HOLOCAUSTO

This band almost turned out to be the support act for Peter Gabriel in the early Eighties but sadly for them it became The Simple Minds. What a pity because I have seen Peter Gabriel with The Simple Minds and I'm sure that Tantra would have been embraced by the crowd with their stunning live-act that was a tribute to the early Genesis including masks and pyrotecnics! But their music was also interesting.

1. Om (8:47) : First a soaring keyboard intro, then a fluent rhythm with a lush keyboard sound (synthesizers, strings, piano). The Portuguese vocals sound strong and emotional. Halfway the climate truns into more jazzrock featuring Moog runs and Fender Rhodes electric piano.

2. Holocausto / Ultimo Raio Do Astro Dei (10:53) : This long and alternating piece delivers lots of exciting moments: fiery, jazzrock-like parts, wonderful piano and vocals, flowing electric guitar, an electric guitar/clavinet duel and great soli on the synthesizer and clavinet (Mid-Eastern-inspired).

3. Zephyrus (2:50) : The climate is dreamy with first a sitar and weird sound during the intro.

4. Talisma (8:44) : This was has strong echoes from the symphonic jazzrock from Collosseum II featuring fluent rhythms, howling electric guitar, powerful Fender bass, lush keyboards and a grand finale with fiery electric guitar and great choir-Mellotron waves, EXCELLENT!

5. Ara (4:54) : A very alternating piece, from mellow with emotional vocals to moving with howling electric guitar and up-tempo with a swinging Minimoog solo.

6. Pi (7:29) : The intro features acoustic guitar and piano, then lots of shifting moods with often a jazzrock climate and great keyboard work.

A VERY GOOD ALBUM FROM PORTUGAL!