ASTRID PRÖLL

Progressive bands from Puerto Rico are not an everyday case and, as such, Astrid Proll should receive a warm reception.They were formed in 2004 and named after the female German member of the communist militant group Baader-Meinhof Gang.The guys around the project, who reputedly had more than 15 years of experience each in the local music scene, were Georgie Castro-Ramirez on guitar/sax, Andres Lugo on guitar/synthesizer, multi-instrumentalist and singer Agustin Criollo and drummer Fernando Rosado.After recording a 5-track demo, they headed for their self-titled debut album, which was released in 2006 on Noisex Records, featuring a few guests on pianos and sound effects.

Apparently the choice of the band's name had nothing to do with any sort of political ideology, it was just a way to express the members' extravagant musical ideas in an attempt to push the borders of progressive music even further.The result was an album of constant experimentation, composing freedom and alternating soundscapes, borrowing elements from Heavy Rock, Jazz and Electronic Music.Of course in such an attempt the name of KING CRIMSON is always a guaranteed source of inspiration, but the branches of influences are much more, including echoes from Post-Punk and Space/Kraut Rock.Imagine some heavy and pounding electric guitars supported by marching drumming and bass lines, flavored consistently by floating, cosmic synth layers, as the music passes from a Crimson-ian loosiness to blistering rhythms and angular riffs.But the guys sink also into cinematic and outlandish electronic ambiences in a few occasions, creating dramatic and sinister vibes with solid keyboard and piano parts.The vocals, appearing in a pair of pieces, are pretty irritating and not the best selection for a music, that sounds better in an instrumental version.Fusion touches and a deeper sense of effects/synth/guitar experiments are also displayed in certain occasions, the album as a whole does not sound extremely consistent, but contains a good amount of energy and a daring decision towards both complex and loose structures.

With many Puerto-Ricans living in the States, the band had prepared for a set of shows in New York and some other prog festivals worldwide, while they had been working on a second album, titled ''La guerra del fin del mundo''.But for unknown reasons ''Astrid Proll'' meant to be the band's only album.

Whether you call this Experimental Heavy Rock, Heavy/Jazz electronics or Post-Punk/Avant-Garde Prog, prepare yourselves for an adventurous listening experience, characterized by sheer dynamics and an unmet musical freedom.Recommended.