IMAGEN

Argentinian outfit Altruismos is a fine example of a band consisting of young musicians that makes a truly heartfelt go at making challenging music, with fusion and metal as the most dominant stylistic territories covered.

This enthusiastic initial offering by them is something of an uneven experience though, where technical skill displays at times does take the upper hand over theme development and compositional flow. The joy and passion that seems to be very much a part of this act weighs up for this quite often though. Wandering jazz inspired piano themes is something of a key feature, with the guitar mostly catering for the stylistic variation. From emphasizing the jazz orientation by way of swirling, improvisational soloing to counterpointing it with dark and occasionally harsh riff patterns. Melodic, atmospheric guitar licks and mood-oriented soloing find their place as well, alongside disharmonic distinctly challenging passages where the rhythm section comes more into play and more typical progressive metal excursions. There's even room for some Flamenco on one occasion.

It all adds up to a disc filled with enthusiasm in a varied musical landscape, with fusion and progressive metal as the main styles covered. With slight excursions into other musical realms, adhering to the overall spirit of adventure so much a feature on this disc. And while Altruismos isn't quite the finished article yet, the talent and joy they share should win them quite a few fans anyhow.