DONDE RENACEN LAS HORAS

Chilean band AngulArt (yes, both A's are capital) turned out to be one of the most impressive revelations in the current South American prog rock scene, and also a golden promise for prog rock in a worldwide context. The intensity and splendour if their debut album "Donde Renacen las Horas" clearly support that, and the use of their own Spanish language for their lyrics should not be a distracting factor to keep the non-Spanish speaking listener from enjoying it. The AngulArt sound is the result of a clever confluence between the epic orchestrations of good old symphonic prog, the incendiary power of Rush and the sophisticated energy of prog metal, with added touches of jazz rock and organic psychedelic keyboard-based ambiences. The four instrumentalists manage to work effectively as a cohesive unit, yet it is obvious that Nazario Tabilo Poblete's synthesizers stand out as the main focus in the band's overall sound. Meanwhile, Alfredo Bown Cuello's singing reflects the anger and existentialist confusion that is exposed in most lyrics with emotional conviction. Actually, this was meant to be, since "Donde Renacen." is a concept-album based upon the furious struggle of the human soul to overcome the destructive power of hopelessness in our everyday life in order to find a light of hope that helps us to keep some kind of faith toward the future, for both the individual and humankind, a quest that is clearly stated in the track 'Locuzco' (after the brief intrumental intro 'Despierta'). The "happy ending" to this quest for hope explains why the closing track 'Ámbar' exhibits such an air of optimistic apotheosis. It's an excellent track, indeed, but my personal favorites are among the most somber numbers: the three part suite 'Judas' is a perfect example of the band's ability to perform captivating melodies, complex rhythm patterns and mood shifts with total fluidity; 'Acta Non Verba' is irresistibly full of emotional density and dark reflectiveness; 'Generando Ciegos' is another fine showcase for effective playing of complex material. Overall balance: 4 stars, perhaps 4 ½ - a great debut, indeed, and a preferential item in 2004's prog rock scene.