VAZIMBA

Madagascar is an big island just east of Africa with it's very own wildlife and fauna. Many of the animals and fauna there cannot be found anywhere else on this planet. Madagascar is an own planet on it's own.

That too can be said about Vazimba. The band is listed in the Tech Metal category. But they are only 51 % Tech Metal. The remaining 49 % is pure jazz. Jazz as in Mahavishnu Orchestra. Take their album The Inner Mounting Flame and their live album Between Nothingness and Eternity and add an ounce of metal aka Nocturnus to the stew = Vazimba. To label Vazimba as a blend of Mahavishnu Orchestra and Nocturnus is a very good description of the fifty-three minutes of the music coming out of the speakers here.

Eclectic is the word which also describes this music. The music is both dense and very intense. The sound is excellent and the musicians know their instruments inside out.

The lack of some truly superb songs are my only gripe with this album. But it has a heck of a lot originality and it is really outstanding in that respect. I think it is only a matter of time before this band is being signed by one of the great labels in the scene on the basis of this album alone. It is that great and it showcases one of the most talented bands out there.

If you love Mahavishnu Orchestra; you cannot go wrong with this album.

4 stars