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Ibio - El Regreso CD (album) cover

EL REGRESO

Ibio

 

Prog Folk

3.10 | 16 ratings

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ZowieZiggy
Prog Reviewer
2 stars Their debut album released some ... thirty years prior to this one (yes 30) was a fine work in terms of prog and definitely very special for those days in Spain. I can tell you that in 1978, it was not easy to produce rock music over there. So, let's be grateful to bands such as Ñu or Triana and of course Ibio.

Now, to be honest their debut was much more in the symph genre than this one. This album is looking more into some Spanish folklore traditions and I can't say that this work makes a lot of impressions on me especially during Los Concanos and the dreadful A Dos Mil Años (at least during the vocal parts). Don't get me wrong, Spanish is almost my second language but it is difficult to bear these vocals. Still, there is a wonderful guitar break in here.

IMHHO, only the instrumental numbers are worth (but not all of them). One of the best tracks from El Regreso (the return, in English) is the opening number. Estratagema is just decent, but really too childish. Still, Bosque Encantado is full of passion: great keyboards, symphonic moments, melody: everything is there to make it a highlight. But, these vocals are pretty weak and dull. They sound akward all the way through.

I was probably expecting too much of this come back. This album is just a pale effort in comparison with Cuevas De Altamira. Same vocal problem is featured. Time should have told (twenty eight years should have been sufficient to aknowledge this and look for another vocalist...). There are no such track as the great La Baila De Ibio which closed Cuevas. Clichés as Mar Cantábrico and its dreaful vocal section should have been avoided.

The band should have stuck to fully instrumental pieces like the excellent De Altamira a Puente Viesgo. More than a reference to their good old album. When I listen to Los Ventolines, there is only one feeling that comes up to my mind. Awful: press next.

This is a major disappointment, there are some fine instrumental moments but the vocals ruined them all. Two stars.

ZowieZiggy | 2/5 |

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