HOLOCAUSTO

This was the second album by Portuguese prog rock band Tantra, and came out in 1979. By this time Tantra were widely regarded as the top prog band in the country, and had toured considerably. A very dramatic band, both in the music and in their live shows, they had also aided their popularity by performing all of their material in their own language, although they did switch to English after 'Holocausto'

It is very much an album of it's time, although given the state of the music scene at the end of the Seventies this would already have sounded very dated by then. They had taken influences from British bands such as King Crimson and Genesis, and brought in even more eclectic styles from Magma and PFM that means that now the music can at times sound self-indulgent and grandiose. But, when it works well this is quite an album. Yes the production and some of the keyboard sounds are very much of their time, and the interplay and solos can last for a fair while, but they weren't afraid to experiment and there is effective use of clarinet and even a sitar.

Even among progheads this is an album that will only be listened to sparingly, but to those who enjoy experimental trad prog then this is one from the vaults.

Originally appeared in Feedback #67, Apr 02