned percussion until the train of progressive thought incarnated in sonic diversity is solidly delivered by the full ensemble. The harder side of Matraz is always present in places, but it is in the last suite 'Noche' that this side is more robustly exploited. The epilogue to 'Noche' is a reprise of the first tracks's initial motif: obviously, an allusion to the cyclical nature of the day. The only short track is the ballas 'Atardecer', based on dreamy chord progressions on electric-acoustic guitar, while bassits Inti Oyarzún sings his lines as exorcising the ghosts of nostalgia. This piece is an oasis of surreal beauty among cathedrals of ambitious music. Despite not being as cohesive in terms of composition and sound as the acclaimed follow-up album "Gritaré", "Tiempo" is a testimony of a band that was born wit han already mature musical vision: a vision of vintage progressive dreams within a renewed and refreshening format.