ALMAGEST

This album is simply *phenomenal*. I found out about Almagest here on ProgArchives and it had me dazzled so that for a few weeks I listened only to it. I don't know anything about those guys, apart from that they are Portugese, but I am waiting for their next release.

The album is actually a mix of space rock, ambient and post-rock. Thanks to the use of flute it has a warm and pleasant feel. EK can easily manipulate the mood, but what you find on Almagest is mostly cosmic musical landscsapes.

The first track, Murmurs, is a sort of an introduction and is probably the darkest one on the whole album. Transistion to the next track, Pale White Dot, is smooth. The track starts with a pleasant, post-rock-like flute tune and develops into space chorus synthesisers, followed by a guitar solo seasoned with a pinch something that makes me think of Porcupine Tree. The track finishes with another flute variation and we proceed to Low Mass Stars, which would be some 15 minutes of ambient, if it wasn't for that flute motif, which seems to be recurrent throughout all the album. Spirit Of The Water unfortunally is not a cover of Camel, but, thanks to that heavenly speaking female voice it features, it is the most calm and peaceful track on the whole album. Track 5, Shadows Of Forgotten Ancestors is a bit darker and continues on to Cosmos Celestial Movement, which features almost only the flute, sums up the album with its oriental sound.

All in all, listen to Almagest because it is something really fresh. If the band got more publicity, then probably it would be seen as a breakthrough... I hope the band will keep this level of musicianship.