TRAYECTO

Difícil Equilibrio is the definitive Crimsonian bastion in the Spanish current prog scene. This trio's style is overtly influenced by 80's KC, which makes them stand out more like a tribute band who write and perform their own material than a particularly original act - therefore, the virtues of their music must be found in their genuine energy and their skill, which are, indeed, great and impressive. One main factor for this is the inclusion of contemporary jazz-rock elements, which help the band follow their mentors' example without cloning them. Generally speaking, the band's overall sound is undeniably classy, with a polished touch of disturbance delivered in a most elegant manner: not working as a power trio, DE functions more as a cohesive ensemble in which every individual member works for the benefit of the other two. The brief opener 'Compulsión' is based on a catchy series of chord progressions sustained on an up-tempo 5/8 pattern. It is segued into the eerier 'Mudan las Palabras', which finds DE slightly exploring the fusionesque side of things in the Crimsonian context; the clever use of empty space by the bass player and the sounscaped guitar solo included in the interlude are worth a special mention. The following tracks pretty much follow the same pattern: there are times when they seem to consciously flirt with the dangers of ripping-off (e.g. 'Hostilidad Simétrica' and 'La Lógica del Vampiro'), but fortunately they never fully get to that point. 'Trayecto 4 - Trayecto' is a two section jazzy number that finds the band jamming on expansions of simplistic basic motifs: their interplay is precise, but despite the potential impression of being cold and calculatingly technical, actually you can feel a true labour of introspection translated into musical terms, starting in the perspective of languid contemplation and then turning into a moderately exulting attitude. The harshest stuff is condensed in the last three numbers. 'Vigilia' and 'Retrofremovium 01' are two segued aleatory excursions, quite reminiscent of the most deconstructive side of Henry Cow circa "In Praise of Learning". The closure 'Self- Portrait' displays a powerful hard rocking motif before getting to a two-minute silent lapse, after which a very brief processed guitar soundscape closes down the album properly. In a word - excellent!