SOMBRA Y LUZ

Triana's third album was the one that took the band to real commercial fame in their country. Persistent promotion, catchy melodies, and a ever-growing cult led this recording to big sales in a short time. This kind of success feels natural since the fine sound production really helps the material to shine in an attractive manner. But it is also true that Triana was starting to lose some of its distinct prog drive. Not that it had come down to nadir, since there's lots of impressive material here, full of complexity, genuine passion, and that special magic that only Flamenco can give to a prog sounding ensemble: yet, it is becoming clear that the writing tends to incorporate somewhat simpler ideas, and that the will to experiment is more restrained than in their excellent previous efforts. The main reason for this lies in the fact that de la Rosa seems less interested in using his synth parts as a counterpart to the guest lead guitarist, allowing this guy to steal the limelight and carry the aggressive side of Triana's music on his shoulders exclusively, most of the time. 'Una Historia' is a blues-tinged rock piece, filled with serene melancholy. On the other hand, 'Quiero Contarte' takes a happier mood sustained upon an easy listening motif: the long overdubbed guitar solo during its closing part really helps the track to build an effective climax. Two good songs, but nothing special actually. Things start to get better (much better) with the title track: starting with a brief jazz-rock sung section, there follows a psychedelic tour de force of multi-layered synth and eerie guitar effects, supported by Flamenco guitar arpeggios, hand clapping and a hypnotic 9/8 drum pattern, and seasoned by weird vocalizing courtesy of Palacios. This section is the only moment when de la Rosa lets his synths assume the leading role: by doing so, Triana recaptures some of the essence of their earlier albums. After this bizarre number comes the 10-minute epic 'Hasta Volver': the musical concept of this beautiful song is literally epic, but the emotional drive is more introspective, with occasional moments of exaltation. 'Tiempo sin Saber' is another beautiful song (penned by guitarist Rodriguez), introduced by a fiery Flamenco guitar solo, then developed within a symph prog frame. The closure is nothing but a reprise of 'Sombra y Luz', keeping the same structure (a sung part and a 9/8 psychedelic part) but 5 minutes shorter. Well, as I said before, this is a great record but only partially essential: all things considered, it is fair to add that it would make a nice addition in your prog collection if you're really into Flamenco-tinged prog. 3 1/2 stars.